Microsoft, doing it’s part to make the world a better place.
No it won’t.
240 million grandmas, cheapskate businesses, and cash-strapped public schools will continue to use whatever operating system their computers already have, forever, until they break, security implications be damned.
Windows
10XPTook this picture a couple of days ago:
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I was aware of that, but had imagined that newer machines would have slowly migrated to something else. I’m also always astonished by the fact these are running full OSes.
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i saw a kiosk once booting opensuse
This is a huge business opportunity for someone with the know-how. They should offer a consulting service that does the following:
- Catalogs the software your company is using.
- Identifies which ones have native Linux versions, which ones work well under WINE, and which ones will need to be replaced with either a different native application or an online equivalent.
- Installs and configures Linux with a Windows-like UI on your old systems, and gets them set up with the replacement software.
Offer a support contract that severely undercuts anything Microsoft is
gougingselling. Offer basic training, too.Anyone who does that can make bank.
Would also need to get a burner phone number w/ answering machine to take calls from 240 million grandmas, cheapskate businesses and cash-strapped public schools for any & all tech support questions until the end of time, because if there was an issue with system stability in any way whatsoever, or if the router went down or the printer stopped working, they’d assume it was the fault of ‘the guy who changed everything’.
Linux is great & everything, but this sounds like a recipe for utter disaster, not a way to make an easy buck.
I can’t agree with this more. People like to sell Linux as a magic bullet, but it does not and will not everything everyone needs without maintenance and people really like to hand wave or downplay that need.
Sure, you could find a solution for what they’re using now. What happens when they need something else and they’re so tech illiterate that they don’t even know what you did to their machine? They wouldn’t even know how to install new software, and if they did, they wouldn’t know they need to click the Linux version, etc. It’s not always about feasibility and available options, it’s often about the fact that people just won’t fucking know what to do. Even if you assume there are enough options available, they won’t know how to do so.
And every step Microsoft takes to shoot themselves in the foot, and every step Linux takes to make this easier, everyone comes screaming about how much this could change things.
But until Linux has a HUGE market share - like in the 30-70 percent range - developers are not going to take it seriously and alleviate this process. Even with how well MacOS does, this is not even a solved problem entirely there - there are still hang ups and still software that doesn’t get released for mac. Linux would have to pass where Apple is today for this to become remotely accessible to an every day person.
And even THEN there’s the question of different Linux distros.
Most people only need internet access. Look at Chromebooks.
While I don’t really disagree, look at the market share of Chromebooks. If “most people” only needed internet access, “most people” would be on Chromebooks by now. It’s not like they’re unknown anymore.
Not really how the market works. Inertia is huge, brand image (Apple) is huge, social pressure (Apple) is huge, simply not knowing is huge. The newcomer always has the disadvantage to get converts. (Not to mention many of the people that only need internet have iPads only.)
Yes, but Chromebooks are far from “newcomers” these days. They’ve been out a while. Many people who grew up using them in schools are now making their own purchasing decisions, etc.
Easy fix: don’t offer support
More expensive easy fix: contract with a call center in India to do “support” for you.
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I think your info is out of date, at least from what I see. Schools are going to Chromebooks because that’s all the budget allows. I think it’s going to be scary when these kids enter the workforce and can’t use Windows office.
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Sigh, yes everyone knows that ChromeOS is built on linux. That’s not what people mean when they say running linux.
AFAIK Chromebooks can run Office 365 (the online one, whatever it’s called now). Microsoft had to do that to try to keep Office relevant and accessible.
How do you break away from something you were programmed to use?
You don’t, you get the next generation to use your product first. They start with chromebooks in elementary school now. That’s the first computer kids will have and likely have all the way to grade 12 for school (after that is who knows what). Kids today will be programmed to use Chromebooks, not windows. That’s my point.
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Your post reminded me. I worked tech support for years at an ISP and we would not help people with Linux systems. Only Windows or Macs. Android on a cell but only help with connecting to Wi-Fi and very basic settings up email if they used the ISP email.
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That’s actually a decent idea if people are using boilerplate windows software. Unfortunately institutional software is unlikely to cross over, and even if similar software can be found to replace private users’ needs, there is going to be resistance to change. This doesn’t even touch anyone using specialized software. The resistance will be commensurate with the differences in workflow and usage between the windows and Linux software.
I mean, the whole point is people don’t want to change. The only way you’d win people over easily is directly cloning their windows setup.
