Windows 7: 150 Million Copies Sold

Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it has now sold over 150 million Windows 7 licenses since the product first launched in October 2009. Once again, the company reiterated that this makes Windows 7 the fastest-selling operating system in history, with customers snatching up 7 copies of Windows 7 every second.

"We are excited to announce that Windows 7 has sold 150 million licenses to-date," a posting to the Windows corporate blog reads. "Approximately 75 percent of enterprises are looking at Windows 7 for their organization, and of course people continue to be excited about the features and benefits of Windows 7, and the PCs that our partners are delivering for Windows 7."

Microsoft had previously announced that it had sold 90 million copies of Windows 7 in March, and then updated that figure to 100 million on April 23, exactly two months ago. The company is now selling over 25 million copies of Windows 7 every month. If this trend continues, Microsoft will sell at least 300 million Windows 7 licenses by the end of calendar year 2010. Not bad for the "post-PC" era we're supposedly experiencing right now.

Also on Wednesday, Microsoft announced a third Platform Preview release of its upcoming Internet Explorer 9 browser. And on Thursday, the software giant will make available a public beta version of its next Windows Live Essentials suite, which provides greatly enhanced versions of key Windows 7 (and Vista) applications like Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Movie Maker, Windows Live Messenger, and more. You can read my exhaustive review of the new Windows Live Essentials on the SuperSite for Windows.