Oh Microsoft, where shall I begin? Windows 11 has been revealed to the world with it’s incredible redesign, software integrations and it’s performance boost promise in regards to working and gaming. Most of the aesthetic has been completely modernized and is more “Mac” like. Personally, I love the centered buttons on the taskbar and their design choices. I was really looking forward to the release day… until I found out that a lot… A LOT of us won’t be able to upgrade because of the system requirements. Normally this is needed because some older hardware won’t keep up with the new OS performance and added features. The requirements for Windows 11 seem okay at first with minimum RAM requirements, minimum storage capacity requirements, minimum display resolution requirements, TPM version 2.0 and a 1GHz (or faster) 64-bit CPU with 2 or more cores.
The catch? The CPU must be from at least 2017 (Intel) or 2019 (AMD) onward. Yes you’ve read that correctly. I had to think about this absurdity for a week before writing about it. Here’s a link to the list of compatible CPU’s: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/windows-processor-requirements
Don’t have a computer capable of upgrading to Windows 11? Don’t worry… just buy a new one. This is Microsoft’s answer to the incompatibilities that most will run into. They are looking to increase licensing sales because… it’s a business after all and Microsoft planned this. They were planning this all along. Microsoft has made themselves the top and most popular provider for businesses. Most of which run Windows with software and services like Office 365 and Azure (to name a few) and now that these businesses are locked in, they’ll be forced to upgrade or stay with an OS that isn’t supported anymore. Yes, Windows 10 will lose support on Oct. 14, 2025. This means that many, MANY businesses, that rely on older/used hardware to conduct business, will have to start planning on a budget for a complete PC replacement overhaul throughout the company. Good luck IT!
The funny (not so funny) thing about this is Microsoft’s hypocrisy. They posted on their blog that they will be carbon negative by 2030 in their efforts to reduce global warming, yet they tell everyone that they should purchase a new computer if they want Windows 11. What will happen to most of the old hardware? What do you think happens to the computer’s that are trashed? They will be burned and will add to the global warming problem. There will be a huge influx of older computer hardware ready for disposal after the Windows 10 end of life in 2025. Great job Microsoft!
Personally, I don’t want to upgrade. I’ll have Windows 11 on either a VM or a small laptop to learn and be up to date with Microsoft’s latest OS but as for my main machine… I may go full Linux. Support for gaming has gotten a lot better on Linux and I already have 2 Linux boxes in the house, so what’s one more? Microsoft is being greedy here. If they are going to drop support for capable CPU’s, at least make them older than 2015 (even Apple is still supporting devices from 2015) C’mon Microsoft… just when things were going great, you screw this up. Prepare yourselves… Windows 11 will be the new “flex” in PCMR! 🙄
