An operating system manages a device’s hardware resources (processor, memory, storage) and acts as an interface between the user and software. In June 2019, operating system rankings varied depending on the type of device measured, making any single overall ranking misleading.
Computers, mobile, all devices: why OS rankings changed depending on the measurement
Measurement firms such as StatCounter and NetMarketShare did not count the same things. StatCounter based its figures on page views, while NetMarketShare counted unique visits. This methodological difference sometimes led to significant discrepancies for the same month.
Windows was the clear leader on desktop computers. On mobile, Android and iOS accounted for almost all traffic. When all devices (desktop, mobile, tablet) were combined, Android overtook Windows worldwide, driven by the enormous number of smartphones in use.
A comprehensive overview of the most popular operating systems in June 2019 helps put these differences into perspective across segments.
This distinction between segments explains why Windows or Android could come out on top in the same month, depending on the perspective. An IT decision-maker looking only at desktop figures had a radically different view from an analyst who included mobile.
Windows 10 and Windows 7 on computers in June 2019
In France, Windows 10 accounted for more than six out of ten Windows PCs by page views, reaching around 64.56% according to StatCounter data reported by ZDNet. Windows 7 held steady at around 24.59% in France, declining steadily but still installed on a quarter of computers.
Windows 7, a still-massive migration pool
In June 2019, Windows 7 still represented a substantial pool of users to migrate to Windows 10. Companies with PCs running Windows 7 had to choose between a software upgrade and hardware replacement.
macOS held a minority share of the desktop segment, far behind the two versions of Windows. Linux remained marginal in the consumer PC market, despite being widely used on servers.
- Windows 10: the desktop leader in France, with a clear lead in the French market compared with the global average.
- Windows 7: still installed on around a quarter of French PCs, declining ahead of its scheduled end of support.
- macOS: a stable third place in the computer segment, supported by Apple’s MacBook and iMac ranges.
- Linux (desktop): a marginal share among consumers, but significant adoption among developers and system administrators.
Android and iOS: the balance of power on mobile in June 2019
The rankings were completely different in the mobile segment. Android dominated the global smartphone market thanks to the wide range of manufacturers using Google’s operating system (Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, among others).
iOS, exclusive to Apple’s iPhones, ranked second. Its share was higher in countries with strong purchasing power (North America, Western Europe, Japan) and significantly lower in emerging markets.
The impact of mobile on overall web traffic
The gradual shift in traffic to mobile explained why, across all devices, Android was competing with Windows worldwide. PCs were no longer the primary way for most of the world’s population to access the internet.
Developers in 2019: which operating systems they used every day
JetBrains’ annual survey, conducted among around 7,000 developers, offered a complementary perspective. In this professional ecosystem, Windows and Android dominated the operating systems category used for development.
macOS had a stronger presence among developers than among consumers, thanks to the Apple ecosystem (iOS development, native Unix tools). Linux attracted a significant proportion of professionals, far exceeding its share of the consumer market.
This gap between consumer and professional use is a reminder that an operating system can have a marginal share of the overall market while remaining central to certain professions.
Measurement methodology: an often-underestimated factor
ZDNet had also decided to publish NetMarketShare and StatCounter data side by side to make comparison possible.
The counting method directly affected the rankings. A user who browsed only a little but did so every day counted more with NetMarketShare (unique visits) than with StatCounter (page views), where heavy web content consumers had a greater impact on the figures.
In June 2019, the operating system landscape therefore came down to three distinct leaders: Windows on computers, Android on mobile, and an overall ranking that depended above all on which measurement firm was consulted and how it counted. macOS and Linux rounded out the picture, each with a clearly defined niche. The lesson from that period still applies today: a market share figure is of little value without specifying what was measured.
