When massive public corporations have excellent news to share, they write a press launch and put it on the wires in order that the publications that cowl them will blast that message out for everybody to learn. When they’ve dangerous information to share, they publish a weblog submit late on a Friday afternoon earlier than an extended vacation weekend.
And after they have actually dangerous information to share, they bury it on the finish of an unrelated press launch or weblog submit, hoping nobody will discover.
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Now that you simply’re armed with that information, I invite you to learn this unsigned Microsoft assist article, printed right now and titled “How we’re maximizing worth in Windows 10.” There, in what’s primarily a footnote, you will see this informal one-liner:
“The Windows 10 end-of-support date of October 14, 2025, is unchanged.”
To the untrained eye, that is a reasonably bland assertion. If it is unchanged, it should not be information, proper?
Allow me to translate for you: Many of Microsoft’s clients are nonetheless operating Windows 10. Some of them are doing so by alternative; others are doing so as a result of they’ve completely useful PC {hardware} that runs Windows 10 however would not meet Windows 11’s strict compatibility necessities. For all of these PCs in all of these properties and workplaces, Microsoft goes to cease sending safety updates in lower than two years, when that end-of-support date rolls round. Those clients may have the troublesome alternative of constant to make use of unsupported software program, making them weak to on-line attackers, or throwing away completely good {hardware} and paying for brand spanking new PCs.
Many of these clients have made it clear to Microsoft that they are not completely satisfied about this choice. In California, the nonprofit public-interest group CALPIRG has written an open letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, asking him to rethink that coverage, “Microsoft’s choice to finish assist for Windows 10,” they argue, “might trigger the one greatest bounce in junked computer systems ever, and make it unattainable for Microsoft to hit their sustainability objectives.”
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Microsoft’s announcement right now is the corporate’s manner of claiming, “Nope. No extension. Sorry, not sorry.”
As I’ve famous beforehand, Microsoft has painted itself into a really bizarre nook right here, primarily competing with itself … and dropping. The firm says there are roughly 1.4 billion Windows PCs in use right now. They will not break down what number of are nonetheless operating Windows 10, however third-party statistics recommend that the proportion remains to be nicely above 60%, and over 70% in some elements of the world. That’s no less than 800 million computer systems. Even if half of them are retired or upgraded within the subsequent two years, that is nonetheless a staggering 400 million PCs.
Microsoft defenders would possibly argue that Windows 10 has reached the top of its regular 10-year assist lifecycle. Windows 7 did not get a reprieve, and neither did Windows 8, so why ought to Windows 10 be handled otherwise? As I famous two years in the past, “[I]n each of these situations, Microsoft might implore its clients to repair the issue by upgrading to a more recent model of the Windows working system…. That’s not an choice for purchasers operating Windows 10 on {hardware} that does not meet the stringent {hardware} compatibility necessities of Windows 11. When October 2025 rolls round, these units may have no Microsoft-supported migration path to a more recent model.”
So what decisions can be found for homeowners of PCs that may’t be upgraded to Windows 11?
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In a separate submit, below the heading “What about Windows 11?” Microsoft has this recommendation for these clients: “Replace the ineligible Windows 10 units with new Windows 11 Pro units.”
I believe that Microsoft will provide company clients an escape hatch within the type of an choice to pay for prolonged safety updates. After Windows 7 assist ended, the corporate did precisely that for 3 years. Enterprise directors would possibly grumble, however they’ll write these checks.
Unfortunately, that alternative in all probability will not be on the desk for the very massive variety of individuals operating Windows 10 on PCs in properties and small companies, who will in all probability simply preserve utilizing their outdated working system and ignoring Microsoft’s more and more shrill entreaties to exchange their completely good laptop. Windows 10 will proceed working simply because it all the time has, even after the end-of-support deadline passes. But it will not obtain safety updates, making this selection more and more harmful and irresponsible.
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The excellent news is that Microsoft’s temporary announcement right now would not shut the door on a change of coronary heart subsequent 12 months. As I wrote two years in the past:
This mess is Microsoft’s accountability, and doing nothing to wash it up is not an appropriate choice.
There is an alternate, although: Microsoft might lengthen the assist deadline for Windows 10 on {hardware} that is not appropriate with Windows 11.
The firm did the identical factor, below comparable circumstances, within the Windows XP period, and it is a completely applicable answer right here. The excellent news is that Microsoft’s spinmeisters have three years to give you a press launch that makes it sound like they deliberate this all alongside.
Just keep in mind to publish that press launch late on a Friday afternoon.
