Windows 11 might be the future but it seems millions of PC owners are perfectly happy sticking in the past. The latest update from the team at StatCounter shows that the ageing Windows 10 operating system, which first launched all the way back in 2015, still has a massive 67.26 percent share of the market. That makes it over twice as popular as Windows 11 and its 28.16 percent share.
It’s a massive margin that will clearly be bothersome for Microsoft. The US technology giant remains committed to ending support for Windows 10 next October which means anyone still using it to power their PC will be at higher risk of cyber attacks and PC-crashing bugs.
Despite those worrying warnings, many still aren’t happy to switch and it seems the system requirements of Windows 11 might be one of the biggest factors. For those not in the know, many current Windows 10 machines simply aren’t compatible with Windows 11 which means owners need to upgrade their entire hardware before being able to access Microsoft’s newest software. A recent report from Canalys Insights suggested that this problem could even end up sending 240 million PCs to landfill when Microsoft finally ends Windows 10 support in 2025.
“Canalys estimates that in the nearly two-year period until Microsoft’s official end-of-support date for Windows 10 – 14 October 2025 – roughly a fifth of devices will become e-waste due to incompatibility with the Windows 11 OS,” the company said in a blog post.“This equates to 240 million PCs. If these were all folded laptops, stacked one on top of another, they would make a pile 600km taller than the moon.”
It’s currently unclear if Microsoft will have a change of heart and push back the end of support date but one thing that has already been confirmed is the option to pay and stay updated.
“While we strongly recommend moving to Windows 11, we understand there are circumstances that could prevent you from replacing Windows 10 devices before the EOS date. Therefore, Microsoft will offer Extended Security Updates,” Microsoft’s Jason Leznek confirmed in an update.
These Extended Security Updates (ESU) will last for three years via a subscription fee paid every 12 months.
There’s no word on price.
Time is ticking until the end of free Windows 10 updates and the firm will be hoping more users finally pluck up the courage to move to Windows 11 before October next year.