Windows 11 Takes the Lead: What This Means for You

Windows 11 is now the top desktop operating system, according to Stat Counter. This shift happened faster than expected, especially since Windows 10 is still widely used. Windows 11 now holds 52% of the market, while Windows 10 has 44. 59%. This change is significant because Windows 11 has been around for nearly four years. It became popular for gaming in September, but overall adoption was slow. In October 2023, leaked data showed Windows 11 was on over 400 million devices. However, it took Windows 11 two years to reach this number, while Windows 10 did it in just one year. One reason for the slow adoption is Windows 11's strict hardware requirements. Microsoft offered free upgrades to Windows 10 users, but many machines couldn't meet the new CPU and security standards. Microsoft has been pushing users to upgrade their hardware to run Windows 11, sometimes with persistent prompts. Windows 10's support ends on October 14th. Microsoft is offering a free year of security updates to consumers who enable Windows Backup and sync their Documents folder to OneDrive. If you don't want to do this, you can pay $30 for a year of updates or use 1, 000 Microsoft Reward points. This shift to Windows 11 raises questions about the future of older devices. Will users upgrade their hardware, or will they stick with Windows 10 and risk security issues? Only time will tell how this plays out.