I feel the issue is if you’re successful with this idea and get on radar of Microsoft, they will make sure to snatch away all deals from you by bidding even lower. They have money to lose. Small firms generally don’t.
ROFL, and for a half of that cost and none of the risk, companies will just drop in new windows computers and keep the status quo…
I wish you were right. Instead what we will likely see is an increase in year to year E-waste until the majority is phased out into land fills.
When that time comes, would that create a period of insane amounts of scams?
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I’m seriously thinking of trying Linux when Windows 11 is forced. My computer has the specs to run it, but I’m just tired of Windows and Microsoft.
Pretty much all computers have the specs to run linux. Of some flavor.
I have switched a dell laptop that windows 10 didn’t support to pop os. (It was 7 years old) My whole family has used it for a few years to do everything without any issues. Ironically I have had problems with the Pop OS install on my newer more powerful machine.
Then don’t hesitate! You could easily install both side by side, in case you need some Windows exclusive software.
… Linux can run on a potato.
Do yourself a favor and do it now. Maybe then you’ll be able to help others move to Linux who haven’t done so before.
Start trying Linux now using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). It’s a great way to dip your toe in the water, and your computer can run it today.
Or you could try Tiny11, which is basically Windows 11 but much less Microsofty 😉
Once upon a time, updating your hardware every couple of years was essential. Your new hardware was a lot faster for normal use, and everyone benefitted.
Over time, however, people could wait longer between updates, as new hardware didn’t impact daily use all that much.
The powers that were grew displeased, and then decided to force people to update more often. Newer hardware had shorter lifespans, software forced newer hardware, software as a service became king.
The End?
You forgot the part where we all return to poverty so the rich can stay rich in the face of climate change.
That story isn’t written… yet. The future can be changed, if enough people drive that change (valve is working wonders here).
Again, Install Linux, get rid of Microsoft shit.
If you can’t/ won’t upgrade to Linux, at least upgrade to Tiny10. TinyXP is still getting updates. The “Tiny” versions of Windows rip out all the extemporaneous crap that Microsoft put into Windows that makes it a bad OS
AFAIK, there won’t ever be a Tiny11 distro, there’s just too much shit to rip out of the registry to make that possible
First I’m hearing of Tiny10 and starting to consider my options for jumping ship on windows. Anyone willing to give a short rundown/ weigh their opinions of linux/windows/other OSes. Video games are the main factor for me, with user control a very close second.
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Windows 11 can suck my stinky cock. Windows will successfully force my LAZY ass to Linux. I am already testing the waters with my laptop.
What’s wrong with Windows 11? I use it on my gaming machine and my work laptop and it seems fine. Good, even.
It is straight up incompatible with older hardware.
And that’s before accounting for the bloat and telemetry that they have in it, and the shitty changes to the UI, etc.
Or folks will just continue to use 10.
Better yet, 7
Win7 crew represent 💃💃💃
I’ve been saying for years I was going to move back over to Linux. This will be the push I need. Sadly my Dad is bad at computers and will need Windows 11 when using 10 becomes a problem. I’m throwing this at my brother since I was the one who got our Dad a Windows 10 computer. FU Microsoft, you peaked at XP.
I was in your place when Win7 died (Win 7 was the true peak, fite me :p) and made the switch myself, then.
Also linux is easy, probably easier, for parents to use. They don’t game or do anything complicated, all they gotta do 99.999999% of the time is just load the web browser to do whatever they are doing. I have several astonishingly stupid family members running linux, with less issues than when they had windows… So maybe you can swap out your dads OS without much issue. Just use a distro that has a more windows-y interface with a start button and the bar across the bottom.
I could see the argument that 7 was peak, but I think it was XP. My Dad pretty much downloads pictures from his phone and browser the web. One issue is some of the sites he uses are set up weird. That why he finally allowed me to upgrade him from 7 to 10. He complained about certain sites, which I really didn’t pay attention to which, would give warning about browser being out of date, then the sites refused to even load. That is when he allowed me to upgrade. They probably would work but I don’t want to risk issues with any sites having problems with Linux.
Maybe a ChromeOS machine? It doesn’t get more simple to use than that.
Nope. For a family member you just install ubuntu. Maybe if you feel strongly about it, you uninstall snap firefox and install apt firefox, but otherwise you just leave it alone.
it’ll run forever, auto update, etc. completely hands off and stress free.
