Windows 11 will turn three years old on October 5. Microsoft is no stranger to controversial launches, but many people are convinced that another Windows wasn't necessary… and the numbers seem to confirm it. After almost 36 months, Windows 11 has barely managed to reach half of Windows 10's market share, a rather poor performance compared to the evolution of previous editions.
October 14, 2025 is the deadline for extended support on Windows 10 retail editions. I say retail editions because some special builds will receive updates until 2027, 2029, and even 2032, but Microsoft will also enable access to the ESU program, guaranteeing patches until October 2028... as long as companies are willing to pay.
Obviously, that makes us turn to Windows 11... an operating system marked by excessive hardware requirements, irrelevant features, multiple interface regressions, and a lack of sufficient reasons to make the jump. As expected, this is reflected in its adoption numbers: If we go by the latest statistics from StatCounter, Windows 11 has just half the market of Windows 10... with three years under its belt.
That Snail Named Windows 11
During September, Windows 11 reached 33.42 percent and Windows 10 found a new floor at 62.75 percent. Even with its initial difficulties, Windows 10 took 29 months to "cross lines" with Windows 7, but Windows 11 hasn't even done that in 36. In fact, it seems the operating system will have to wait until 2025 to reach that critical point, stimulated by the FUD campaign Microsoft (inevitably) will start to warn about the end of extended support in Windows 10.
The only good news Windows 11 has in its favor comes from the gaming space. Earlier this month, Windows 11 became the most popular option among Steam users, but outside that ecosystem, its numbers are far from what Microsoft expected. As if that weren't enough, the miracles of ARM support still haven't materialized: software developers talk about a miserable experience, and the high price of devices with Qualcomm's new hardware definitely doesn't help.
Both Microsoft and OEMs have put their eggs in the artificial intelligence basket, and it's calculated that this will stimulate device sales next year, all with Windows 11 preinstalled, but not because there's a legitimate demand or desire, but because there will be no alternative.
Sources: StatCounter, The Register
