Windows 11, released in 2021, has still not been able to increase its market share significantly. Microsoft’s stringent hardware requirements are considered the primary reason for Windows 11’s low popularity.
Microsoft is not giving up on Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements. Adobe Stock / AOP
Despite Microsoft’s persistent efforts, Windows 11 is currently only used on less than 30 percent of all Windows machines, even though support for its predecessor Windows 10 ends already in October of this year. Because of this, many Windows 10 users are facing a difficult situation, because after the end of support, Microsoft will start charging for official updates of the operating system. On the other hand, many users can’t even upgrade to Windows 11 due to strict hardware restrictions set by Microsoft.
About it with news Techspot’s quoted by ESET’s Data Security expert Thorsten Urbanski According to Windows 10, the end of support can put most Windows devices at risk, because without official security updates, millions of computers can be highly vulnerable to cyber attacks and other security threats.
Windows 11’s market share is stagnating
Windows 10 was released in the summer of 2015 and is still the most used version of Windows. In Germany, for example, the operating system’s share of all machines using Windows is still 65 percent, which means about 32 million devices.
Figures from Statcounter, which tracks the market shares of operating systems worldwide, give similar readings: Windows 10’s share of all Windows machines was around 62 percent in December. According to Statcounter, Windows 11, released in 2021, had only achieved a 34 percent market share by December.
Although Windows 11 is slightly more popular among gamers, according to a survey published by Steam, 42 percent of gamers still use Windows 10.
ESET warns that the end of support for Windows 10 at the end of the year may cause more than just information security problems. Companies and individuals can run into software and hardware compatibility problems. Companies can also violate data security regulations if they do not update their machines to Windows 11 in time.
Strict hardware requirements
Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements are considered the primary reason for the operating system’s low market share. However, Microsoft has said that it has no intention of backing down on its demands.
Microsoft recently confirmed that all Windows 11 machines must have the tpm 2.0 security chip. This prevents millions of machines running older hardware from upgrading to Windows 11. According to Techspot, even some machines that meet the hardware requirements have crashed when trying to upgrade to Windows 11.
Analysts predict that the looming end of support for Windows 10 in October could boost new PC sales as businesses and individuals buy devices pre-installed with Windows 11.
What options are left?
For those who do not want or are unable to update their computer’s operating system to Windows 11, there are other options available to maintain data security and continue using Windows 10.
Microsoft offers Enterprise Extended Security Updates (ESU) for $61 per computer per year. If you want to continue ESU updates later, the price always doubles for each year. For businesses, support for Windows 10 will end in full in 2028.
For consumers, Windows 10 ESU upgrades are available for one year for $30.
Microsoft has not yet published the euro prices of the ESU updates.
As an alternative to Microsoft’s ESU updates, the third-party service provider Opatch has promised to provide unofficial security updates for Windows 10 until 2030.
The company has become known for its updates to Windows 7, so it is likely that it will also offer similar updates to Windows 10 after the end of official support for the operating system.