Friday, December 22, 2023

Terminating Support For Windows 10 May Help The Struggling PC Market But Will Come At A Huge Environmental Cost

The end of Windows 10 support was announced by software giant Microsoft and the news was taken with joy. After all, the current PC market needed all the help it could get, considering its ongoing struggle.

The decision meant millions of computers would no longer be given a second life. And in return, we’re seeing staggering figures that cause many to be transformed into dumps inside landfills. The latter is a huge issue as far as the environment is concerned.

The news gave rise to a refresh cycle for clients but ending support could have so many useful PCs ending inside the dump. The PC market continues to stabilize as we talk. And that was expected considering how promising the latest Windows 11 was. It’s a new start and a great one, experts feel. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees as climate activists are having their say on the subject.

A staggering 57% of all partners are hoping for the end of the support shown by Windows 10 to impact users' plans for a revamp, as early as next year. So in the span of the next two years, we’re going to witness every one in three computers getting a replacement.

The firm’s enticing capabilities mean users can no longer make plans for amendments and refurbishment and then go about reselling them. All such PCs can’t get support from Windows 11.

Seeing the tech giant’s decision worsening the already huge e-waste issue is definitely a matter that’s being talked about. It proves how OS vendors have such an integral role in society and assists in giving rise to more IT models.

Toward the end of 2023, it wouldn’t be wrong to add how so many challenges have arisen for computers. But seeing Microsoft take the step to help the struggle was a reason to celebrate as the hope of optimism arose.

Critics estimate that the computer market will go back to its growth figures of 8% by next year as so many clients attempt to refresh their computers during the era of the pandemic while innovative AI offerings keep popping up.

There is also much talk about the decision and how it ensures growth to get back to normal levels that once stood at 8%. Seeing customers refreshing the figure for PCs during the pandemic period means paving the way for new technology too, which in case you didn’t know is AI.

But not everything that glitters is gold right now. Millions of devices don’t have the needed hardware updates for the new OS. This halts channels from carrying out a refurbishment of the viable computers to get a second chance.

Close to 240 million computers will end up in the dump as soon as support for Windows 10 comes to a halt, as per Canalys.

The incompatibility factor would mean by October 2025, one-fifth of all devices would be trashed, and that would give rise to a significant amount of waste, close to 240 million computers. When you fold all of these up together, you would get an approximate height of 600km that reaches for the moon and that’s massive!

While many agree that landfills have always been dominated by e-waste, companies have been called out to make wiser decisions to limit this outcome.

That is why people recommend recycling parts when and if possible. However, the biggest drawback here is the incompatibility which causes a massive drop in value for both reselling and refurbishing.

Therefore, a lot of discussion has to do with the fact that there’s a big responsibility on the shoulders of vendors who can in the future maximize the lifespan of products galore. This can be done by focusing more on repairing, making parts durable, and ensuring their recycling ability is at an all-time high.

Similarly, ensuring they’re safe and can be used for as long as possible is the goal and must be promoted even more now as we speak.

However, right now, the current situation is such that no rules are in place to make the change happen. Yes, the EU is paving the way to forcing vendors to give out more updates after launch but more needs to be done on this front, considering how massive e-waste problems have become.


Read next: Google’s Holiday Gift For Users Includes Major Upgrades And New Features On Chrome
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

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