The figure includes every kind of device currently running Windows 10. Desktop PCs, laptops, tablets, phones and the Xbox One have all contributed to the tally, creating the most precise overview so far of overall usage.
Windows 10 adoption is now outpacing Windows 7 by 140 percent and Windows 8 by almost 400 percent. Consumer acceptance is still increasing as over 40 percent of new devices bought with Windows 10 installed since its launch have been purchased in the weeks since Black Friday.
Microsoft has also revealed some statistics which highlight how much people use Windows. During December, users collectively clocked up 11 billion hours of time spent using Windows 10, giving the month the title of “Highest Engagement on Windows Ever.” Of that time, 44.5 billion minutes were consumed browsing the Internet in Microsoft Edge.
Throughout 2015, gamers played for over 4 billion hours and 82 billion photos were viewed in the Photos app. The Cortana digital assistant responded to over 2.5 billion questions.
These aren’t really the numbers that matter to Microsoft though. Of more importance is the growth in the Windows Store since Windows 10’s launch, boosting revenue for developers as increasing numbers of apps become available.
Over the holiday season, Microsoft observed twice as many paid transactions as in the same period of 2014. Sixty percent of customers had never shopped in the Store before and over 4.5 times more revenue was generated per Windows 10 device compared to Windows 8 ones.
Microsoft has also seen “unprecedented” demand for Windows 10 from its enterprise and education customers. It is normal for businesses to wait to upgrade to a new operating system but Windows 10 seems to be an exception.
22 million of the 200 million Windows 10 devices in use — over 10 percent of the total — are owned by enterprise and education customers. 76 percent of Microsoft’s business users are currently trialling Windows 10 for possible deployment in the near future.
Despite all the controversy that may have kicked up since launch, Windows 10 still seems to have been a commercial success so far. Microsoft says that even its troubled phone department is performing relatively well with demand for the new Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL outstripping supply worldwide. As the platform continues to grow, more developers are likely to start bringing their apps to the store, adding more fuel as Windows 10 starts to get moving.
