Since launch, Windows 8 has been hounded by an unavoidable fact – Windows Vista was still on more computers. The certifiable flop of an operating system had been all but abandoned with the launch of Windows 7, but Windows 8 struggled to surpass even the measly marketshare that Vista was still clinging onto.

After months of fighting for measly gains, Windows 8 has finally emerged victorious over Vista. The latest report from Net Applications shows that Windows 8 marketshare is now at 5.10 percent whereas Vista is at 4.62 percent.

Windows Vista and 8 still can’t hold a candle to their predecessors, however, as Windows XP and 7 still own a vast majority of the marketshare. Windows XP is currently sitting at 37.17 percent and Windows 7 is at 44.37 percent. Of course, it should be noted that Windows XP and 7 are both seeing small month-over-month declines, but nothing drastic.

Going back to Windows 8, this is actually a pretty big deal for the OS. Sure, it’s not growing as fast as Microsoft wishes it was, but it’s at least finally out of the shadow of Vista. Now Microsoft can build upon its latest releases, including Windows 8.1.

Windows 8.1, which was made available in Preview form last week, is going to be incredibly important for Microsoft going forward. More and more people will start ditching their Windows XP machines sooner or later, and then they will start looking for a new machine. The rise in tablets means that they will probably go mobile and Windows 8.1’s support of smaller form factors means that it can sell cheap Windows 8 machines to consumers looking for a cheaper alternative to the iPad.

It still remains to be seen what the future holds for Windows 8. The release of Windows 8.1 and cheaper tablets/PCs may increase its marketshare dramatically as we head into the holiday season. It could also just continue to flounder as Windows PCs continue to lose marketshare to Android and iOS devices. I’m sure Microsoft will be working to make sure the former happens.

[h/t: The Next Web]