Tech News: Microsoft Reveals You’ll Need To Pay $90 Per Computer For The First Year, and More After That To Keep Using Windows 10 Securely Beyond October 2025
In this blog post, we'll take a look at Extended Support for Windows 10, which Microsoft will begin offering in October 2025. This means Microsoft will continue to offer security patches after that, but for a price.
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What's Going On:
Windows 10 has been around since 2015, and it’s still on the majority of computers using Windows. For the first time in the history of Windows, Microsoft will offer security updates (no new features) until 2028 for $90 per year per computer for consumers. However, the price doubles each year for three years. Businesses have had the option of extended support for many years and many of Microsoft’s products. Now we get it, too.
According to many reputable sources, including The Verge, Extended Support will launch for Windows 10 in October 2025.
They quote Statcounter, who says:
Windows 10 is still used by 69 percent of all Windows users, compared to just 27 percent for Windows 11. That’s a big gap that Microsoft is unlikely to close over the coming 18 months, leaving many Windows 10 users having to consider paying for security updates for the first time.
My Take:
I’m perfectly happy with Windows 10 and have no desire for new features at the sacrifice of using the dumpster fire that is Windows 11, though you can spend time and energy making it more usable, or have me set things up for you remotely.
Windows 10 does what I need, and a lot of people feel that way. I also have no desire to use Windows 11. That said, it can be made more usable, but ONLY after you change a bunch of settings.
If you do most of your online work in your browser, I highly recommend Chrome OS Flex. You install it on a USB thumb drive, boot off it, and install it. It's very lightweight and very quick. Then, you can do everything you want to do online in Chrome. Here's a How To Guide from Android Police on how to do that. It's worth your time.
Alternatively, you might consider Mac OS. I'm switching to it on my main computer.
For now, though, you can stick with Windows 10 and make those decisions later.
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