Microsoft Openly Promotes Tossing Your Laptop into a Big Pile of E-Waste

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):   As Windows 10 marches toward its end of support, millions of PCs move closer to the garbage heap. While a newly updated support document from Microsoft does not use such harsh language, it does recommend getting a new PC. Of course, if you get a new PC and your old system falls out of support, the change effectively creates e-waste.

Purchasing a new PC isn't inherently a problem. New hardware has new features, better specs, and generally provides a better computing experience than an aging PC. But an issue arises when someone has to get rid of a device that is otherwise functional because software stops receiving support.

Windows 10 will reach its end of support on October 14, 2025. After that, PCs will stop receiving technical support, software updates, and security updates or fixes. That is, unless those PCs are updated to Windows 11. But for millions of systems, that upgrade is not an option.

For example, our Richard Devine has a Dell Inspiron 15 7559, though the device is used mostly by a family member. That PC is eight years old, which is rather old for a computer. But it still works fine for everyday computing, especially when only used for web browsing or other light tasks. That Inspiron 15 is stuck on Windows 10, meaning it will not be secure in about 12 months.

The October 2025 cutoff and the fact that systems will end up stuck on Windows 10 is old news. But Microsoft's support document has ruffled some feathers by effectively recommending people with older PCs throw those devices out and grab a new computer.

"While you could continue to use your PC, without continued software and security updates your PC is at greater risk for viruses and malware," reads the support document. "We recommend upgrading to a version of Windows that's still supported. A new device that can run Windows 11 makes for an easy transition and a great experience."

Courtesy: www.windowscentral.com