As the new Windows operating system moves into the beta phase, more than a few users are having concerns about the next big migration from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and what it will mean for hardware owners.
It seems like Microsoft likes to change its operating system almost every year, and this has been abundantly frustrating to users for a long time. Experienced techies will remember the massive issues around end-of-life support for Windows’ vibrantly popular XP system, and successive versions like Vista and Windows 8 which were extremely unpopular in some quarters.
Today the protestations of many Microsoft rank-and-file customers is around the hardware requirements for Windows 11 and how many machines may be ineligible.
In a piece referring to “millions of Windows 10 zombies,” Jason Perlow at ZDNet discusses a wider than expected compatibility gap that will leave a lot of personal and enterprise users on shaky ground.
“I fully expected my two current Windows boxes that I use for testing to make the Windows 11 transition so that I would be able to test the product and write about it. Those “old” systems that would be stuck on Windows 10 until support ended in 2025? Nah, that wasn’t me. My boxes were going to be OK. Wrong. As I soon learned, my systems are not immune.”
If that weren’t enough, Arif Bacchus, writing for Digital Trends, talks about how a prior version of Microsoft PC health check app did not specify why machines couldn’t run Windows 11 – requirements include the following:
- A TPM 2.0 chip
- 64-bit processor
- Four gigs of RAM
- 64 gigs of storage
Even with a little more explanation, those who have put down money for Microsoft-compatible hardware will likely be frustrated that they’re not able to install the new operating system. Microsoft has said it plans to support Windows 10 through 2025, but time flies, and making long-term planning harder for customers is not likely to win Microsoft hearts and minds.
In fact, as Perlow puts it: “45 years with Intel architecture is enough. It’s time for me to move on. If Microsoft and their OEM partners come out with compelling Arm-based systems from Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Intel that’s competitive with Apple’s offerings in a few years, great, I’ll be happy to look at one. But for now, my plan going forward is to invest in Apple Silicon Macs and cloud services, where eventually, I think most of my Microsoft workloads will live.”
Look for the fallout among big tech stocks as Windows 11 comes on the scene.
