Microsoft's big lie: Your computer is fine, and you don't need to buy a new one

Summary

This is a guest post by Tim Allen, principal engineer at Wharton Research Data Services at the University of Pennsylvania, a member of the Technical.ly Readers Council and an organizer of the Philadelphia Python Users Group. Microsoft has a long history of playing fast-and-loose with the truth. And that’s again the case with Windows 10 coming to its supposed “end of life” this fall. In the mid ‘90s, Microsoft claimed Internet Explorer was part of the Windows operating system, leading to one of the most famous antitrust cases in history. The company’s claims about “your privacy being their priority” became laughable when Windows 10 was released and aggressively started collecting user data, including contacts, calendar info, and increased telemetry. At the time, in 2015, the company also said Windows 10 would be the “final” version of the operating system, continuously updated as a service. Guess not. Because now Microsoft is trying to convince millions of users across the world that if they don’t upgrade to Windows 11, their computers will become trash, and no longer be viable to use. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Before the turn of the millennium, computer hardware was advancing so quickly that upgrading your machine every few years made sense, because you got so much more power than just a few years prior. That rapid evolution has ended; the average home user (excepting hardcore gamers and crypto miners) should only need a new machine every decade, if not less frequently. Any computer bought new in 2015 should be perfectly capable of running an operating system, a web browser, email, video meetings and an office suite without feeling slow. Microsoft suggesting people have to toss their devices is not only discriminatory — not everyone can afford to do this — it’s also horrible for the environment. E-waste is one of the world’s fastest-growing waste streams, and while some of it is being repurposed, the trash piles are rising a reported 5x times recyclin...