What appears to have been a slow burn in OS adoption for Windows 11 might actually be a very promising transition to Microsoft’s current system.
The Windows 11 operating system is now actively running on over 400 million devices and is on track to hit half a billion installs by early 2024, according to a report from Windows Central.
The publication detailed that it uncovered internal data that reveals Microsoft’s strategy for rolling out Windows 11, in comparison to older systems such as Windows 10 has been very different. This has been one of the main reasons for the contrast in adoption rates.
Microsoft promoted a strict rollout for Windows 10 when it first became available. The system was offered as a free update for all Windows 8.1 and most Windows 7 devices, which had to be done in just a year. This stipulation urged users to transition quickly from older systems or else miss the free Windows 10 offer. The company also had strategies to urge users running other legacy versions, including Windows 7 and Windows 8, to update.
The Windows 11 strategy was much more relaxed. There was no time incentive. Instead of pushing for a wide range of devices to update, Microsoft truncated its range of compatible PCs to those released in 2018 and beyond. Devices especially require a trusted platform module (TPM), which is only supported on newer Intel and AMD processors. This immediately ruled out support for Windows 7 and 8 PCs and several older Windows 10 models. This would limit many initial system adoptions; however, this might have been Microsoft’s plan all along. Even if there are some devices that have aged out of update eligibility, most Windows PCs are likely able to transition.
Microsoft was hopeful of getting users upgraded from Windows 11 debuted to the public in October 2021 and has taken approximately two years to garner 400 million monthly active devices. In contrast, Windows 10 hit that milestone in less than a year and supported 1 billion users by early 2020. The company considers Windows 11 successful because its recent milestone has been met ahead of schedule, and internal figures trend positive for user satisfaction, in comparison to online commentary, Windows Central noted.
Microsoft has seen a similar trajectory of Windows 11 upgrades among business users. Researchers in the enterprise sector have observed that when many organizations transition to Windows 11 it is because they have purchased new devices rather than upgrading the hardware they already have.
According to IT asset management group Lansweeper, adoption of Windows 11 now stands at 8.35% as of October 2023, a slight jump from the 5.74% seen in September 2022. However, the researchers urge more companies to transition to Windows 11 as its audit of 33 million devices uncovered that a decent majority of 67.5% of workstations are eligible to automatically update to Windows 11 with CPU, RAM, and TPM requirements met.
Currently, Windows 11 is caught in between the continued popularity of Windows 10 and the anticipation of Windows 12. Windows 10 makes up approximately 71.6% of desktop users, while Windows 11 makes up 23.6%, according to Statcounter.
In the business sector, Windows 10 runs on a staggering 80.5% of devices. Even so, Microsoft is winding down support for this version, which will enter its end-of-life phase on October 14, 2025.
Meanwhile, the brand is planning for its 2024 software release, which is expected to be called Windows 12 and is currently codenamed Germanium. The system will likely have a focus on AI and cloud features. There is no word on Microsoft’s rollout strategy for this system.
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.