Ending support for Windows 10 could send 240 million computers to the landfill. Why not install Linux on them?

Gemini24601@lemmy.world to Linux@lemmy.ml – 703 points –
Ending Support For Windows 10 Could Send 240 Million Computers To The Landfill: A Stack Of That Many Laptops Would End Up 600 Km Higher Than The Moon - Gadget Tendency
gadgettendency.com

With support ending for Windows 10, the most popular desktop operating system in the world currently, possibly 240 million pcs may be sent to the landfill. This is mostly due to Windows 11’s exorbitant requirements. This will most likely result in many pcs being immediately outdated, and prone to viruses. GNU/Linux may be these computers’ only secure hope, what do you think?

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The average consumer isn't going to toss out a good computer they bought if it can't run Windows 11. They're certainly not installing Linux. They'll keep using Windows 10 for as long as they can. I've seen way too much of Windows XP still running on people's computers, if it can still browse the web, access emails and look at Facebook they're not spending money on a new one

Good point XP held on forever

The stenographer for our local zoning & planning board still uses a XP netbook. Couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw it

Could be some software that is no longer supported.

Good point. What about hardware drivers? Do the OEMs use OS support deprecation, as an excuse to bail on shit? Or are driver updates irrelevant to a dead OS bc it's in stasis?

My though was their preferred stenography keyboard was made by a company that is now defunct, ergo no updates. Possibly could be overcome with techy means, but I'm guessing the stenographer doesn't have those.

I mean stopping Windows updates is really more a win than a loss half the time. They've forcefully installed so much of the shitware in Windows 10 updates that makes Windows 11 awful. It took me an hour to strip all the bullshit off of my partner's Windows 10 that he left to auto-update.

Auto update has been a pain in the arse. Was doing a presentation for a group assignment with a Windows user and just before we were about to go up the thing just decided on a whim to install an update. Funnily enough he said he wanted to try Linux after that

It's actually astonishing to me how much better Linux deals with updates compared to macOS and Windows. "Oh, updates are installed, and you just need to restart whatever I updated if it's currently running."

Sometimes it does have its moments though, like when it updates some core package and changes its config in such a way that the next boot doesn't go into a GUI, but I think it's also fair to point out Windows has had those too. And macOS High Sierra with the performance and security issues it initially had on release won't go unmentioned by me either.

Same here

I’ll keep using the computer I bought for as long as possible even if support for windows 10 ends

Agreed. There usually needs to be a big demand for a shift. Kind of like with Android development. Things tend to slow down once they run out of good ideas.

For Microsoft I think the next big move could be for a whole solar system calendar, e.g. symmetry 454, then synchronise that with a local family/group calendars, social events integration etc, throw in something like bing coin, then throwing it all into a big new multi compatible platform available to all of XP, 7, 10 and 11, add some games shit in there to compete with steam deck, then throw in some hardware CPU cooling accessories to prop up the trash software until they spend the next ten years updating like Lenovo bridge, it so that they can let optimizing their software enough to not fuck things up.

As for how the hell they plan on making money from it all, I suspect that the accessories will eventually lead to subscription costs for certain OEM support. This will encourage OEM manufacturers to engage directly with consumers and retailers to invest in the recycling process so that they can jack up prices across the board.

Use this money to add their shit into some NASA computers for extra hype. No big long term plan, just getting their logo and their foot in the door with the next big direction for computing lol