Operating system and platform analytics
Track OS market share, version adoption trends, and platform migration patterns with real-world usage data from computer users worldwide.
Real adoption data, not sales figures
Sales data shows what people buy, but not what they actually use. Access actual OS market share, version migration curves, Linux distribution adoption, and hardware configurations by platform. All data is fully anonymized and aggregated across thousands of active users.
The OS market intelligence gap
Operating system projects and platform teams struggle to get accurate adoption and usage data:
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Sales ≠ active usage
Device sales show what was purchased, but many devices sit unused or get wiped for a different OS
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Version migration blind spots
How long does it take users to upgrade to new OS versions? What percentage stays on legacy versions?
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Linux distribution fragmentation
Which Linux distros are actually popular? Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora? Usage share is hard to measure
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Hardware configuration by platform
Do Windows users have more RAM than macOS users? What hardware specs correlate with which OS?
How an open-source OS project used WhatPulse data
The strategic need
An open-source operating system project wanted to understand their actual adoption rates and how they compared to other Linux distributions. They needed data to prioritize localization efforts, understand user demographics, track version migration, and validate their growth trajectory for funding applications.
The data WhatPulse provided
We delivered anonymized, aggregated OS analytics including:
Market position data:
- Overall OS market share (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Linux distribution popularity rankings
- Their distribution's share among Linux users
- Year-over-year growth trends
Adoption insights:
- Geographic distribution of users
- Version adoption curves and migration timelines
- Hardware configurations (RAM, CPU, etc.)
- Application usage patterns by OS
Discoveries that shaped strategy
Ranked #7 among Linux distributions
Their distribution had 2.3% share among Linux users, ranking #7 overall. Better than they estimated based on forum activity and download counts.
Europe adoption much stronger
Adoption was strongest in Europe (4.1% of Linux users) vs. North America (1.8%). This geographic skew was unexpected and revealed localization opportunities.
Users had higher technical proficiency
Their users averaged 8.4 development tools installed vs. 3.2 for typical Linux users - indicating a developer-focused audience they could lean into.
Version migration took 8 months to 50%
When they released a major version update, it took 8 months to reach 50% adoption among their user base. This informed their support timeline planning for legacy versions.
Strategic decisions informed by data
The OS project used these insights to make key strategic pivots:
- Prioritized European language localization - added French, German, and Spanish translations first based on strong European adoption
- Focused on developer-centric features - leaned into their technically proficient user base instead of trying to compete for general users
- Set realistic adoption targets - understood 8-month migration timeline for planning next release cycle
- Used market share data in grant applications - third-party validated adoption metrics helped secure funding
- Identified growth opportunities - low but growing North American presence suggested untapped market
- Optimized upgrade prompts - calibrated based on migration timeline to avoid annoying users with premature nagging
What you'll receive
OS market share data
Current market share for Windows, macOS, Linux overall. Linux distribution breakdown showing Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora, and others. Track trends over rolling 6-12 month periods.
Version adoption curves
Migration timelines showing how long it takes for new OS versions to achieve 25%, 50%, and 75% adoption. See what percentage of users stay on legacy versions.
Geographic distribution
Where your OS users are located globally. Identify strong markets for localization priority and discover untapped regions with growth potential.
Hardware configurations
Average RAM, CPU, monitor resolution, and other hardware specs by operating system. Understand hardware requirements and optimization priorities.
Sample data format
Example OS market share report:
| Operating System | Market Share | YoY Change | Top Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 | 42.3% | +12.4% | North America |
| Windows 10 | 28.7% | -8.2% | Asia |
| macOS 14 Sonoma | 15.2% | +2.1% | North America |
| Ubuntu (all versions) | 4.8% | +0.4% | Europe |
Common use cases for OS analytics
Open-source project planning
Understand your actual market position among Linux distributions. Set realistic growth targets and prioritize feature development based on user demographics.
Software vendor platform prioritization
Decide which OS versions to support based on actual usage share. Drop support for legacy versions when adoption falls below threshold.
Localization prioritization
Identify which languages to translate your OS into based on geographic distribution of users and regional growth trends.
Hardware requirements planning
Understand what hardware your users actually have. Set minimum requirements and optimization targets based on real hardware configurations.
Funding and investor reporting
Provide third-party validated market share and adoption metrics for grant applications, investor pitches, or board reporting.
Competitive benchmarking
Track your growth vs. competing operating systems. Understand market trends and identify opportunities to capture market share.
Privacy guarantee
Aggregated system information only
All data is combined across thousands of users. No individual system configurations or user identities are ever shared.
OS version and hardware specs only
We track operating system type, version, and hardware configuration - nothing about what users do on their systems.
Minimum sample sizes
We never provide data from fewer than 1,000 users to ensure complete anonymity and statistical significance.
GDPR compliant
Aggregated, anonymized data is not considered personal data under GDPR. Full compliance with all data protection regulations.
Understand your OS market position
Get real adoption data, not sales estimates. Contact our data partnerships team to discuss your operating system analytics needs and get a custom quote.