When Windows 10 was released in July 2015, most of us agreed that we were faced with the most complete operating system in Microsoft history. The Redmond company managed to avoid most of them. The most criticized elements While I prefer the wide range of features and improved robustness of Windows 8/8.1.
This fact meant that just a week after its launch, Microsoft’s new system surpassed the market share that its predecessor had achieved in five months. Currently, despite the new Windows 11 being in orbit since October 2021, Windows 10 has a 71.6% market share, but it has a problem: its lifecycle is numbered.
Windows 10 is nearing the end of its lifecycle
Windows 10 will end its lifecycle on October 14, 2025. This means that all versions of the system except LTSC will stop receiving security updates. We already know what this means: Using an unsupported operating system means that we have a vulnerable platform that can cause security problems that will make our lives difficult.
According to Microsoft, the solution is to switch to Windows 11. Now, not everyone will be able to take this step even if they want to. Nearly 400 million computers do not meet the requirements to run the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system, according to The Register. So in two years, owners will have to say what to do with these computers whose systems will become obsolete.
Currently, the main obstacles to starting using Windows 11 (officially and without cheats) old computers To meet CPU and TPM requirements. Realistically, very few people will try to upgrade their computer components to be compatible with Windows, and a few others will abandon the Microsoft system and switch to supported Linux.
Faced with this scenario, the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) fears that millions of these computers will go to waste. Therefore, the group sent a letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to reconsider the end of support date for the system. “Microsoft abandoning Windows 10 could cause more computers to become obsolete than any other action in history,” they said.
The organization cites a report from the US Environmental Protection Agency that suggests: Only 25% of products Electronics in the country are recycled, so they believe many computers will end up in landfills. Will Microsoft extend the end date of Windows 10 support? We will find out over time whether the popular operating system has more life.
Images: Microsoft
In Xataka: Microsoft wants PCs that can compete with Apple’s Macs. And it collaborated with AMD and NVIDIA to achieve this