News hardware Windows 11 completely flinches, even though it’s free
Published on 02/05/2022 at 19:05
Available since last October via a free Windows 10 update, Windows 11 remains shunned by Microsoft OS users. The explanation goes beyond the simple question of the interface and its functionalities.
Summary
- 0.4% new users in April
- An ideological blockage and stubborn “traditions”?
- Windows 11 hardware issue in focus
- Windows 11 market share will increase, but…
In mid-April, we had already pointed out that
Windows 11 is shunned by PC gamers
: an observation made by scrutinizing the percentage of users of Microsoft’s new OS on Steam. Digging deeper, we note that the situation is not limited to gamersand it is finally quite logical: six months after its release, Windows 11 does not particularly appeal to PC ownerseven if it is possible to install it for free from a legal version of Windows 10.
0.4% new users in April
The platform
AdDuplex
posted its report regarding Windows 10 and Windows 11 fragmentation online at the end of April. This one emphasizes the extremely slow growth of Windows 11 installation on PCs, worldwide. After a positive evolution of less than 0.2% in Marchin April, the growth of the operating system is located barely 0.4%.
Today, if we combine the classic version of Windows 11 with the “Insiders” version, which provides access to beta versions of the OS, adoption percentage stands at 20.4% worldwide. The different versions of Windows 10 therefore represent 79.6% of the ecosystem. It should be noted that the AdDuplex report only concerns the last two versions of Windows: it deliberately leaves out Windows 7 and Windows 8 which, although in the minority today, are still installed by some users.
AdDuplex points out that “if Windows 11 does not grow, Windows 10 21H2 is up 6.5%” in April. VSThis means that Windows 10 PC owners are adopting the latest operating system update while continuing to dodge the Windows 11 update again.although it offers additional features.
An ideological blockage and stubborn “traditions”?
There are many opinions about the situation. Many Windows 10 users are satisfied with this version of Microsoft’s OS, and faced with the instabilities regularly observed within Windows 11, they see no valid reason to upgrade their machine at the risk of deteriorating their user experience. Some component or peripheral drivers may still be missing, or not optimized under Windows 11.
Some beliefs die hard, especially one that suggests thatone out of two Windows is bad : many PC users have kept Windows XP for a long time so as not to switch to Windows Vista, and the pattern repeated itself with Windows 7 and Windows 8. The reasoning may be the same for Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Conversely, some users also believe that Windows 11 does not, to date, bring anything new compared to Windows 10 : This would be a cosmetic update with no size additions. It is true that Microsoft does not hide its intention to gradually add new features to Windows 11, rather than offering a real revolution with this new version. The “Windows 10 update” side is not necessarily a major argument for applying the upgrade, even if it is free.
At last, the fact that Windows 10 is supported until October 14, 2025 gives an additional reason to the followers of this version to continue to use it without major risk for their safety. Once the fateful date arrives, Windows 11 will (undoubtedly) be perfectly ripe for use without constraints.
Windows 11 hardware issue in focus
Last point, and not least, to explain why Windows 11 is shunned by some users: hardware constraints. The most obvious is the one associated with the TPM 2.0 chip, presented as being mandatory to install Windows 11. Its purpose is to allow the OS to activate certain features related to the security of the IT environment. While the latter primarily target businesses, in fact, even consumer machines must comply.
Problem : the TPM 2.0 chip in question only began to be integrated into motherboards available on the market a few years ago. You don’t change your computer every year, and it’s a costly investment that not everyone can make, just to change the operating system. It’s also a problem for companies, whose IT fleet can consist of hundreds of PCs that are incompatible with Windows 11.
Some will say that there are manipulations to circumvent the absence of a TPM 2.0 chip. However, these are not within the reach of the average user. And above all, their application refers to one of the previous issues: Does Windows 11 justify doing everything possible to benefit from it? At the moment, there is reason to have doubts.
Windows 11 market share will increase, but…
However, if you buy a new PC today, there is a very good chance that it will be delivered to you with Windows 11.. Laptops and desktop machines are now designed to run Microsoft’s new OS, and it is therefore in the order of things that it be favored by the Redmond firm’s partner manufacturers. If you’re building your own PC and you have a Windows 10 license, there’s nothing stopping you from having it, but having a TPM 2.0 chip inside your motherboard lowers the barriers that can prevent you from installing Windows 11 easily.
In the years to come, PC users will therefore gradually no longer have a choice when it comes to Windows 11.even if, as Windows XP perfectly demonstrated in its time, resistance is always possible. The thing is, Windows 11 isn’t immediately appealing, and it could be for a while yet.
Par akazanWriting jeuxvideo.com
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