Windows 10 - The Beginning of the End

According to a user guide at the end of official support for Windows 10, Microsoft has announced the Extended Security Update (ESU) program to continue providing security patches to devices that cannot be upgraded to Windows 11. The fee is $30/year for individual users and the starting fee is $61/device for business users.

The decision will protect users from cybersecurity risks while Windows 10 remains popular worldwide. But some users have expressed concerns about the cost. As of early 2023, Windows 10 has more than 1.4 billion active devices worldwide. The $30/year fee may not be small for individual users who do not need the new features of Windows 11. And for companies with many devices using Windows 10, the long-term cost of ESU for devices is also a concern, especially when their operating costs increase.

A large portion of Windows 10 users are using devices that do not meet the hardware requirements to upgrade to Windows 11. This affects individual users and small businesses, as many devices still work well but are not secure enough to meet Microsoft's new requirements. Therefore, the ESU program can be considered the most viable option to maintain the cyber security of these devices.

However, users will only receive essential security patches without any additional feature improvements. This means that, despite paying for the subscription, users will only receive security updates to ensure security, but will not benefit from innovations or user experience improvements.

After Microsoft announced its policy of charging $30/year to continue receiving security updates for Windows 10, many users expressed mixed opinions. On the Reddit forum, many discussions about this issue took place heatedly.

Some people think the $30 fee is too high, especially when it only includes basic security patches and no new features for older operating systems. Some users say they are not willing to pay the fee and would consider switching to other operating systems like Linux or macOS to avoid Microsoft's subscription model.

Some argue that the ESU fee is just a warm-up for Microsoft to gradually move Windows to a subscription model, which could be applied to future versions of Windows. Meanwhile, others argue that instead of supporting users, Microsoft is forcing users to choose between upgrading their hardware to Windows 11 or paying more if they want to maintain security on Windows 10.

Discussions show strong backlash from the user community against the policy, especially from Windows 10 users on older devices that don't meet the hardware requirements to upgrade to Windows 11.

In the current climate, Windows 10 users are left with few options. For those who can afford to upgrade their hardware, moving to Windows 11 is a long-term option. For individuals or small businesses with incompatible devices, the ESU program helps maintain security but is not a long-term solution.

Other operating systems or open source operating systems may be alternatives if users do not want to be tied to the subscription model for security. But changing operating systems also requires users to consider compatibility and costs.