Tag Planned Obsolescence

The End of Windows 10 Support: 400 Million PCs at Security Risk

Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, a decision that puts an estimated 400 million personal computers at heightened risk of cyberattacks due to the cessation of free security updates. This problem is exacerbated by the strict hardware requirements (like TPM 2.0) that prevent many otherwise functional PCs from upgrading to Windows 11. Consumer groups criticise the move as planned obsolescence, citing the massive environmental impact of premature e-waste. Users' options include upgrading to Windows 11, paying for or opting into the free one-year Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for consumers, or migrating to alternative operating systems like Linux.