Slow Windows 11 Shift Leaves 1 Billion PCs on Windows 10

Microsoft has faced a slower-than-expected transition as mainstream support for Windows 10 ended in October, leaving approximately one billion personal computers worldwide still running the aging operating system. Dell Technologies, a major PC manufacturer, highlighted the scale of the challenge during its third-quarter earnings call this week, estimating that 500 million of those devices are too old to support Windows 11 due to hardware limitations, while another 500 million are compatible but remain unupgraded.

Dell Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey Clarke addressed the figures directly, stating that the company has "about 500 million of them capable of running Windows 11 that haven't been upgraded" and "another 500 million that are four years old that can't run Windows 11." He described both groups as opportunities for users to move to newer Windows 11-compatible machines, including those designed for artificial intelligence features. Clarke noted that the overall PC market is expected to remain relatively flat in the coming year, with the Windows 11 transition lagging 10 to 12 percentage points behind the shift from Windows 7 to Windows 10 at a similar stage.