Microsoft Windows Market Share Is Only 20%, Behind Google and Apple

In a report by Goldman Sachs, the financial firm found that Microsoft’s flagship product, Windows has a mere 20% of the overall operating system market share when you look at all devices including tablets and smartphones. That’s a sharp contrast from 2004 when the report found that Microsoft Windows had the lion’s share of the market with a dominant 95% and Apple with a measly 5%.

How times have changed.

These days, Android is the market share leader in terms of number of devices coming in with 42% of the market share, while Apple is in second with 24% and Microsoft is sitting in third at 20%. It’s obvious that the introduction of the iPhone and iPad have really helped propel Apple past Microsoft, but if you look at the time table in which both Google and Apple have eaten away at Microsoft’s market share it’s just incredible how quickly its happened.

In 2008, Android had just 1% of the market share, fast forward four years and Android is the number one operating system, in terms of market share. That’s insane, and shows just how fast the technology industry can shift. Despite Microsoft only having 20% of the market share in 2012, Goldman expects that share to grow to 26% by 2016 thanks to Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 (and maybe even Windows Blue), however, they also expect Apple’s market share to grow by 2016 as well to 29% (with its current products), meaning Microsoft would remain in third place.

Of course, four years from now in 2016 the entire industry could have shifted again — and with the introduction of new products such as a brand new Apple TV device, and other “Smart TVs” it’s really anyone’s guess who will take the lead.

What do you think the future will bring for the big three?