Windows 95 remains most popular operating system.

Despite the hoopla and expectations that accompanied the launch of the Windows 98 operating system, research shows that its predecessor remains the popular choice. Although Windows 98 was only available from Microsoft in the second half of last year, the numbers for Windows 95 that year are a telling reminder about the computer marketplace. Windows 98 dominates the home market and is growing in popularity with small and medium-sized businesses. But large businesses have stuck for the most part with Windows 95 and even the previous version, Windows 3.11, particularly those large organizations with long-term software licenses. Windows 95 accounted for 57.4 percent of the desktop operating system market last year, according to market research firm International Data Corporation. Windows 98 took 17.2 percent of the roughly 89 million units shipped.