- Microsoft recently launched a line of life to consumers, offering alternatives to pay $ 30 for extended support for Windows 10
- Pirg believes that this is not far enough in terms of avoiding an imminent calamity of electronic waste
- The organization suggests that Microsoft considers providing long -term support for Windows 10, or relaxes the specifications requirements for Windows 11
The recent Microsoft Lifeline to help stuck in Windows 10, because it does not meet the strictest hardware requirements for a Windows 11 update, it is simply not enough, according to a consumer rights group.
The Registry informs that it has spoken with Lucas Rockett Gutterman, who leads the one designed for the last campaign for the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) in the United States.
As you know, PIRG has the mission of combating obsolescence and electronic waste. The organization has previously leveled Microsoft accusations of its Windows 11 requirements, effectively pushing hundreds of millions of PC perfectly useful in the landfill, it reached the end of Windows 10 in October 2025. (The organization is not alone in that).
You may have seen that last week, Microsoft made a concession on this front. We have long known that an option for consumers will be to pay $ 30 for an additional year of security updates (something that had never been offered before), but now Microsoft only introduced some other options too.
Instead of eliminating cash, you can choose to use the Windows backup application to synchronize all your cloud configurations (OneDrive). Alternatively, you can exchange 1,000 Microsoft rewards points.
However, Gutterman remains clearly impressed with the new options, telling the registration that: “Microsoft’s new options do not get far enough and probably will not make a dent in up to 400 million PC with Windows 10 that cannot be updated to Windows 11”.
Gutterman adds that: “What [Microsoft hasn’t] Fact is to commit to automatically provide a longer support for Windows 10 or loosen the hardware requirements for Windows 11. “
“It is obvious that users are frustrated,” Gutterman concludes. “They feel thrown and don’t think about this [latest] The announcement provides a viable solution. “
Analysis: Think beyond a one -year extension
To be fair to Microsoft, I think that giving Windows 10 users a couple of new options to avoid paying $ 30 to keep security updates for an extra year (until October 2026) is actually a very positive movement, especially because simply using the backup application is not a particularly considerable imposition.
I can see where Gutterman comes from with the points he does, but the suggestion that Microsoft could consider loosening the system requirements for Windows 11 is, rather a waste of breath. That will not happen at this time, and I think the software giant has been quite clear in that.
For me, the key point raised is to provide Windows 10 support beyond an additional year for consumers, and this is something that I have been insisting for some time. While companies can obtain a three -year program of extended security updates (if you want so much), until now Microsoft only offers consumers for a single year.
Perhaps the software giant feels that this is enough, but it really is not, not when it comes to maintaining all these PC Olds outside the Scrapheap. Why is Microsoft not looking for extensive support for several years for consumers, from an ecological angle?
Only a second additional support would be an additional breathing room welcome, even if Microsoft charged it instead of offering any type of alternative angle such as using the backup application. Of course, an option that does not come out would be better. I would even suggest make Windows 10 announce ads to keep those security updates for two or three years.
What do you mean that it has already happened and the ads are everywhere? EJEM: With all seriousness, I think that allowing Microsoft to press more advertising notifications (in a still limited way) within Windows 10 would be a commitment that many would take, instead of paying additional to keep their PC compatible with their no.
Whatever the case, I totally agree with PIRG in which an extension of one year for consumers is not good enough in terms of Microsoft’s responsibilities to prevent excessive electronic waste, and hopefully the company sees meaning in extended updates for consumers, not just companies.
