Releasing Windows 10 20H2 as a minor operating system update, successfully reduced errors in the platform and encouraged users to install it with the consequent Windows 10 fragmentation decline, based on adoption data received from AdDuplex.
You already know the situation. Microsoft has adopted the “Windows as a Service” model for the development of Windows 10, planning to release two major versions each year as a continuous version or as a continuous version used by GNU / Linux distributions for years. While a frequent release has advantages in keeping the system more up to date in terms of features and new technologies, it also has disadvantages.
Microsoft was unable to maintain this development model and bugs (some very serious) made upgrades a high risk exercise, and users chose to keep older versions more stable, increasing fragmentation. The Redmond firm changed the initial strategy towards a less ambitious, but more secure development, retrieving the concept of “Service Pack” for the second annual update with the main objective of improving performance and stability.
Although the known bugs persist (the Windows hardware and software ecosystem is huge and they just don’t happen), they are not so numerous or so serious as in previous years and with a more gradual and controlled distribution, they seem to have succeeded in regaining confidence in the latest versions.
Windows 10 fragmentation is reduced
The latest version of Windows 10 20H2 is already installed on the 9% of teams. Much faster adoption than previous versions considering that it has not yet completed its deployment. The spring edition, Windows 10 2004, grew to 37.6% and became the most used version.
Windows 10 v1909 still has 36.4% of the market, but it’s been down a bit over the past two months, just like previous editions. Regarding the number of trial versions, Insiders, varies depending on the version between 0.5 and 1% according to the various monthly reports. They represent thousands of free test kits for the system, and the versions that will arrive in 2021 are already being tested. Many errors come from there and can be fixed before the launch of the stable versions.
Good news because it means that the quality of the software has been improved. No need for two annual feature updates and it is better to ensure stability. Apple, the big mirror in which to look at Microsoft’s and Google’s software support with Android (the worst of the big ones when it comes to fragmentation), only releases a yearly version for macOS or iOS and the truth is that this is an example efficiency with increased user adoption.
