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Comment by everdrive | Hacker News Reader

> Many of the computers still running Windows 10 can’t upgrade to Windows 11. In 2022, hardware researchers found that 43% of all computers running Windows 10 could not move to Windows 11 — which equaled around 400 million computers at that time.

Microsoft presumably could -- at any time -- abandon these requirements via an update and a new installer. It's unclear to me why they're being so aggressive in this area, and represents a real closing door for a proper OS for anyone not using an alternative. (macOS, Linux, etc.)

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> It's unclear to me why they're being so aggressive in this area..

A signed bootloader with TPM is the first step to implementing an OS that can only run signed code. The long term goal is to be like Android (who recently flipped to requiring all APK's to be signed by Google. Almost zero user push back) and iOS in this regard. MS is looking down the road and they want a locked down OS as well. They will pitch it as enhancing security and protecting children more than likely.

There is a good chance that in 5-10 years Linux will be the only platform that allows unsigned code to run. I hope I am wrong.

I suppose you're right, and this was the major motivator that pushed Steam towards investment in Linux.

The articles about this tend to be misleading in that most computers failing the minimum requirements are failing the memory requirement not the TPM requirement, which is a lot less dire of a situation than having to replace your CPU since it is often much more straightforward to add RAM.

Presumably MS wants to do more things using toolkits that are more memory hungry.

" requirements are failing the memory requirement not the TPM requirement"

IT worker here, managing a ~400 computer install at the company I'm employed at. Laptops, desktops, some very old (10 years) and some relatively new(ish).

It's processor and TPM, not memory, in every single case of the nearly 150 computers I have to replace.

Nice anecdote, but if you follow the links in the post you will see this is the minority of these issues:

"Altogether 71.5 percent of the PCs failed the RAM test and 14.66 percent the TPM test."

https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/10/windows_11_adoption/

> It's unclear to me why ...

Really? I thought it was very clear Microsoft wants to turn Windows into a mobile like OS where everything is locked down, you are restricted on what software you can run and the system is more like a digital surveillance apparatus and data usurping hell hole than an actual product that works for your interests.

This is exactly what they plan. Google got zero push back when they went this direction earlier this year with Android.

> It's unclear to me why ...

Multiply 400 million (or whatever the current number is) by Microsoft's average profit per Windows 11 license sold.

400 million * 0 = 0

the upgrade is free

Not if the computer is not eligible and you have to buy a new computer that comes with Windows, and the computer manufacturer pays a license fee to Microsoft.

Yep. And if you click the 'parent' links a few times - that 400 million is the number of not-eligible-for-upgrade computers. How convenient for MS's bottom line, eh?

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