upgrade cycles Archives

AppWizard

March 2, 2026

PCs under $500 to “disappear by 2028” predicts analyst. Apparently water’s wet, too.

Gartner predicts that the sub-0 entry-level PC segment will disappear by 2028 due to a 130% increase in memory and SSD costs, contributing to a 17% rise in PC prices by 2025. This situation is expected to result in a 10.4% decline in PC shipments this year, the first contraction in over a decade. Consumers are anticipated to keep their devices longer, with business users holding onto PCs for 15% longer and consumers for 20% longer by the end of 2026. The report indicates that elevated RAM and SSD prices will persist longer than expected, influenced by broader inflation trends. Additionally, the anticipated 50% market penetration of AI PCs is now expected to be delayed until 2028.

Winsage

January 16, 2026

Microsoft Ends Windows Server 2008 Support on January 13, 2026

Microsoft has officially ceased all support for Windows Server 2008 as of January 13, 2026, including paid extended security updates. This end-of-life scenario poses significant security risks for organizations still using the outdated operating system, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks. The transition away from Windows Server 2008 requires careful planning, as many organizations face challenges in migrating legacy applications to modern systems. The lack of ongoing patches means that any new vulnerabilities will remain unaddressed, potentially leading to data breaches and compliance failures, particularly in regulated sectors like healthcare and finance. Microsoft has encouraged migration to Azure, offering incentives for early adopters, but the transition can be complex and costly. The end of support also affects global supply chains and compatibility with newer software applications. Organizations are advised to conduct audits of their software portfolios and consider hybrid environments to enhance flexibility and security.

Tech Optimizer

December 24, 2025

Toolkit Brings Agentic AI Workloads To Enterprise Postgres Environments – Open Source For You

An open-source toolkit called the pgEdge Agentic AI Toolkit for Postgres has been released in beta to facilitate the development of agentic AI applications on standard PostgreSQL infrastructure. It addresses the challenges of transitioning from prototype applications to production systems that meet enterprise-level standards for database, security, and regulatory compliance. The toolkit supports various deployment environments, including on-premises and self-managed cloud setups, and is particularly useful for organizations requiring high availability, control over data residency, or air-gapped operations. It includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server for secure connections between AI agents and PostgreSQL databases, natural-language agents accessible via CLI and web interfaces, and a suite of Postgres extensions for AI workloads. Key features include automated vector embedding generation, a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) API server, document ingestion utilities, and hybrid semantic and full-text search. The toolkit is compatible with recent PostgreSQL versions and is fully open source under the Postgres license, with enterprise support for pgEdge subscribers and a managed cloud version expected in early 2026.

Winsage

December 7, 2025

PC makers expected a faster Windows 11 surge, yet adoption lags far behind

Windows 10 powers over two in five active desktops globally, holding a 42.7% share, while Windows 11 has 53.7% of active Windows desktops as of November 2025. Many enterprises are delaying upgrades to Windows 11 by using Extended Security Updates due to reliance on legacy applications and equipment lacking driver support. Funding for large-scale computer replacements is often unallocated, with migration costs including compatibility testing, deployment planning, retraining, and workflow management. The adoption rate of Windows 11 is lagging behind previous cycles, with Dell executives noting double-digit margins in this delay. Many consumers continue using older Windows 10 machines for secondary tasks, prolonging their lifespan. In some European regions, consumers receive free security updates for Windows 10, reducing the urgency to upgrade. The growth of Windows 11 reflects net additions rather than outright replacements, as operational advantages over Windows 10 remain limited.

Winsage

November 28, 2024

Your next computer might not be an AI PC — and might even still run Windows 10

The global laptop market is projected to grow by 4.9% to reach 183 million units by 2025, driven by upgrade cycles in commercial sectors and the end-of-life for Windows 10 in October 2025. Currently, Windows 11 has a 36% market share. AI-integrated laptops, while gaining attention, have not significantly impacted market growth, as they are priced 10-15% higher than traditional laptops and many businesses are skeptical about their value. An Intel study indicates that users of AI-capable PCs face challenges in realizing benefits due to a learning curve. In Q3, AI PCs accounted for one in five new laptop shipments, with Windows Copilot+ PCs representing 53% of those sales. The transition from Windows 10 is expected to boost adoption of next-generation computing solutions.

Winsage

November 27, 2024

Windows 10’s farewell tour set to drive laptop sales in 2025

The global laptop market is expected to grow by 4.9 percent in 2025, driven by commercial upgrade cycles and the end of life for Windows 10. TrendForce predicts a recovery in laptop shipments starting late 2024, with annual shipments reaching 174 million units in 2024, a 3.9 percent increase from the previous year. By 2025, shipments are forecasted to rise to 183 million units. Despite this growth, demand for AI-capable devices remains limited, with businesses hesitant to pay a premium for AI PCs, which currently have a price increase of 10-15 percent over standard models. AI-capable PCs accounted for 20 percent of shipments to distributors in Q3 2024. The laptop market is significantly influenced by US trade policies, with China producing approximately 89 percent of total laptop manufacturing capacity.

Winsage

June 24, 2024

PC industry on cusp of big upgrade cycle – TechCentral

The PC industry is on the brink of a major upgrade cycle driven by new Windows machines based on ARM architecture and generative AI. The AI-capable chipsets offer security benefits and improve task completion speed. ARM-based chipsets are revolutionizing Windows PCs, offering improved efficiency and all-day battery life. The end of Qualcomm's exclusive license with Microsoft for ARM-based chipsets will provide consumers with more choice. The ARM version of Windows has a growing list of compatible apps. Enterprise customers have big incentives to upgrade, while the consumer market may not see the same level of adoption. Rumors suggest the potential development of Windows 12.