Windows 11 Adoption Fails to Impress

Six months in, Windows 11 doesn't appear to be attracting a rush of new users. While claims that it's less popular than XP look a little shaky, the adoption rate appears to have slowed significantly.

Only Microsoft knows exactly how many people are running various versions of Windows, but numerous independent studies attempt to estimate the figures. This usually involves extrapolating from a sample of users whose operating system is identifiable, for example when they visit a website or use a particular application.

The most eye-catching recent estimate comes from a company called Lansweeper which found just 1.44 percent of people use used its software were running Windows 11, behind the two-decade-old XP on 1.71 percent. (Source: theregister.com)

Sample Audience Matters

As PC World has pointed out, that's likely a misleading figure as Lansweeper is more likely to be used by people running large networks, including those with hardware devices other than traditional PCs. However, even when you isolate consumer users only, the figure for Windows 11 is only 2.25 percent. (Source: pcworld.com.)

The figures do certainly vary depending on the pool used for estimates. For example, Statcounter, which measures visitors to websites that use its analytics tools, has Windows 11 on 8.57 percent. Steam, a gaming platform often used by people with high-spec computers, puts it on 16.8 percent.

The methodology means the Statcounter figure is probably the closest to actual use among the general population and that brings more concerning news for Microsoft. Its graphs show the Windows 11 share already appears to be leveling off, with barely any increase over the past month.

Momentum Halted

For historical context, Windows 10 showed consistent growth after its launch, with Statcounter having it on 16.2 percent after six months, almost double where Windows 11 is at the same point.

The weak debut may be as much about hardware as people's response to the new operating system. Sales of new PCs in recent months have been sluggish, with possible factors including supply chain problems and many people having bought new machines during the work-from-home era and thus not needing new hardware. That could mean fewer people getting Windows 11 preinstalled.

There's also the issue of Microsoft intentionally restricting the number of people who can upgrade existing machines thanks to tight restrictions that rule out upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 seamlessly on older hardware that does not support TPM (trusted platform module).

What's Your Opinion?

Do you find these estimates plausible? Are your surprised Windows 11 appears to be off to a slow start? Was Windows 11 an unnecessary release?