The competition for market share between the leading desktop OSes, Windows, Mac and Linux, has seen no major revolution this year. But based on data from Net Applications, there have been subtle changes that suggest major shifts in the years ahead.

In sum, Apple claimed the largest number of new users, though it remains a distinctly niche player. Linux can boast of more than doubling its user base, yet its overall number is still minuscule. The dominant Windows holds on to its lion's share, but the adoption rate for the massively marketed Vista is merely respectable.

Here are the current stats.

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