For Microsoft, Copilot is its golden goose. As the AI model race heats up, Microsoft sees its Copilot project as nothing but beneficial, to the point where it finds it confusing that people don't want Windows 11 to be completely agentic.
Unfortunately for Microsoft, people need to adopt Windows 11 to use its shiny new Copilot tools. But as we discovered a little while ago, Dell's COO claimed that people have the ability to upgrade to Windows 11, but are simply opting out of the process. So, if Microsoft wants people to hop over and subscribe to its premium Copilot plans for more revenue, it has a huge struggle ahead of it.
Windows 10 was meant to be "the last version of Windows"
The company went back on a promise
Every time I write a post about people not migrating from Windows 10 to 11, there's always at least one person who points out that Microsoft originally claimed Windows 10 as "the last version of Windows." And while I originally just nodded in agreement and went on my way, I've slowly realised how much this actually means to people.
People really did hop into Windows 10 believing that Microsoft would turn the operating system into a service. So, being told to throw out their PCs and purchase a new one for Windows 11 definitely rubs people the wrong way. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the people who are sticking with Windows 10 are simply getting the most out of the promise Microsoft gave them.
Windows 11's TPM 2.0 requirement caused a huge rift
It's still being felt to this day
Do you remember the day the Windows 11 compatibility tool was first released? People downloaded it expecting their powerful gaming rigs to get the green light, only to be told that their computer wasn't good enough for Windows 11. It caused a ton of confusion over what, exactly, was lacking from all the powerful hardware people had.
It turned out that the rejection messages had nothing to do with raw power; instead, it was due to whether or not the CPU supported TPM 2.0. If it didn't, your PC wasn't getting Windows 11, no matter how powerful it is. Period.
Microsoft's reasoning was that Windows 11 needed TPM 2.0 for specific security measures, such as BitLocker. It also put its foot down on the topic of removing the requirement. Its message was clear to people on non-TPM 2.0 machines: upgrade, or be left behind.
The company likely hoped that people would throw away their PCs in droves and shell out for shiny Windows 11 PCs. What instead happened was the rise of a stalwart number of Windows 10 users who would simply not budge. Microsoft ended up allowing said users to extend their support for another year, with plans to make it three years total, but people are already finding ways around that, too.
People don't want an agentic Windows 11
Microsoft is very excited about the future of AI; it's a shame we're not
The TPM 2.0 requirement is a good reason why people who have incompatible hardware aren't upgrading to Windows 11. Sure, there are unofficial routes to force it onto older hardware, but it's not ideal. As such, sticking with Windows 10 is likely the best route for these people.
But what about the people who have Windows 11-compatible hardware but have instead opted to stick with Windows 10 instead? Well, it's very difficult to pinpoint an exact reason as to why people haven't moved. It may be because people find Windows 11 too unstable, they don't like the UI, Windows 11 is missing features that Windows 10 has, or they find Windows 10 has better performance.
However, what's not doing Microsoft any favors is its grand push to make Windows 11 'agentic.' Making a system agentic involves making it so that an AI does most of the heavy lifting instead of the user. If you want the daily news, you ask the AI for it. If you want to open a file, you ask the AI to do it. If you want to change a system setting, you ask the AI to tinker with the options.
While Microsoft believes this is a wonderful idea, Windows users aren't so agreeable, partially due to the pretty lackluster Copilot Actions demos we've seen. It's gotten to the point where the CEO of Microsoft's AI division has publicly asked why people dislike it.
Windows 11 may be the future, but it's one we don't want
With the original claim of Windows 10 being the last version of Windows, the TPM 2.0 debacle, and the claims that Windows 11 will only become more inundated with AI from hereon out, Microsoft isn't doing a great job of convincing people to make the jump over to its newest operating system. And as Windows 10's support clock ticks down, the company needs to find some angle before it sheds users to rival operating systems; that is, if the damage hasn't already been done.