There are more than 50 programs on each Windows PC. Half of them are out of date, which can cause the PC to slow down. Add to that the fact that most computers with the operating system are 5 years old and still use Windows 7 and you will have an overview of the use of computers in the world.
The data are from a report released by Avast. The security company matched the anonymous data of 155 million users of its products with the global statistics provided by consultancy Gartner. Among the findings, there are several facts about the system that stand out: the most used program, the preferred manufacturer of consumers and more. Here are ten things worth knowing.
How to find out which Windows is installed on the PC
Survey made by Avast updates the scenarios of computers equipped with Windows – Photo: Luana Marfim / dnetc
1. More than 50 programs installed on the PC
The average number of programs installed per computer is 51. However, countries like Korea and Japan have an average of 79 and 73 apps, respectively, while Pakistanis, with 29, and Egyptians, with 34, are people with less software on your PCs. «Remember that the more programs you install, the slower and potentially unreliable your computer becomes,» recalls the Avast blog.
2. Chrome is the most downloaded program
The Google Chrome browser is the most installed application on Windows PCs, being the option of 79% of users. The use of the program has grown considerably in the last two years: in 2015, it was used by only 25%. Then came the Adobe Flash Player (77%) and Java (59%) utilities. Fourth, is Mozilla’s browser, Firefox (44%), and Skype messenger (39%) closes the top 5.
Two browsers appear in the list of the five most downloaded apps on Windows – Photo: Disclosure / Avast
It is worth mentioning that the list features two browsers, even if Windows has a program of the kind installed natively: Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer.
3. 48% of programs are out of date
The percentage of outdated software is high. «Using outdated versions of applications not only means losing the latest features, compatibility and bug fixes, but it also leaves the door wide open for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities,» explains Avast in its report. Java is the least updated app of all, followed by Adobe Air, Adobe Shockwave, VLC Media Player and iTunes, closing the list of the five with the least updates.
List shows the five programs with the lowest update rate in Windows – Photo: Disclosure / Avast
4. Windows XP users are still 4.6%
Launched in 2001, Windows XP was discontinued by Microsoft in 2014. This means that, since then, the manufacturer has not performed security updates or has technical support for the version. Even so, 4.6% of users still use this variant and are completely vulnerable.
After the end of support, Windows XP became an even more recurring target for hackers (Photo: Reproduction) – Photo: After the end of support, Windows XP became an even more recurrent target for hackers (Photo: Reproduction)
Brazilians, however, appear in the ranking, along with Mexicans, among those who least use Windows XP: they are only 2.5% of the country’s total users. Ukrainians are the champions, with 11% of PCs running the system even without support or any security guarantee.
5. Windows 7 is the most used version
Windows 7 is the version used by 47% of Microsoft’s operating system users. The number of supporters of the most current variant of the platform, Windows 10, grew 5% compared to last year, reaching the level of 35.1%. Next are Windows 8.1, with 10.7% and the discontinued Windows XP, with 4.6% of the total users.
The latest version of Windows still does not lead the preference of users – Photo: Disclosure / Avast
6. Computers are over five years old
Only 10.40% of Windows computers were launched in 2015 or more recently. According to the survey, the average time of using PCs with the system is five and a half years. However, the percentage of machines with eight years of useful life or more is quite high: 27.82%.
About 28% of Windows computers are more than 8 years old – Photo: Disclosure / Avast
7. HP is the preferred manufacturer
HP is by far the preferred computer manufacturer, with the option of approximately one in five Windows users. Their PCs represent 19.8% of the total notebooks and desktops. Secondly, there is a technical tie between three brands: Acer (10.4%), Asus (10.3%) and Dell (10.2%).
HP is the choice of one in five Windows users – Photo: Disclosure / Avast
8. More than half of PCs have 4 GB of RAM
More precisely, 50.6% of users use computers with 4 GB RAM, which may be enough for those who only need to use standard programs, such as the Office suite, and browse the Internet. More powerful hardware is needed if you want to run modern games or use editing programs. The second place went to those with only 2 GB of RAM, representing 24.7% of machines with an operating system.
Graph shows percentage of installed RAM type – Photo: Disclosure / Avast
As the average use of Windows machines is over five years, it is not surprising that 85.6% of computers use HD versus 7.4% equipped with the most modern and fastest SSD. Those with the hybrid combination of HDD and SSD, in which the fastest disk serves as a system drive and the mechanic is used for data storage, represent only 6.7% of the total.
HDD still reigns among disk types installed on Windows machines – Photo: Disclosure / Avast
10. Number of quad-core PCs grew by 4%
Another piece of data resulting from the use of the low renovation rate of computers: 75% of the machines have a dual-core processor, that is, with two cores. The number of quad-core PCs grew 4% over the previous year and represents 19% of users. In general, the more cores, which act independently, the CPU has, the better the device’s performance.
Data show that about 5% still use processors with only one core – Photo: Disclosure / Avast
