WINDOWS in 2025

With the new year bringing the curtain down on the most used version of Windows, Barry Collins explores where consumers and businesses should head next

- Barry Collins

It's remarkable to think that a decade after its release, Windows 10 will enter 2025 as by far and away the most used version of Windows.

In some ways, it's a cause for a celebration. It shows that the majority of people still find Windows 10 suitably equipped for their computing needs and see no compelling reason to add to the mountains of e-waste by upgrading their computer. A win for the environment.

However, Microsoft is preparing to call time on Windows 10, with the operating system reaching end of support later this year. That will give consumers and businesses a decision to make.

Do they continue to cling to their Windows 10 hardware, grudgingly paying Microsoft for extended support? Do they upgrade to Windows 11 and, if so, which version: x86 or Arm, Home or Pro? Or should they wait for Windows 12, or maybe even eschew the very notion of running their own Windows installations and head for the clouds of Windows 365 instead? In this feature, we'll systematically go through the options, taking the different operating systems in turn and helping you to decide which version of Windows you should be running in your home or business in 2025.

WINDOWS 10

The clock is running down on Windows 10 as we enter 2025. Support comes to a halt at the end of October, and although Microsoft has pushed Windows support deadlines back in the past particularly when that operating system remains in widespread use - the company seems more determined to draw a line in the sand with Windows 10. Not least because there's a revenue stream attached to it.

Have no doubt: there's still a huge installed base of Windows 10 users out there, even though Windows 11 is now more than three years old. The global figures from Statcounter show Windows 10 still accounts for just over 60% of all Windows installations as of October 2024. Windows 11 is at 36%, and while the gap between the two is narrowing, it's not doing so at any great pace.