Microsoft plans to end support for Windows 10 in 2025
The Canadian-American organization PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) sent a petition to Microsoft calling on the company to rethink the upcoming withdrawal of support for Windows 10. Otherwise, “millions” of computers could be “thrown into a landfill overnight.”
We’re now less than two years away from Microsoft ending support for Windows 10, and current estimates suggest that 400 million PCs won’t be able to upgrade to Windows 11.
The petition is addressed to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. In it, PIRG criticizes the company’s plans because users expect their devices to last a long time and not suddenly become obsolete due to Microsoft’s arbitrary decision.
Microsoft is urged to extend the life of Windows 10 and not “send to landfill” millions of PCs
Particular emphasis is placed on the threat to the environment, as users begin to get rid of outdated devices. The petition states:
All software reaches the end of the support stage, but when the environmental consequences of a decision are so great, we shouldn’t make it.
Let’s remember that Windows 10 itself is largely backward compatible with computers running older operating systems. However, for Windows 11, Microsoft has introduced new hardware requirements. Because of these requirements, computers that are only a few years old cannot be upgraded to Windows 11.
Microsoft plans to end support for Windows 10 in 2025 and stop releasing updates, including security updates. Of course, no Windows 10 device will suddenly stop working, but users will have to think about changing the operating system or changing hardware.
PIRG’s “Designed to Last” campaign director Lucas Rockett Gutterman expressed surprise at Microsoft’s decision, which contradicts the company’s stance on the environment. Gutterman emphasized:
Not only is this bad for consumers, but it’s also bad for the planet, as outdated computers will end up in our growing piles of toxic e-waste.
