The software sector focused on operating systems is, for many, the most important, since all other applications depend on it. If we focus on desktop computers, there is no doubt that Windows has been the undisputed leader for decades.
But at the same time we must keep in mind that there are other interesting proposals, perhaps not as widespread, but which also have their market. For example, this is the case of open source operating systems in the form of Linux distributions. Despite their enormous improvement over the last few years in terms of functionality and ease of use, they cannot be considered as a Windows competitor.
However, it is also true that many users around the world decide to migrate to a system with these characteristics, abandoning Microsoft’s. We tell you all this because based on the latest data published by the Statcounter website, Linux penetration has now reached a historic level.
And the information extracted indicates that the different Linux distributions at this moment almost reach the 5% of total market penetrationAt first glance, this figure may not seem too impressive. However, we must bear in mind that this is an all-time high and there are several reasons why this figure may have been reached.
It is worth mentioning that this usage data we are referring to, and which you can consult here, focuses on the last 12 months, up to last July 2024. This is surely news that many of the lovers of these open source systems will welcome with open arms. To give you an idea, just a year ago this market share was just over 3%.
Some reasons for the growth of Linux
Some users, unhappy with Microsoft’s latest moves in Windows, are choosing to migrate to a Linux distributionThis is becoming increasingly easier because some of these distros even offer a user interface similar to that of the aforementioned Windows.
Similarly, many point out here that the success of the Steam Deck console, which is based on a SteamOS systemdeveloped on Linux. On the contrary, it seems that there are other operating systems whose trend is, on the contrary, downwards.
For example, this happens with the proposal that the giant Google has been offering us for some time with its ChromeOSOver the past 12 months, this offer has fallen by almost two points and now has a market share of around 1.5%, very low for what Google initially expected.
Another software of this type that has also suffered a significant decline in terms of market share is Apple’s macOS. About a year ago it had 21%, while now it has less than 15%, bad news for the Cupertino company.