Last month, for the first time, Windows 11 was a more popular OS than Windows 10 in the Steam Hardware Survey. Of course, this is an imprecise science as people have to opt in to having their machines measured but it's a sign of wider adoption. Windows 8, on the other hand, never made it big enough to do the same in its lifespan. Windows 7 was a very popular OS and adoption even to Windows 10 was fairly slow initially, partially down to that skepticism.

You can't cite the jump from 7 to 8 or 7 to 10 without also remarking on the fact users had far more.control over updates back then.

Yeah, Windows 11 adoption is up, because most people don't have a choice, or they didn't care enough to stop it happening automatically, and don't know how to roll it back. That doesn't translate to approval.

At a certain point, adoption rates just don't matter anymore because increasingly the user doesn't have a choice anymore.

There's Windows 10 LTSC, which gets security updates til 2027. And IoT Enterprise LTSC, which gets security updates until 2032.

"But should you even use those versions?!? They are not meant to be installed on a desktop PC/laptop" - idk, it's either this or Win11.

For more info on how to install, check https://massgrave.dev/windows_ltsc_links

Thanks for this unqualified headline.

whole ass countries like pakistan and vietnam are fucked basically

Pirate a copy of windows 11 N. It’s the eu version that doesn’t have any of this dogshit in it.

Literally everyone that "threatens" to "switch to linux":

I only use the computer for word processing, internet, and playing roguelikes.

Fine. I guess I'll learn Linux 😒

the problem is so many office workplaces use windows and google, so unless you want to bring your own computer and buy a wifi hotspot to take to work, you're stuck on windows and google

I’m a government contractor, so I’m stuck on Windows and Microsoft products for work. It really sucks, but the government ain’t switching to Linux anytime soon… if ever. At least Windows 11 Enterprise (or Government, whatever) should have a lot of this shit stripped out. I hope.

Serious question : My desktop is incompatible with Win11, I run Win10, and I use it for web browsing, Excel, and a little Word processing. Nothing else. Can't i just continue on as is? Not a gamer, not a heavy user...

You mean keep spyware off your pc