What you need to know
- Microsoft recently announced its plans to pump the brakes on its aggressive ad strategy in Windows 10, designed to get users to upgrade to Windows 11.
- It's unclear if this is a permanent decision since it plans to "share a new timeline in the coming months."
- Windows 10's market share hit an all-time high last month, pushing it to 30%.
- The significant growth is attributed to Windows 10's imminent death, Copilot+ PCs, and Microsoft's aggressive ad strategy.
Windows 10's end-of-support date is a year and a few months away. Microsoft has been using an aggressive campaign, including full-screen multipage popups, to get users to upgrade to Windows 11.
The company has received backlash from Windows 10 users for its intrusive ad campaign. Based on feedback, Microsoft has announced its plan to stop featuring ads and popups in the Windows 10 operating system to get users to upgrade to Windows 11 (via Windows Latest).
According to Microsoft:
"To honor our user’s feedback, these invitations will no longer begin with the April 2024 monthly security update. We will share a new timeline in the coming months."
This is a breath of fresh air for Windows 10 users who've constantly complained about being slapped with annoying ads and popups asking them to upgrade to Windows 11. However, it's unclear if Microsoft will completely abandon this approach. The company may revert to its ad campaign strategy as Windows 10's end-of-support date, slated for October 14, 2025, draws closer.
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Windows 11's market share is gaining some traction
Over the past few months, Windows 11's market share has grown significantly. Experts and market analysts attribute the growth to Microsoft's aggressive ad strategy, Windows 10's looming death, and the hype building around Copilot+ PCs. Windows 11 market share hit an all-time high last month, shooting to 30%, while Windows 10's market share dwindled to 65%.
Windows 11 has struggled to attract users, partly because of its stringent system requirements and flawed design (specifically the Start menu). Microsoft shipped new AI features, including Live Captions, Windows Studio Effects, and more, as part of its 24H2 release. However, these features will exclusively ship to users with Copilot+ PCs since they heavily rely on a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU).
Windows 10's death could lead to "the biggest jump in junked computers ever," ultimately hurting Microsoft's sustainability and environmental goals. For users who'd like to continue using Windows 10 beyond its end-of-support date, Microsoft will offer an exorbitantly priced extended security update (ESU) program for Windows 10. The program will allow users to continue running Windows 10 on their devices, as they'll continue receiving important security updates and more.
In the interim, Microsoft already set up a dedicated webpage as a subtle reminder of Windows 10's inevitable death. The webpage highlights Windows 11's features, how it compares to Windows 10, and features a detailed guide to help users identify and buy a new laptop.
