Microsoft lays out plans, pricing for Windows 10 life support
- Reference: 1712152813
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/04/03/windows_10_extended_support/
- Source link:
In a [1]post published yesterday, Microsoft detailed the ways and costs of keeping Windows 10 security updates flowing past the October 14, 2025, cut-off date. The prices will be steep for most users unless you're just using your Windows 10 device to access a Windows 11 Cloud PC through Windows 365.
If you want an activation key to apply to a Windows 10 device, you'll pay $61 per device for Year 1. However, if you're using a Microsoft cloud-based update management tool like Intune, the price is discounted to $45.
[2]
And that Year 1 is significant. Microsoft noted: "The price will double every consecutive year for a maximum of three years. If you decide to jump into the program in Year Two, you'll have to pay for Year One too, as ESUs are cumulative."
[3]
[4]
So sticking with Windows 10 and wanting security patches will get expensive rather quickly. This is a far cry from when Microsoft was ramming the OS down users' throats [5]whether they wanted it or not .
There is an exception to the rule. Education customers – including K12 and Higher Education – [6]can pick up the ESU program for Windows 10 for $1 in the first year, rising to $2 and $4 in the second and third years respectively.
[7]Microsoft's first AI PCs Surface with Intel cores and a Copilot key
[8]Windows 10 failing to patch properly? You are most definitely not alone
[9]Copilot pane as annoying as Clippy may pop up in Windows 11
[10]Updates are plenty but fans are few in Windows 11 land
It is a shame that such generosity is not being extended to ordinary consumers and business users with perfectly functional computers who cannot upgrade to Windows 11 due to Microsoft's [11]draconian hardware demands .
We asked Microsoft if there were any plans to discount support for consumers without pockets deep enough to buy newer hardware, and will update should the company wish to comment.
[12]
The announcement comes as [13]Statcounter updated its market share statistics, which, in the absence of official figures from Microsoft, give an insight into how Windows 11 adoption is going.
In March 2024, Windows 11 actually lost market share compared to Windows 10. The latter stood at 69.04 per cent, a slight uptick on the previous month, while the former dropped to 26.72 per cent.
In its post, Microsoft described pricing for Year 1 of the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates program as "similar to the Windows 7 ESU Year 1 Price."
[14]
However, it did not mention the difference in market share at the same point in the life of the operating systems.
By our reckoning, Windows 10 had [15]pulled ahead of previous versions two and a half years after its release. Windows 11 has some way to go before performing the same feat. ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/when-to-use-windows-10-extended-security-updates/ba-p/4102628
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zg19HWNYAFNNiIQjz-GswwAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zg19HWNYAFNNiIQjz-GswwAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zg19HWNYAFNNiIQjz-GswwAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2015/09/10/windows_10_forced_download/
[6] https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2024/04/windows-10-end-of-support-updates-for-education
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/21/microsoft_ai_surface/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/07/users_report_windows_10_patch/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/05/copilot_update_windows_11_beta_build/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/04/windows_11_market_share/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/31/windows_11_stalls/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zg19HWNYAFNNiIQjz-GswwAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://gs.statcounter.com/os-version-market-share/windows/desktop/worldwide
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zg19HWNYAFNNiIQjz-GswwAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide/#monthly-201701-201802
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Year of Lunix desktop
coming up!
Re: Year of Lunix desktop
As I have said before, if it was going to happen, it would have by now.
You could probably lash up a pretty good straight swap for friends & family (in which case why haven't you ?)
However the moment you try and provide a drop in replacement for your colleagues, you'll hit the fact there is no like for like replacement for Office. Close - yes. Functionally identical - yes. But nowhere near as seamless as it would have to be to supplant Windows.
I've been trying since 2010, by the way.
Re: Year of Lunix desktop
"However the moment you try and provide a drop in replacement for your colleagues, you'll hit the fact there is no like for like replacement for Office. Close - yes. Functionally identical - yes. But nowhere near as seamless as it would have to be to supplant Windows."
Indeed, plus integration with Microsoft cloudy services (no need to get into the debate here on whether this is a good idea - fact is that many companies do it so need to accommodate it), plus management systems such as Intune: other platforms don't have an equivalent alternative (apart from, to some extent, MacOS).
And user familiarity with the OS and software. That is often under-recognised here but can be a significant issue if a proportion of your users are not particularly IT-literate.
