Microsoft is looking to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week as a catalyst for Windows users to upgrade to new PCs running the latest version of the operating system and specialized AI processors.
Declaring this “the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh,” the company cites the upcoming October 2025 end of support for Windows 10, along with the advent of AI-enabled Copilot+ PCs on Windows 11, as reason to make the leap.
Microsoft has a big job ahead: More than 62% of Windows PC users were still on Windows 10 machines as of December, according to Statcounter. About 34% were on Windows 11 machines as of last month.
Windows 10 was released in mid-2015, almost a decade ago. The scheduled end of support on Oct. 14, 2025, means that the company will no longer provide free software updates, technical assistance or security updates.
“[W]e believe that one of the most important pieces of technology people will look to refresh in 2025 isn’t the refrigerator, the television or their mobile phone. It will be their Windows 10 PC, and they will move forward with Windows 11,” writes Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer.
Microsoft says there will be a series of Windows 11 PC announcements at CES from a variety of hardware makers. Current devices are available from Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, ASUS, Samsung and Microsoft’s own Surface line.
Copilot+ PCs have neural processing units, or NPUs, designed to work with AI models and applications. Microsoft says they are up to five times faster than the most popular 5-year-old Windows PCs still in use. It says the top models of these new computers are up to 58% faster than a MacBook Air with an M3 processor.
Microsoft also points to improved security and battery life as reasons to upgrade.
The company cites IDC research indicating that nearly 80% of businesses plan to refresh their portfolios of PCs by the end of this year, with 70% of consumers upgrading in the next two years, according to the firm.
“Eventually, AI will be ubiquitous on PCs,” said Linn Huang, IDC research vice president, in a June 2024 news release. “In the meantime, we see AI PCs (defined here as those with NPUs) ramping up from roughly one in five this year, to nearly two out of every three shipped in 2028.”
After launching last year with Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, Copilot+ PCs have expanded to also include AMD Ryzen AI and Intel Core Ultra processors. Microsoft is previewing new features for Copilot+ PCs through its Windows Insider program, including the Windows Recall photographic memory.
An upgraded Windows search capability is coming soon, Mehdi writes in his post.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will deliver the opening keynote at CES in Las Vegas at 6:30 p.m. Pacific time on Monday night Jan. 6. It’s a high-profile speaking slot that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates held for many years.
https://ift.tt/qtiLGBD January 06, 2025 at 02:00PM GeekWire
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