In a paper published in December, Jessop and colleague analyst Ben Caddy calculated that, by the time Microsoft stops support for Windows 10, roughly 240 million PCs, or roughly a fifth of all Windows 10 devices worldwide, will be considered e-waste.
If in decent shape, the majority of these 240 million PCs could at least be recycled. Their incompatibility with the most recent supported version of Windows, according to the survey, significantly lowers their value when it comes to refurbishing and reselling.
Even businesses with the smallest IT budgets will be discouraged by the lack of free and ongoing maintenance for devices that Microsoft no longer supports, even if many of the 240 million PCs will still be functional for years to come.
Caddy stated that even while Microsoft is providing an Extended Security Updates program for a period of three years following the Win10 end-of-service date, the hefty cost of doing so makes prolonging the life of Win10 PCs even less desirable.
For every Windows 10 device, the first year’s updates cost US$61. In the second year, it increases to $122, and in the third year, to $244.
