Windows 10 officially reached the end of its support in October, yet a staggering 1 billion PCs continue to operate on this older platform. This revelation emerged during Dell’s recent earnings call, highlighting the challenges Microsoft faces in transitioning users to its latest operating system, Windows 11.
During the Q3 earnings call, Dell’s COO, Jeffrey Clarke, noted, “We have about 500 million of them capable of running Windows 11 that haven’t been upgraded. And we have another 500 million that are four years old that can’t run Windows 11. Those are all rich opportunities to upgrade towards Windows 11 and modern technology.” This statement underscores the significant potential for upgrades, particularly as many PCs remain tethered to outdated software.
Interestingly, this situation marks an improvement from earlier in the year. A study conducted in July indicated that approximately 50% of all PCs were still utilizing Windows 10. Statcounter’s data revealed that Windows 11 only surpassed Windows 10 in desktop market share as recently as June.
Initially, a swift transition to Windows 11 was anticipated prior to the end of Windows 10 support. However, this migration may have been tempered by Microsoft’s decision to provide a year of complimentary security updates for Windows 10 users. Even if the estimated 500 million PCs capable of upgrading eventually make the switch, Dell’s analysis indicates that around 500 million will remain on Windows 10, presenting a substantial opportunity for future upgrades.
While newer devices boast a plethora of enhancements compared to their aging counterparts, some users express frustration over systems from this decade already losing support. In light of Windows 10’s end of support, a notable shift has occurred, with some users exploring alternatives outside the Microsoft ecosystem. A developer from Zorin OS, a Linux distribution, reported that approximately 780,000 users transitioned from Windows 10 to their platform since the cessation of support.
At Microsoft Ignite, Windows lead Pavan Davuluri remarked that nearly 1 billion individuals currently depend on Windows 11. He hinted that this number could potentially double to 2 billion if Microsoft were to reconsider the stringent hardware requirements for Windows 11 or successfully encourage the upgrade of the 500 million eligible PCs.
