Or maybe they will launch Win 12 with optional TPM support.
Imho making the OS(es) TPM only cannot be good for their business, many people are still on Win 10 with no intention to switch, since their motheboard does not support TPM and do not want to upgrade PC / waste PCI-E slot on TPM extension.
I think they will rethink things only if it’s cutting into the profits enough. Unfortunately, most people won’t understand the issue and just buy something new if they can. Of those that didn’t upgrade, a chunk might also be people who can’t upgrade because of compatibility reasons (ex. Lots of healthcare providers only RECENTLY switched to Windows 10). The remaining portion might just use Linux.
Overall they get more out of keeping the requirement unfortunately?
I don’t think most people would buy a new computer if the OS cannot upgrade. Average Joe can’t afford that, Joe would rather stay on an EOL system and hope everything is alright.
It depends on the country you live in. A computer isn’t such a big expense in some countries and people will just drop 500$ for a new computer without thinking about it.
$500 is an enormous sum to throw out without thinking, even in places where it’s not an above-average monthly salary. An average person wouldn’t throw out a perfectly good computer just because his OS told him to, he would think “how bad could it be?” unless the system literally bricks itself.
Yeah but if you combine that with the fact that their computer is getting slower, can’t run some demanding games and so on.
Just look at the way people are replacing perfectly working 2 years old phones. It’s even more obvious.
I only really know better-off people in big cities doing so with phones (closest to a really common case would be important things like Whatsapp stopping working). Also a non-flagship phone doesn’t cost nearly as much as a computer.
In my country almost 50% of people go for an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy. So they pay at least 400-500$ and it’s a sum which could give you a decent computer. But they usually pay through their phone subscription so they don’t see it that way.