According to sources familiar with Microsoft statistics, the number of active devices running Windows 11 on a monthly basis has now exceeded 400 million. It is possible that by the beginning of 2024, this number could surpass half a billion.
It took the system about two years to reach this milestone since its release in October 2021. Despite initial modest expectations for the pace of adoption due to an increase in minimum system requirements, Windows 11 has proven to be more successful than anticipated.
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However, it is important to note that the adoption rate of Windows 10 was much faster.
Upon its release, Windows 10 was made available as a complimentary update to Windows 8.1 and the majority of Windows 7 computers. Microsoft initiated a promotional campaign, emphasizing that this upgrade would be free but only for a limited duration of one year. This created a sense of urgency among users, compelling them to upgrade promptly in order to take advantage of the complimentary period. Microsoft was also zealous in motivating users of Windows 7 and Windows 8 to transition to Windows 10.
As a result, the 400 million mark was surpassed in just over a year.
In contrast, the launch of Windows 11 took on a more subdued approach. From the very beginning, Windows 11 was officially compatible only with PCs manufactured in 2018 onwards, primarily due to the requirement of TPM (Trusted Platform Module). A recent research shows that one can bypass the check with a single command-line switch.
Consequently, this excluded older Windows 7 and 8 PCs that had upgraded to Windows 10, along with the initial three years of newer Windows 10 PCs. This immediate restriction imposed a limitation on the potential growth of Windows 11, a fact well acknowledged by Microsoft.
As a result, Microsoft set rather modest internal expectations, but insider information indicates that the company consistently surpassed these goals. Windows 11 has surpassed Microsoft's predictions in terms of user adoption and overall success.
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