Re: Year of Lunix desktop
I have friends running W10 but not Office - yes, it's possible. At least one runs LO, and I think several are on WPS or others. These are alternatives they found for themselves.
Re: Year of Lunix desktop
I didn't say that it was never possible. My point was that for many companies it's simply not a practical option.
Re: Year of Lunix desktop
"(in which case why haven't you ?)"
That's called begging the question.
Re: Year of Lunix desktop
I would say that some alternatives do come close such as the paid-for Softmaker Office that I use. No one (so far) can tell that I am not using Microsoft Office for documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Re: Year of Linux desktop
Linux not Lunix, and they're called Chromebooks, and education is one of the markets they're aimed at. Chromebooks also expire, however.
Re: Be careful what you wish for....
For some Windows 7 might be their last version. Unless her laptop dies that'll include my sister-in-law.
Per installation cost
So Microsoft have already decided that if one person in the Windowverse wants to keep running W10, it will cost $61. Hence revenue to MS = $61. So now they've already done the relevant work!
If another million (for e.g.) people suddenly decide to take them up on the offer, that's a profit of $61M for doing no more work. As usual it's a fix.
Re: Per installation cost
It's sneakier than that. It's chargeable by year and doubles each year.
I keep seeing tills displaying a W10 screen Do they really think all the users of those will upgrade - or buy a new till if they don't meet the standard. Perhaps they don't get updates anyway although I suppose they would be on the net to process card payments.
If, as you say, they are processing payments, the PCI (Payment Card Industry, not Peripheral Component Interconnect) rules demand that they are using a supported and certified OS, so all those Win10 tills you see need to be Win10 LTSC 2019 (supported until 2029), or Win10 IoT 2021 (supported until 2031), or that they buy one, or two, or three years of this Win10 paid support.
And then migrate to something acceptable for the PCI certification at that time (be it Win11, win 12 or some CERTIFIED Linux desktop [as installing Linux server on a Till is overkill]). Current standard is PCI DSS 4.0 if you want to know what the certification entails.
As for people who use Win10 for digital signeage, they will not update until their signeage is hacked to show pron, k0rn or other questionable (for them) material.
Lack of knowledge, specially in SMBs nad individuals also play a factor in people not updating unsupported Win10 to "something/anything" else, or buying extended support.
I wish that Microsoft would distinguish between corporate and charitable and home users because the latter two groups may be less able to afford the newer pieces of kit that are needed to run Windows 11.
In contrast, the extended support Ubuntu Pro option is free for up to 5 computers or 50 if they are an official Ubuntu Community member.
It doesn't matter to Microsoft. Whether on not it's affordable to the punter it's all the same money as far as they're concerned.
gog/linux
Could anyone please advise as to whether or not gog games marked as Windows only would run if I zapped my win10 lappy to wine or some other distro? That's the only reason I haven't switched yet as most other software I use has native Linux versions or alternatives I could easily use.
Many thanks
In ignorance,
Me
Re: gog/linux
If we are honest, there is no guarantee. There are crowdsourced lists of games that work or not, but, in the end YMMV
your best bet if to reconfigure your lappy to dualboot, and try them yourself. If you are satisfied, zapp it completely.
what I am recommending friends and family is to pay the first year (if they are elegible) and for years 2 and 3, move tot he free version of https://0patch.com/
If only there was some technology
that could be used to create a secure operating "box" that would be transparent to the normal user, and sort of "wrap" Win10 in a protective environment or envelope. It would have to be transparent to Win10 and do all of the security heavy lifting. Maybe call it "Security for windows". Downloadable from the Google Flat pak store.
Re: If only there was some technology
Congrats, you've just described a hypervisor and virtual machine emulator, of which are a couple that are linux based.
Unless you are trolling, obs.
That's a pretty fair deal for Education customers. Assuming 10000 users a year, that will be more affordable than buying new kit (which nearly everyone will need as we all run the crappiest laptops known to mankind).
Go to market strategy
1. Create shoddy product with security defects.
2. Gain widespread adoption, then announce end-of-life.
3. Charge money to fix security defects.
Seriously, think this through and question why we find it acceptable. Microsoft is NOT charging for new features, functions, or updates. They are charging customers to fix SECURITY DEFECTS in their product. Tell me how this is not a self-serving interest.
Don't make the OS too good. Build in just enough defects to keep the money flowing for 'fixes'.
Be careful what you wish for....
For many people, due only to Microsoft's hubris, Windows 10 really may be the last version of Windows.