I got a Chromebook years ago to have to write when out, but now they won’t update it and to install Linux I have to flip a physical switch on the other side of the motherboard.
My Dad gets upset and let’s me know when Yahoo changes their homepage. (Yes, he still uses yahoo mail.) He has a flip phone and still struggling with it.
I liked 7. 10 is OK.
my Dad is bad at computers
Have you looked at Endless OS? It depends on what your father uses his computer for, but if it’s mostly web browsing, it could be nice for him.
None of these PCs need to go to landfill. Linux
The only people that will really suffer from this is businesses. They will have to buy W11, and they will need to get supported hardware. However, businesses usually have rolling upgrades in place in the IT and have probably rolled out many already.
As for home users, with each newer generation, they become more tech savy. I can tell you now, this won’t affect as many people as you imagine.
- 1: W11 is free to download from M$. You can choose whether or not to buy a licence. W11 cracks already exist, M$ is still using key management services, so something like KMSpico still work. There are also tons of activator scripts on github (lol, since M$ owns this!).
- 2: Grab a copy of RUFUS. Use it to take the W11 image and remove all restrictions, and dump it to USB.
- 3: ???
- 4: Profit.
As for home users, with each newer generation, they become more tech savy
Pretty sure the opposite is true at this point.
I think it feels like this because we have so many more users now than 10 or 20 years before. So the percentage of tech literate users has declined while the amount tech savy people increases. with the pool of users being satiiated i think we will have an increase in the percent of tech savy users again (as old users die).
If we’re talking about home desktop users (I’m including laptops, but not phones/tablets), I think that number is on the decline. 10-20 years ago, you generally needed a computer to function. Now, I use my desktop for some games and to do taxes. And last year, I actually did taxes on my phone (I had newborn twins so sitting down at a computer for any meaningful amount of time was not happening). It was a little bit of a pain, but totally do-able. My mom didn’t bother getting another desktop after hers died a year ago.
Mobile devices usually don’t encourage tech savviness and it seems to be the direction most personal use of computers is going.
Or, you know, finally just start switching to Linux, get rid of the Microsoft shit, finally. It’ll take you a while, but in the long run it’ll be cheaper and more reliable.
How will they run adobe apps and play popular multiplayer games like cod, valorant, siege, finals, league of legends, EFT? How will they subscribe to game pass? How can they watch netflix 4k?
Add in anyone who uses Autodesk products
Yes, the majority of people are content creator or playing multiplayer games with kernel level anti-cheat and know the difference between 4k and 720p.
Don’t overestimate the bubble
Everything moves to browser based, by that time, the OS won’t matter, Microsoft realized that too.
The people who can’t tell the difference between 720p and 4k seem like the least likely to try changing their operating system.
W11 can run unlicensed indefinitely with the only downside being inability to customise the desktop background and a nag at the bottom right corner. They prefer to have the users rather than not. Though not sure re limitations in joining domains and the like.
I had no idea this existed, thanks! My hardware is right at the cutoff for Windows 11 support but still runs strong. I’ll have to play around with this but it should allow me to squeeze a few more years out of it. The windows 10 expiration is definitely making me want to try Linux though.
Cool, a prime opportunity to scalp even more old machines by the end of the decade once they become valuable.
yay i can finally get a good laptop on ebay in 2025! 😹
“Windows 7 appears to still be running on at least 100 million machines, despite Microsoft ending support for the operating system a year ago”
–Tom Warren. Jan 6, 2021.
https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/6/22217052/microsoft-windows-7-109-million-pcs-usage-stats-analytics
Maybe the landfill won’t be overstuffed as quickly as expected.
See also
“Monthly market share held by Windows operating system for desktop PCs worldwide from January 2017 to November 2023, by version” https://www.statista.com/statistics/993868/worldwide-windows-operating-system-market-share/
It’s a dwindling effect, not just instant abandonment.
More people will switch to Linux once and for all.
Most people actually don’t even know you can change what OS came with the computer. They think Windows is part of the computer. So they happily accept the idea that Windows 11 needs a new computer. They will probably use windows 10 wayyyyyy past EOL until the hardware itself fails, and/or just buy a new computer with windows 11. Most don’t know Linux exists or that they can install it. They think they need a “linux computer”. And then searching “download linux” on google or going “linux.com” (like I’ve seen many people do) doesn’t help people very much to be honest…
I doubt it, but some will.
The great LINUX uprising of 2025!!!
