Windows 10 launch event at the Microsoft store in Bellevue Square Mall.
Windows 10 launch event at the Microsoft store in Bellevue Square Mall.

Windows 10 was installed on 14 million devices in its first 24 hours in the wild, with plenty more upgrade reservations still waiting in the hopper, Microsoft says.

Based on Gartner’s most recent estimate of 374 million total Windows shipments this year, the stat means the new OS powers the equivalent of 4 percent of Windows machines sold on an annual basis.

(Correction: Explanation of shipments updated since original post.)

Win10_Windows_ProductFamily_WebFor comparison’s sake, five days after the launch of Windows 8 — which wasn’t a free upgrade like Windows 10 — then CEO Steve Ballmer was bragging about 4 million upgrades sold.

And that was more than Windows 7 saw.

Certainly, the fact that Windows 10 is the company’s first free upgrade played a big part in the quick pickup rate, but the news bodes well for a product launch Microsoft desperately wants to make a success.

The world did not respond well to the changes the company tried to introduce in Windows 8 as it transitioned to mobile from its traditional PC-focused approach. With Windows 10, the company hit the reset button and is trying to win back its fanbase while still positioning itself for the future.

“We have seen unprecedented demand for Windows 10, with reviews and customer feedback overwhelmingly positive around the globe,” the company said in a blog post announcing the stats.

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