Discontinued Windows XP Still No. 2 Desktop OS

On the eve of Microsoft’s BUILD developer conference, Statcounter has published a snapshot of the challenge that Microsoft faces to get its users to adopt its current and future products over its legacy systems. According to the research firm, in the month of March Microsoft’s Windows 7 OS held on to its place as the world’s most popular desktop operating system, with the OS installed on nearly 55% of all machines surveyed. Windows XP, which Microsoft has said it will stop supporting by April 8, is at a firm number two with 18.6% of all installations.

Meanwhile, Windows 8, the integrated OS that Microsoft has been promoting since last year, remains a distant fourth at 7.9% of installs, with Apple’s MacOSX sandwiched between with 8.6% of all desktops. Even if you add in installations of the Windows 8 update, Windows 8.1, you still get less than 14% of installs for Microsoft’s newest operating system (Windows 8.1 is at 4.5%, just slightly ahead of Vista).