Microsoft declares 2025 "the year of the Windows 11 refresh" in latest bid to leave Windows 10 behind

midian182

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Facepalm: Do you know what 2025 is? It's the "Year of the Windows 11 PC refresh," at least according to Microsoft. With Windows 10's end-of-support date around nine months away, the Redmond firm is going all out to try and convince people to move to Windows 11, preferably by purchasing a Copilot+ PC.

Now that Microsoft's "year of the AI PC," – or 2024, as it's better known – is over, the company has declared that 2025 really should be the year that you upgrade your Windows 10 PC to a Windows 11-supporting computer.

Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's Executive Vice President and consumer chief marketing officer, writes that one of the most important pieces of technology consumers will look to refresh in 2025 isn't the refrigerator, the television, or their mobile phone; it will be their Windows 10 PC. It's hard to imagine many people with 20-year-old refrigerators agreeing with him on that one.

Mehdi makes some other bold statements, including "Windows 11 is available at a time when the world needs it most" and that "the forefront of AI innovation will be realized on Windows."

Mehdi heavily pushes Microsoft's AI offerings in the lengthy post, mentioning Copilot no less than 14 times. Copilot has made several headlines at CES after it was revealed the AI assistant has been integrated into upcoming TVs from LG and Samsung. We'll have to wait and see just how useful this feature proves to be.

Microsoft would obviously prefer those upgrading their PCs to opt for a Copilot+ one. Mehdi writes that these are up to five times faster than the most popular 5-year-old Windows PCs still in use today and top models are up to 58% faster than a MacBook Air with M3.

Microsoft's campaign to push people onto Windows 11 hasn't been a rousing success. Most Windows 10 users hate the intrusive, full-screen pop-up nags, made worse by the most recent version that sometimes crashes when it opens.

Windows 10 reaches its end-of-support date on October 14, meaning no more security updates after this point unless you pay for them. Nevertheless, Windows 10's global user share increased to 62.7% over the last two months as Windows 11's fell to 34.1% – though more Steam survey participants seem to prefer the newer OS.

Citing IDC data, Mehdi writes that nearly 80% of businesses are planning to refresh their PC portfolio by the end of 2025, and 70% of consumers will refresh their PCs in the next two years.

In related news, security experts warn that the end of support for Windows 10 could put most Windows devices at risk, not to mention the software and hardware compatibility issues.

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Of course it is the year for Windows 11. Official support for 10 ends in October, unless you want to pay for security updates for another year or two, if you want an OS that is natively supported from Microsoft then you have no other choice; use Windows 11.
 
"(...) upgrade your Windows 10 PC to a Windows 11-supporting computer."

Let's not.
Unless the plan was to do so this year anyway, regardless of what these people say.
 
I cannot afford to replace any of my three machines but even if I could, Windows 11 or for that matter st00pid Copilot will never be options for me.

Said it before: I actually LIKE Windows (been using it since 3.11) and would hate to abandon it but if I must I will.

So, dear MS...please reconsider or lose me (and many others).
In the meantime I'm prepping to install Mint on my laptop and if that works well I'll install it on PC 2 later and then on PC 1.
Alternatively I may move to the Apple ecosystem should I run into the required cash.
 
Of course it is the year for Windows 11. Official support for 10 ends in October, unless you want to pay for security updates for another year or two, if you want an OS that is natively supported from Microsoft then you have no other choice; use Windows 11.
You do have a choice: Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC. Supported until 2032.

And yes, it's a legal "grey zone", but that's it. Just the google for the download, and you'll see.
 
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's Executive Vice President and consumer chief marketing officer, writes that one of the most important pieces of technology consumers will look to refresh in 2025 isn't the refrigerator, the television, or their mobile phone; it will be their Windows 10 PC.

Not a chance, uh "Yusuf Mahdi".

I can assure you that my Haswell rig and my Skylake laptop will live a happy life for many more years to come outside of the landfill you wanna push them into.

Meanwhile, I'd rather invest all this money I'd pay to upgrade to your garbage OS and garbage AI PC's to being drunk in SE Asia with many ladies of loose morals in the bed around me in various postures.

kthxbye
 
My issue is that many of the novel Win 11 features wouldnt work without a special AI chip, so I see no reason to upgrade on an older but otherwise capable RTX 3090 desktop PC. Merely a dubious reskin isnt worth my time. Maybe when Win 10 support ends.
 
"Windows 10 reaches its end-of-support date on October 14, meaning no more security updates after this point unless you pay for them."

So What...! Win 10 still be operational free from Microsoft trouble-making updates...!
 
"Citing IDC data, Mehdi writes that nearly 80% of businesses are planning to refresh their PC portfolio by the end of 2025, and 70% of consumers will refresh their PCs in the next two years."

Mehdi is dreaming...!
 
My windows 11 update is siting there waiting like most in my position come November we will click the button. Life we go on, We will get the most stable upgrade path for having waited
 
The real problem Microsoft has is that if they cut off security updates when a large number of consumers are still using Win 10 and then something bad happens to many consumers it is a PR nightmare.
It won't be, their position would be free supported ended with more than a years notice, people made the choice not pay for paid support, they chose not to upgrade. Even Linux and Apple have End of Life (EOL) for their OSes, their customers don't whine about it nearly as much as Windows customers do.
 
My windows 11 update is siting there waiting like most in my position come November we will click the button. Life we go on, We will get the most stable upgrade path for having waited
I suspect many people are doing the same as you. I have had it on my laptop for about a year. Works just fine.
 
"Windows 10 reaches its end-of-support date on October 14, meaning no more security updates after this point unless you pay for them."

So What...! Win 10 still be operational free from Microsoft trouble-making updates...!
My issue is that many of the novel Win 11 features wouldnt work without a special AI chip, so I see no reason to upgrade on an older but otherwise capable RTX 3090 desktop PC. Merely a dubious reskin isnt worth my time. Maybe when Win 10 support ends.
The one big feature that I moved over to 11 for was support for Android apps. Sadly that is stripped. Otherwise it is a fine update outside of the telephoning home all the time.
 
The real problem Microsoft has is that if they cut off security updates when a large number of consumers are still using Win 10 and then something bad happens to many consumers it is a PR nightmare.
I still have a computer running xp... who needs security updates if your behind a router and dont install the most untrusted apps. On my main machine I deleted win 10 update and scrubbed it off my computer. Not only does win update whenever it wants to but its more than likely brick my computer. No thanks. Plenty of programs out there that will wipe out windows update and all the other phone home MS spyware they try to bake into their OS.
 
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