Technology

No it won't.

240 million grandmas, cheapskate businesses, and cash-strapped public schools will continue to use whatever operating system their computers already have, forever, until they break, security implications be damned.

Yes, because normal people always throw PCs away when they stop getting security updates.

That’s a lot of new Linux computers.

Once upon a time, updating your hardware every couple of years was essential. Your new hardware was a lot faster for normal use, and everyone benefitted.

Over time, however, people could wait longer between updates, as new hardware didn't impact daily use all that much.

The powers that were grew displeased, and then decided to force people to update more often. Newer hardware had shorter lifespans, software forced newer hardware, software as a service became king.

The End?

Well you see, they learned their lesson from Windows 7 and having to support it for years longer than they intended to.

They know the same thing will happen for 10, because they are literally forcing a bunch of hardware out, even though all of it can technically run Windows 11 and just don't have a TPM 2.0 chip. They made this choice, this was a business decision and they know it's coming.

So what did they learn? To not give it away for free. Now they're rolling out a program to charge consumers for access to extended updates for Windows 10.[^1]

Back in the Windows 7 days, they only did that for corporations, extended updates with a cost attached. Now you, the consumer, get the joy of paying for these updates as well.

Not only are they purposefully creating trash, they're also squeezing people for money in the process.

They're doing exactly what they did with Windows 7, this time they just plan to charge you for the convenience.

Stay classy, Microsoft.

[^1]: "Individuals or organizations who elect to continue using Windows 10 after support ends on October 14, 2025, will have the option of enrolling their PCs into a paid ESU subscription."

I installed linux. I only use browser and vlc and it works great. I am not buying a new machine when old one works just fine.

Again, Install Linux, get rid of Microsoft shit.

For us Linux users it's just a fire sale. Diet cheap PCs incoming.

None of these PCs need to go to landfill. Linux

Sounds to me like an opportunity for Linux and Linux derivatives.

Windows 11 can suck my stinky cock. Windows will successfully force my LAZY ass to Linux. I am already testing the waters with my laptop.

Hello, it's me, a landfill

Those systems are going to be dirt cheap Linux boxes in the very near future

Or at least a couple will be for me

I've been saying for years I was going to move back over to Linux. This will be the push I need. Sadly my Dad is bad at computers and will need Windows 11 when using 10 becomes a problem. I'm throwing this at my brother since I was the one who got our Dad a Windows 10 computer. FU Microsoft, you peaked at XP.

Or folks will just continue to use 10.

Cool, a prime opportunity to scalp even more old machines by the end of the decade once they become valuable.

Linux about to pop off

The only people that will really suffer from this is businesses. They will have to buy W11, and they will need to get supported hardware. However, businesses usually have rolling upgrades in place in the IT and have probably rolled out many already.

As for home users, with each newer generation, they become more tech savy. I can tell you now, this won't affect as many people as you imagine.

• 1: W11 is free to download from M$. You can choose whether or not to buy a licence. W11 cracks already exist, M$ is still using key management services, so something like KMSpico still work. There are also tons of activator scripts on github (lol, since M$ owns this!).
• 2: Grab a copy of RUFUS. Use it to take the W11 image and remove all restrictions, and dump it to USB.
• 3: ???
• 4: Profit.

yay i can finally get a good laptop on ebay in 2025! 😹

A fraction of those "old" computers will use Linux. Perhaps we'll reach 5% desktop market share soon thanks to Microsoft.

"Windows 7 appears to still be running on at least 100 million machines, despite Microsoft ending support for the operating system a year ago"

--Tom Warren. Jan 6, 2021.

https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/6/22217052/microsoft-windows-7-109-million-pcs-usage-stats-analytics

Maybe the landfill won't be overstuffed as quickly as expected.

See also

"Monthly market share held by Windows operating system for desktop PCs worldwide from January 2017 to November 2023, by version" https://www.statista.com/statistics/993868/worldwide-windows-operating-system-market-share/

It's a dwindling effect, not just instant abandonment.

More people will switch to Linux once and for all.

The great LINUX uprising of 2025!!!

Meanwhile Apple does this every few years and nobody cares.

I'm getting super tired of Microsofts OS as a service. There is absolutely no reason to make operating systems obsolete.

So 2025 will finally be the year of the Linux desktop?

Launching Windows 11 in the midst of a semiconductor shortage was such a dumb move on Microsoft's part, especially when 11 doesn't really offer that much more than 10. The only real 'groundbreaking' new feature (multiple desktops) was something that Linux had fifteen years ago.

This is such an old article at this point. PCs don't get sent to the landfill because the OS isn't supported anymore. That's idiotic.

I built a new PC last year and bought a copy of Windows 11. Holy moly the login process required so much bullshit that I skipped through. It also every few days tries to get me to go through it again. After learning about all the Spyware and other bullshit I decided to just take the plunge back into using Linux as a main OS.

This isn't a problem if you're still using Windows 7! ;-)

Reject Windows, emabrace Linux and FOSS Software

Why would you send 240 million PCs to the landfill when you can install Linux on all of them?

It's beating a dead horse, but there are plenty of user-friendly Linux versions out there that will run just fine on most computers that ran Windows.