In a nutshell: As Microsoft prepares to end free security updates for Windows 10 in October, a significant challenge looms for charities that refurbish and distribute older computers to those in need. With an estimated 240 million PCs unable to meet the stringent hardware requirements for Windows 11, these organizations face a difficult decision: provide potentially insecure Windows 10 systems, send them to e-waste recyclers, or explore alternative operating systems like Linux.
Microsoft’s requirements for Windows 11 include a 1GHz or faster CPU with at least two cores, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, Secure Boot capability, and TPM 2.0 compatibility. However, the supported Intel CPU list only goes back to 8th Gen chips, introduced in 2017, while the AMD list includes Ryzen 2000 series and above.
Go Linux without a doubt. The hardware is still usable.
My 10yo netbook runs the latest Debian Linux. If it was running on its original OS (XP) it would not only crawl but be dangerously vulnerable.
My desktop is a 2012 lenovo office machine. Fresh SSD, wifi card, and an… OK graphics card have had the thing purring for me since 2018.
Microsoft’s requirements for Windows 11 include a 1GHz or faster CPU with at least two cores, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage,
All of this is no problem and essentially any computer manufactured in the last couple decades can meet these requirements. They’re effectively irrelevant for this discussion.
Secure Boot capability, and TPM 2.0 compatibility.
This is the problem right here. Pretty much every last computer you hear about that isn’t compatible it’s one or both of these, almost always the TPM 2.0 module.
That of course is if the reason you aren’t “upgrading” is because the hardware isn’t supported. For a great many of us our hardware is supported, we just don’t want all the bullshit anti-features Microsoft has crammed into Windows 11. Windows 10 was already bad enough with it’s constant telemetry spyware, that annoying Cortana garbage shoehorned in anywhere they could manage, the absolute atrocity that they turned the start menu search function into, and the annoying Teams and OneDrive integrations that randomly reinstalled and re-enabled themselves after updates.
Then MS went and had to cram in even more spyware by way of their horrible copilot garbage. All for what? What are we getting with 11 that’s better than 10? What feature justifies that upgrade? Nothing, that’s the answer. There’s no reason at all that 11 needed to be made.
I will leave this here for anyone who needs to use Windows but wants a little more privacy.
I’ll one up you
Microsoft’s requirements for Windows 11 include a 1GHz or faster CPU with at least two cores, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage,
All of this is no problem and essentially any computer manufactured in the last couple decades can meet these requirements. They’re effectively irrelevant for this discussion.
IDK about you, but the Pentium 4 is not an ideal CPU for modern workloads. The absolute oldest hardware I would use today for anything is the Core2Duo with 8GB RAM. I know this because we have an A1276 MacBook Pro with the P8600 C2D, and it’s barely sufficient. You look at it and the cooling fan begins a launch sequence 😅 and that’s running Linux Mint. Windows 10/11 would grind it to a halt trying to run multiple tasks.
Windows 10 actually ran ok with all the aero effects turned off on my Mac mini core2duo T7600 & 3.25gb ram, wish I could have gotten 64 bit running though.
I believe it, but the Core architecture was a pretty significant upgrade from Netburst. Pentium 4 CPUs were really good at converting electricity to heat 😅
If you’re buying a PC that doesn’t have the specs to run Windows 11, you’re probably only using it for web browsing tasks anyway. I’d wager that many of them wouldn’t even notice that they’re using a different OS.
My PC isn’t compatible with Windows 11.
I cobbled it together from spare parts as my wife has upgraded over the years. It was a pretty beefy computer when she first built it, and it’s gotten a couple upgrades along the way, but the CPU and MoBo are probably about 10 years old if not older (it’s an AMD FX-something, I’m unsure of the exact specs, it’s whatever parts were in her bin of cast-offs stuck with a new case and hard drive)
And I’m happily gaming on it. I may not be maxing out the latest AAA titles in glorious 8k epic quality 120hz HDR VR yadda yadda yadda, but I can still run pretty much any game out there on some acceptable mid-to-high quality settings and decent performance.
I’m probably going to have to either upgrade the MoBo and processor come October, or make the jump to Linux (which I’m not exactly opposed to, but I do like not having to fuck with wine and proton to run my games)
It’s a perfectly serviceable board, still doing just fine by me, and there’s no reason it can’t give someone at least a few more good years of use, even as a gaming computer if you’re not a graphics snob.
But if I decide to upgrade, unless I find someone who wants to run Linux on it, or understands the risk of running win10 with no security updates, it’s probably going to become e waste.
There are extended security options for win10. Might be worth it to consider kicking the can a bit farther down the road. https://0patch.com/
So much for windows 10 being the last version.
This was apparently never an official statement. It was someone in an interview that misspoke.
In other words it was the sales department doing what they always do, pulling complete bullshit out of their ass and then expecting the engineering team to deliver it.
Would not be surprised at all. Just want people to know about that instead of still being mad about some bullshit someone spewed years ago.
Where did Microsoft put an official announcement saying the statement from an official Microsoft employee, Jerry Nixon, speaking at an official Microsoft conference, Ignite, was incorrect?
Edit:
When reached for comment, [Microsoft] didn’t dismiss them at all
Recent comments at Ignite about Windows 10 are reflective of the way Windows will be delivered
https://www.theverge.com/2015/5/7/8568473/windows-10-last-version-of-windows
Well, that’s not surprising to see. Thanks for the clarification.
Pick a newbie friendly version. I’m going to suggest linux mint, but there may be better options.
I’ve been planning on selling a couple older laptops (Latitude E6420 and ThinkPad X240) and this is a fantastic idea. The former laptop doesn’t even have Windows 10 drivers (that I know of)
The ThinkPads are great. I have an X220 that I have running Mint that I use in my garage. Its use cases are music streaming, displaying PDF Service Manuals/Technical Diagrams, and web queries for random questions/video instructions. I’m working on trying to see if I can get Wine to let me run some diagnostic software on it too.
It can certainly do more than that as I used it through school a number of years ago for note taking and small programming projects. But it’s retired to being the tank that it is and it’s amazing for that.
I totally agree, they’re mad little machines. I’m only selling mine because I can’t stand the combined touchpad/track point setup Lenovo did in that generation and I quickly replaced it with an X260. Both of them are capable of damn good battery life (I get about 5-6 hours from my X260)
Removed by mod
Is secure boot a requirement? Or optional?
Secure boot has been a requirement for like 10+ years now. I think windows 8 was when they required it on all new computers. You could turn it off if you really wanted and I think it would still work, but why would you? Linux has played well with it for almost as long.
Or…3rd option. Revert back to Windows XP.
Only feasible if on an air-gapped network with no access to the internet
No no, that’s the point. To infect as many computers as absolutely possible, all clogging down every network, and eventually microsoft will have to address the issues.
What do you care? I assume you’re on linux and wouldn’t be affected either way.
You seem to have a lot more faith in microsoft than I do.
My concern is the likelyhood that companies using MS products will cut corners by using deprecated/unsupported OSs for years after the last security patch, which will lead to security breaches for many consumers.
Not on Linux yet, but I really need to make the switch soon. Will be nice to actually have some semblance of control over my own personal devices.
I see you are interested in switching to the penguin, may I be of any assistance?
Thanks, but no thanks, Clippy
Why not CentOS?
