Microsoft is getting ready to introduce Windows 10 next month, but there’s no doubt that the new operating system will have a really hard time trying to dethrone Windows 7, which continues to be installed on more than half of the world’s PCs.

But what’s even more impressive is that Windows 7 has more users than all the other versions of Windows combined, with stats showing that Microsoft’s other releases barely get 30 percent of the PC market.

At this point, Windows 7 is number one with a share of 53.1 percent, while Windows 8.1 is second with 15.99 percent, according to data provided to us by StatCounter. Windows XP is third with 10.54 percent, followed by Mac OS X with 10.51 percent.

Windows 8 is next with 3.91 percent, while Windows Vista comes far behind with 2.23 percent. Linux is the latest important name in the rankings with 1.77 percent.

Windows 7’s future

Overall, all the other Windows versions that are still on the market have a combined share of 32.67 percent, which means that they’re still behind Windows 7, which continues to be the clear leader of the desktop OS market.

But not for long, or at least that’s what Microsoft hopes because Windows 10 will be offered as a free upgrade for those who are still running Windows 7 on their computers. Redmond will give away Windows 10 free of charge for Windows 7 and 8.1 users in an attempt to ensure the short-term success of its new operating system and to prepare for the end of support of Windows 7 taking place in 2020.

At that time, Microsoft can get through another Windows XP moment and have a hard time convincing users to upgrade, so Windows 10 is quite the right operating system to start getting people off Windows 7 five years before end of support.