Microsoft is sharing more details of its plans to transition customers still using Windows 10 from a free offering to a paid structure if they wish to continue receiving security updates.
The company is phasing out the legacy operating system, which will reach its end-of-life support on October 14, 2025. After this, Microsoft will begin charging enterprise users a monthly fee for Extended Security Updates (ESU). Businesses must purchase an ESU license for all Windows 10 devices in order to maintain security support beyond the cutoff date.
Pricing tiers begin at $61 for the first year, double to $122 in the second year, and double again to $244 in the third year. Businesses entering the ESU program later will be responsible for the cost of the time they missed.
Microsoft confirmed in December 2023 that its ESU program will also be available for general consumers but has not shared pricing for that demographic. The brand said on its IT Pro Blog that consumer pricing would be shared at a later date.
Overall the pricing push appears to be Microsoft’s effort to gradually nudge enterprise users, in particular, to upgrade to its latest Windows 11 operating system. Despite Windows 11 being available since October 2021, it makes up approximately 27% of global usership, compared to Windows 10 at 69%, according to StatCounter.
Studies focusing exclusively on enterprise spaces show figures skew even higher, with upward of 80% of devices in the business sector running Windows 10. Studies have found that when businesses are upgrading to Windows 11, they prefer to replace old hardware with new devices rather than introduce new software to outdated models.
Despite claims that Windows 11 adoption is slow due to Microsoft’s strict hardware requirements, research has also shown that a significant number of enterprise workstations meet the CPU, RAM, and TPM requirements to upgrade to Windows 11. It is likely in-house challenges that prevent businesses from upgrading to the latest operating system in whatever way possible.
Either way, Microsoft has put organizations on notice that the ESU program is a transitionary period to making Windows 11 the operating system of the modern age.
“Extended Security Updates are not intended to be a long-term solution but rather a temporary bridge,” the brand said in the blog post.
“You can purchase ESU licenses for Windows 10 devices that you don’t plan to upgrade to Windows 11 starting in October 2024, one year before the end of support date,” it added.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.