Subj : Microsoft is digging its own grave with Windows 11, and it has to To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Sun Apr 13 2025 16:15:08 Microsoft is digging its own grave with Windows 11, and it has to stop Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2025 15:00:00 +0000 Description: Microsoft, we had a good thing going with Windows 10 - why do you want to force me to upgrade? FULL STORY ====================================================================== Look, Microsoft, we need to talk. Its no secret that youve been nagging me (and everyone else) to upgrade to Windows 11 for a while now, with everything from ads to in-OS reminders pushing me towards the settings menu to check if my PC is eligible for an upgrade. But heres the thing, Microsoft: this path youre on isnt sustainable. I mean this in a few different ways. Firstly, the extremely literal sense; Windows 11 forces a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 requirement, which for the uninitiated is a specific chip on your laptop or desktops motherboard enabling enhanced security features. No TPM 2.0? No Windows 11. Yes, I know you can technically upgrade to Windows 11 without TPM 2.0 , but I wouldnt recommend it. Is that enhanced security good? Yes, absolutely - but it effectively means that many older computers literally cant run Windows 11, which combined with the impending Windows 10 End of Life is eventually going to result in a lot of PCs headed to the ever-growing e-waste pile. Thats a real problem in itself. But Im not here to rant about e-waste (though its really bad ). I want to talk about how users perceive Microsofts nigh-omnipresent operating system, and how its current trajectory could result in serious issues further down the line. Chop and change See, Windows is constantly evolving - from humble beginnings as an MS-DOS interface in the mid-Eighties to beloved iterations like Windows XP and 10 (and widely panned versions, such as Vista and RT). But over the years, there have long been whispers of a final version of the OS ; a Windows Perfected if you will, designed to last forever with continual updates - or at least, designed to last for a very long time. In a sense, what those hunting for this last Windows iteration want is the same experience that macOS users get: an operating system that just continually gets free updates adding new features, rarely changes in a hugely significant way, and isnt chock-full of annoying ads. Of course, its not quite that simple for Microsoft; Apple has incredibly tight control over the macOS hardware ecosystem, while Microsoft theoretically has to make Windows run on a near-limitless selection of custom- and pre-built PCs as well as laptops from numerous different manufacturers. Then again, keeping ads out of Windows should be as simple as it is for macOS, and that hasnt happened I'm no Apple lover, but there's no denying that macOS is in many ways better-maintained than Windows. (Image credit: Apple) At the end of the day, Microsoft doesnt need to keep creating entirely new versions of Windows - it does so because outside of an Apple-esque closed ecosystem, thats profitable, as system manufacturers will need to keep buying new OS keys and users will need to keep buying new systems. Sure, there might need to be major overhauls now and then that leave some people behind - the TPM 2.0 debacle is perhaps one such example. But there are cracks in this methodology that are slowly starting to show, and I suspect it wont end well unless Microsoft changes course. Time for some defenestration? If upgrading to a new OS is a lot of hassle for an individual (Ive personally been putting it off for years, still using Windows 10 on my personal desktop), imagine how much work - and how much money - it takes for a large business to do it. Although Windows 11 adoption is finally on the rise , plenty of private businesses and public sector organizations are still stuck on Win10 or older, despite Microsofts insistence for us all to upgrade. A 2021 report by Kaspersky suggested that 73% of healthcare providers globally are still using equipment with an outdated OS for medical purposes. Now, this isnt just talking about Windows computers, but its a damning figure - a more recent investigation by Cynerio claimed that 80% of imaging devices are still using operating systems that have been officially EoLd and are now unsupported, like Windows 7 and XP. I learned a lot about the tech used in hospitals when I was undergoing cancer treatment back in 2021. Spoiler alert: it's almost all horribly outdated. (Image credit: Christian Guyton) Healthcare is just one such sector, but its felt widely, particularly in sectors and countries where funding for hardware and software upgrades often isnt readily available. Running an out-of-support OS can lead to a variety of issues, not least with security and compatibility. Its not that these organizations dont want to upgrade, its that they literally cant - not without the significant expenditure of completely replacing the computer, and sometimes the entire machine its hooked up to. Annoying ads Lastly - and Im going to be a bit brutally honest with you here, Microsoft - the slow but inexorable enshittification of Windows has got to stop. Ads, bugs, pestering notifications, the constant forcing of Copilot AI down our throats; just stop it, guys. Please. I have Windows 11 on my laptop, and also the ROG Ally I used for handheld PC gaming. Im no stranger to how bad its become. My dislike of Apple hardware is well-documented , yet macOSs year-on-year consistency and total lack of ads is beginning to look mighty appealing. Win11 feels less like a product you buy and own and more like an OS as a service - something you pay for but dont really own, and can be snatched away or heavily modified at a moments notice. Its already a serious issue in the game industry, with triple-A games increasingly becoming less about providing a good, fun experience and more about extracting as much value from the player as possible. I don't hate Windows 11, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Even Windows 10 isnt safe from Microsofts meddling. At this point, Im half looking forward to the EoL purely so that Microsoft will take its grubby little fingers out of my desktop OS. No, I dont care about how great Windows 11 supposedly is now . No, I dont care about Copilot and how its going to fix my digital life and cure all my worldly ailments. Let me create a little analogy here. Imagine if you bought a car. Its a good car, it runs fine and doesnt give you any major issues. Then, a few years later, a new model comes out, and every morning, no matter where you park, the dealership sends someone to put a flyer on your windshield advertising the new car, or some other new offer the dealership is running. Every now and then, they also take away a small part of your car, like a wiper blade or a single tire nut. The kicker? You dont want the new car, and you might not even be able to afford it anyway. I just want a straightforward OS that runs smoothly and doesnt become outdated every five years. Is that really too much to ask, Microsoft? You might also like... Windows 11s rumored Start menu redesign could mean it eats up a huge chunk of desktop space for some users although it can be tamed Windows 11s controversial Recall feature could soon arrive for Copilot+ PCs I just hope Microsofts tightening of its privacy is up to scratch Is Microsoft getting truly desperate with adverts now? Im seriously unimpressed with a new suggestion to buy Avowed in Windows 10 and Windows 11 ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/microsoft-is-digging-its-own-grave -with-windows-11-and-it-has-to-stop --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .