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Winsage

April 2, 2025

Forget Satya Nadella’s Windows Phone fumble, Bill Gates’ “greatest mistake of all time” cost Microsoft $400 billion

CEO Satya Nadella acknowledged a strategic error in discontinuing the Windows Phone during its peak popularity. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, identified his greatest mistake as failing to dominate the mobile space, which allowed Android to take the lead. Gates attributed this failure to his mismanagement and antitrust challenges that hindered Microsoft's growth. Android, acquired by Google in 2005 and launched in 2008, is now the world's most popular operating system, holding a market share of 45.53%, compared to Windows' 25.36%. Gates conceded that Microsoft's missed opportunity in the mobile sector could have positioned the company as a leader. Rich Miner, co-founder of Android, criticized Gates for his misplaced lamentations regarding Microsoft's mobile missteps.

Winsage

April 2, 2025

Microsoft’s Free Upgrade Deadline—Millions Of Windows Users Suddenly Move

Microsoft has made significant changes to Windows, including the elimination of passwords and new account access methods, while warning users about risks like data breaches and identity theft. Windows 10 users face an urgent transition as support ends in six months, with a free upgrade to Windows 11 available for eligible PCs. Recent data shows a 4% increase in Windows 10 users switching to Windows 11, with Windows 10's market share dropping to 54% and Windows 11 rising to over 40%. However, security hardware requirements may prevent some users from upgrading, potentially affecting around 240 million PCs. Users can purchase a 12-month extension for home use, while business users may incur higher fees for extended support. After the support deadline, Microsoft will stop providing updates and security fixes for Windows 10, increasing cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Transitioning to Windows 11 is crucial for users to access the latest security features.

Winsage

April 1, 2025

Windows 10 holdouts are finally starting to switch to Windows 11

As of March 2025, Windows 10's market share has declined to 54.23%, experiencing a drop of 4.43 percentage points. Meanwhile, Windows 11's user adoption has increased by 4.53 percentage points, reaching 42.66% of all Windows desktop users. The decline in Windows 10's user base is influenced by the impending end of support in October, prompting users to consider upgrading to Windows 11 or paying for an extension of Windows 10 support to avoid losing security updates.

Winsage

April 1, 2025

Windows 11 market share grows rapidly with the end of Windows 10 approaching

As of March 2025, Windows 10 has a market share of 54.23%, down 4.43 percentage points from the previous month, while Windows 11's market share has risen to 42.66%, an increase of 4.53 percentage points. Windows 11's adoption has surged by 15.98 percentage points since March 2024, while Windows 10 has declined by 14.84 percentage points during the same period. Regular support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025, with only the Extended Security Updates program available for continued security updates. Windows 7 has a market share of 2.22%, Windows XP is at 0.33%, and Windows 8.1 stands at 0.28%.

Winsage

March 24, 2025

Why Windows End of Life deadlines require a change of mindset

Organizations are increasingly concerned about the impending End of Life (EoL) deadlines for Microsoft applications and systems, with many large enterprises seeking advice on upgrading Microsoft Teams and legacy technologies. Key products like Windows 10, Office 2019, and Exchange Server 2019 will reach end-of-support by October 2025, prompting urgent decisions to mitigate operational, security, and compliance risks. Statistics show that as of January 2025, Windows 10 and Windows 11 each hold a 49.4% market share in the UK, indicating that half of all desktops are nearing their EoL. Dedicated EoL hotlines have been established to assist companies with migration strategies for applications approaching EoL, emphasizing the need for internal resources and expertise to manage transitions effectively. The industry-standard ‘R approach’ includes methods like rehosting and retiring applications to facilitate migrations. Organizations are encouraged to migrate out-of-support applications into secure environments rather than directly altering them, while remaining vigilant about EoL deadlines and the complexities of legacy systems.

Winsage

March 23, 2025

Microsoft recommends a drastic move for Windows 11 upgrade, report says

Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Currently, Windows 10 accounts for 58.7% of all Windows desktop users, while Windows 11 has 38.1%. Microsoft is encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 11 by sending emails about the end of support and providing information on the upgrade process. The minimum specifications for Windows 11 include a 1 GHz or faster processor with 2 or more cores, 4GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, and a TPM version 2.0. Some users have successfully installed Windows 11 on older computers, but certain hardware requirements may be challenging for others. Microsoft is offering Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10 users for a fee, providing an additional year of updates. The upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is free and designed to be straightforward, with notifications being sent to users. Windows 11 features enhanced functionality, including Microsoft Recall, which allows users to revisit past actions.

Winsage

March 20, 2025

Microsoft tells Windows 10 users to just trade in their PC for a newer one, because how hard can it be?

58.7% of Windows users have not transitioned to Windows 11, which has a market share of 38.13%. Windows 10 support will end on October 14, 2025, after which users will not receive software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes. Microsoft is encouraging users to trade in their old PCs for new models. While users can continue to use their Windows 10 PCs after the support ends, many may find greater value in repurposing their old machines instead of trading them in.

Winsage

March 16, 2025

E-waste or Linux? Charities face tough choices as Windows 10 support ends

Microsoft will end free security updates for Windows 10 in October, affecting charities that refurbish older computers. Approximately 240 million PCs do not meet Windows 11's hardware requirements, which include a CPU of 1GHz or faster with at least two cores, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, Secure Boot capability, and TPM 2.0 compatibility. Many recent computers are ineligible for the upgrade despite having sufficient RAM and storage. Chester Wisniewski from Sophos warns that using Windows 10 poses security risks, as vulnerabilities in both Windows 10 and 11 can be exploited. Charities using Windows 10 may face compliance issues with regulations like GDPR, risking fines and reputational damage. The U.S. recycles only 14 to 40 percent of electronic waste, leading to an estimated 1.06 billion pounds of e-waste, which contaminates soil and water. The UN estimates the annual economic cost of e-waste at billions, projected to rise significantly by 2030. Statcounter reports that Windows 10 still accounts for 58.7 percent of Windows installations. Organizations like PCs for People have shifted to Linux Mint for older systems, ceasing distribution of Windows 10 a year before the cutoff.

Winsage

March 15, 2025

Huawei’s Microsoft Windows license for PCs expires this month, company launching PCs with Harmony OS: Report

Microsoft's supply license to Huawei is set to expire this month, preventing Huawei from legally producing and selling PCs with the Windows operating system. Without an extension, Huawei may shift towards open-source Linux distributions or further develop its own HarmonyOS. The company is expected to unveil a new PC model in April featuring HarmonyOS and plans to launch an 'AI PC' laptop using its Kunpeng CPU. Additionally, Huawei will introduce the MateBook D16 Linux Edition, transitioning from Windows to Linux. As of February 2025, Windows holds a 70.65% market share in desktop and laptop operating systems, followed by macOS at 16%, Linux at 3.8%, and ChromeOS at 1.81%.

Winsage

March 12, 2025

Windows 10 security risks are now more of a reality for users

As of February 2025, the proportion of Windows 10 users has fallen to 58.7%, while Windows 11's user base has risen to 38.2%. Many businesses are adopting Windows 11 during hardware refresh cycles rather than upgrading existing machines. Microsoft has introduced a 12-month security extension option for Windows 10 users, requiring enrollment, as the operating system will no longer receive security updates after October 14. There are concerns about Microsoft's enforcement of end-of-life directives and the possibility of providing free security updates for outdated software in response to severe cybersecurity incidents.