PIRG, Other Groups Criticize Microsoft's Plan to Discontinue Support for Windows 10

The consumer advocacy nonprofit PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) is now petitioning Microsoft to reconsider pulling support for Windows 10 in 2025, since 'as many as 400 million perfectly good computers that can't upgrade to Windows 11 will be thrown out.' In a petition addressed to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, the group warned the October 14 end of free support could cause 'the single biggest jump in junked computers ever, and make it impossible for Microsoft to hit their sustainability goals.'

About 40% of PCs currently in use can't upgrade to Windows 11, even if users want to... Less than a quarter of electronic waste is recycled, so most of those computers will end up in landfills.

Consumer Reports recently also urged Microsoft to not to 'strand millions of customers.'. And now more groups are also pushing back, according to a post from the blog Windows: Central

The Restart Project co-developed the 'End of 10' toolkit, which is designed to support Windows 10 users who can't upgrade to Windows 11 after the operating system hits its end-of-support date.

They also note that a Paris-based company called Back Market plans to sell Windows 10 laptops refurbished with Ubuntu Linux or ChromeOS Flex. ('We refuse to watch hundreds of millions of perfectly good computers end up in the trash as e-waste,' explains their web site.) Back Market's ad promises an 'up-to-date, secure operating system — so instead of paying for a new computer you don't need, you can help us give this one a brand new life.'

Right now Windows 10 holds 71.9% of Microsoft's market share, with Windows 11 at 22.95%, according to figures from StatCounter cited by the blog Windows Central. And HP and Dell 'recently indicated that half of the global PCs are still running Windows 10,' according to another Windows Central post...

Read more of this story at Slashdot.