From ExtremeTech, December 22:
Windows 10 EOL Could Result in Up to 240 Million Devices Tossed in the Trash
One of Microsoft's most-loved OSes is about to ride off into the sunset, forcing tens of millions of users to upgrade.
Windows 10 will likely go down in the annals of history as one of Microsoft's most beloved operating systems, right up there with Windows XP. It first launched in 2015 and is currently the company's most-used operating system by a huge margin, with over 70% of the market. It's a very popular OS, but it's about to get shut off soon as Microsoft has already set Oct. 14, 2025, as its end-of-life date. If Microsoft holds to it, analysts predict we'll likely see one of the largest forced upgrades in history—with up to 240 million computers unnecessarily being tossed into a landfill.
Industry research firm Canalys has written a report on the upcoming euthanasia of Windows 10, which ITPro flagged. The report raises questions about Microsoft's policies when it comes to software lifecycles. It notes that Windows 11's hardware requirements have made a lot of people ineligible to upgrade, a likely stumbling block that has slowed the adoption of Windows 11. We've covered this extensively in the past, as Microsoft's newest OS isn't compatible with CPUs that are only a few years old due to the required TPM 2.0 module and late-model 64-bit processor.
The report states that over 240 million devices could be sent to a landfill prematurely despite being still viable computers in good working condition....
....MUCH MORE
So much for MSFT's sustainability chatter.
