Android Overtakes Windows as World’s Most Popular Operating System

Google’s Android has overtaken Microsoft Windows for the first time as the world’s most popular operating system.

Ranked in terms of total internet usage across desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile combined, research from web analytics firm StatCounter found that March was the tipping point.

Android now accounts for just under 38% of worldwide internet usage, a fraction of a percentage above Windows.

“This is a milestone in technology history and the end of an era,” says Aodhan Cullen, CEO of StatCounter. “It marks the end of Microsoft’s leadership worldwide of the OS market which it has held since the 1980s.”

Removing mobile from the equation, Windows dominates the market with 84% usage share. Which illustrates just how much Android dominates mobile.

“This represents a major breakthrough for Android which held just 2.4% of global internet usage share only five years ago,” Cullen added. “Windows won the desktop war but the battlefield moved on.”

Windows remains top in North America and Europe, where desktops are still popular and many legacy enterprise fleets remain in tact.

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