As we mentioned in a previous post, Microsoft is extending Windows 10 support until October 12, 2027, a full year after the October 2026 deadline. Why has Microsoft been so good to consumers?
The first reason is that the company doesn't want to anger its OEM partners, who are already struggling with the almost certain decline in PC sales as the shortage of AI-powered RAM drives prices skyrocketing with no signs of slowing down.
Microsoft depends on these OEMs — Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS and a host of smaller names, including its own Surface division — to buy new Windows licenses. By encouraging customers to hold onto their old PCs for longer, it is trying to get an extension to tide over the marketing crunch.
The second reason is that the number of computers still running Windows 10 is likely much higher than executives in Redmond would like. This is pure speculation, because Microsoft doesn't disclose the numbers. But there are a significant number of operating computers that simply can't upgrade to Windows 11 due to hardware limitations.
Last January, Microsoft announced that the number of monthly active users of Windows 11 had surpassed 1 billion. That sounds pretty good until you realize that there are more than 1,5 billion Windows PCs in total. Even if another 200 million of those switched to Windows 11, that still means 20% are stuck on Windows 10.
It also doesn't help that Microsoft has publicly acknowledged that its customers are unhappy with the quality of Windows 11 and has pledged to "raise the bar for quality." These improvements are slowly making their way to release, but most of them are still in Insider builds and have not yet reached the general public.
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
