Skip to main content

400 million Windows 7 licenses sold, says Microsoft

windows-7-logo-pcs
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Windows 7 is adding users like Facebook. Today, Microsoft has reminded us again of its dominance, reporting that it has sold 400 million licenses for the OS in the 20 or so months since its debut. This comes about three months after the April news that sales had breached 350 million and remember, it was only a year ago (in July 2010) when Microsoft was boasting that Windows 7 had sold a, now unimpressive, 175 million licenses. According to a new blog post, the tech giant is now selling 7 copies of Windows 7 every second, with the OS now reaching 27.3 percent of all PCs worldwide.

But what about Windows 8? The new OS is set to debut in 2012 and has looks nothing like Windows 7. It appears that Microsoft is positioning Windows 7 as a bit of an equal to Windows 8, stating that many businesses may be “running a combination of Windows 8 devices and apps alongside Windows 7 PCs and apps.” Hopefully we’ll get clarification on what that means in the coming months.

Recommended Videos

Aside from the good sales report, Microsoft kicked off its annual Worldwide Partner Conference yesterday where it announced the beta for the next version of Windows Intune. The company has also posted impressions of Sony’s VAIO SA premium utlrathin laptop, which could get up to 15 hours of battery life.

Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
Early Black Friday External Hard Drive and Portable SSD Deals
Digital Trends Best Black Friday External Hard Drive Deals

Update 11/13/24:With Black Friday rapidly approaching, we're doing our best to keep up with all the best external hard drive deals that have been coming out. To that end, we've updated these deals with a few more options, as well as updated pricing. Also, its very much worth checking back as we find more and better deals to add to this article!

Early Black Friday deals are popping up all over the place, with things like Black Friday Dell laptop deals, Black Friday gaming laptop deals, Black Friday tablet deals, and Black Friday desktop PC deals offering some hefty discounts. If you’ve had your eye on any of these, you may also want to consider an external hard drive for some additional storage space. There are several Black Friday external hard drive deals worth taking a look at, and we’ve rounded up the best of them below. Read onward for all of the details, as well as some information on things to look out for if you plan to purchase an external hard drive while these Black Friday deals are taking place.
Crucial X6 SE 1TB external SSD — $80 $100 20% off

Read more
MacBook Pro 16 vs. MacBook Pro 14: here’s which M4 you should buy
The MacBook Pro 16-inch on a table.

MacBook Pros are some of the best laptops money can buy. With the M4 chip now onboard, these laptops have never been so powerful, and the update brings some interesting upgrades, such as the improved 12-megapixel webcam and brighter screen. They're the best MacBooks that have ever been made, and it's a perfect time to pick one up based on upgrade timing.

But just because the entire MacBook Pro lineup is better now, that doesn't mean it's any easier to choose between the two size options that are available. Despite the fact that they include many of the same features, the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro feel like entirely different systems due to their contrast in size.

Read more
The brain-computer interface revolution is just getting started
tech for change brain computer interface who its bxcxfghw

Whether it's jacking into the Matrix or becoming a Na'avi in Avatar, connecting brains to computers is a science-fiction trope that I never thought I'd see become a reality. But increasingly, BCIs (brain-computer interfaces) have become a serious area of study in research labs, rapidly advancing from research labs to real human trials -- perhaps most famously by the Elon Musk's company Neuralink.

While this promises individuals with disabilities a greater degree of freedom and control, along with potential applications in gaming and health care, significant technical, ethical, and regulatory challenges remain. But the more I dug into the topic, the more I found leaders and researchers rising to the occasion to lead us responsibly into the future of the this groundbreaking technology.
What is a brain-computer interface?
Alvin Lucier: Music for Solo Performer (1965)

Read more