The Windows 7 operating system has tipped past 20 percent of the market, or one in five computers--according to statistics furnished by web measurement vendor Net Applications over the weekend. In contrast, Windows XP ended the year with 56.7 percent of the market share, and Windows Vista with 12.1 percent. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has been urging corporations and users to move away from the venerable Windows XP and problem-riddled Windows Vista, so it's no wonder that users and corporations have been steadily migrating toward Windows 7.

A closer look, however, reveals that the growth of Windows 7 was not adequate to cover a dip in the worldwide market share of the Windows platform. Indeed, the overall lead of the Windows operating system has actually slipped another half a percent to 90.3 percent, for a total loss of almost 2 percent over the course of the year. Still, the drop is unlikely to change Microsoft's dominance in the grand scheme of things; ironically the continued strong presence of Windows XP could be worrying from the perspective of security.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at Computerworld
- check out this article at Ars Technica
- check out this article at Windows 7 News

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