In a nutshell: Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 10 in October but the aging operating system still has a strong install base. According to Dell, roughly a billion PCs are still running Microsoft's last-gen OS, and it could be a struggle to get users to make the switch to the newer version.
During the PC maker's latest earnings call, COO Jeffrey Clarke said there are around 500 million Windows machines in the wild that are too old to run Windows 11. Another half a billion are capable of running the newer operating system but haven't been upgraded yet. Both situations, Clarke notes, represent opportunities to upgrade to newer platforms.
According to the latest data from StatCounter, Windows 10 is installed on 42.62 percent of desktops. For comparison, Windows 11 accounts for 53.79 of worldwide Windows installs. The next most popular version, Windows 7, has less than a three percent market share.
A mass exodus from Windows 10 was never going to be a reality. Microsoft launched an extended security update program that guarantees critical patch delivery for an additional year. The program is free for OneDrive users, or can be purchased for a one-time fee of $30 (or 1,000 Microsoft Reward points).
Even if Microsoft hadn't rolled out the extended update program, getting every Windows 10 user to upgrade at the same time wasn't going to happen. Many PC users are stubborn or simply ignorant to the dangers associated with not installing the latest security updates. Furthermore, many apps and services are expected to continue supporting the legacy operating system for a while longer.
Windows 11 arrived in late 2021 as a direct successor to Win 10, but the upgrade path hasn't been as smooth as with previous releases. Microsoft implemented strict hardware requirements that prevent many seemingly capable machines from installing the latest version of the operating system, forcing those with an eye on upgrading to consider purchasing new hardware instead.
Predictably, it's a situation that has rubbed a lot of users the wrong way.
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