As Microsoft prepares to discontinue support for Windows 10 in October 2025, the pressure on users and organizations to transition to Windows 11— or consider alternatives — has reached new heights. Historically, Microsoft operating systems have maintained an unrivaled presence across public and private sectors worldwide. However, the looming end-of-life deadline for Windows 10, coupled with recent corporate pivots, paints a far more turbulent picture today. The “real costs of switching to Windows 11,” as unearthed by a recent letter from The Document Foundation and further underscored by the actions of European governments, signals a dramatic shift in how both institutions and individuals approach their digital ecosystems.
Windows 10’s official end-of-support date — October 14, 2025 — marks not just a routine transition for Microsoft, but a pivotal inflection point for its user base. After this date, devices still running Windows 10 will stop receiving security updates and technical support. While such transitions are nothing new, the scale and consequences this time around are significantly amplified.
Microsoft strongly recommends upgrading to Windows 11. Yet, the reality for millions is far from straightforward. Windows 11’s stringent hardware requirements—most notably the necessity for TPM 2.0 chips and more modern CPUs—instantly disqualify a significant portion of existing PCs from eligibility. Research conducted in 2023 by Lansweeper suggested that up to 42% of business devices failed to meet Windows 11’s requirements, while consumer market studies indicate that the number of personally owned, unupgradable PCs could reach into the tens of millions.
For end-users, the choice is stark: pony up for new hardware, remain stranded and vulnerable on Windows 10, or seek alternatives. For government agencies, educational institutions, and enterprises, the possible costs multiply many-fold — spanning budgetary, operational, and even ethical considerations.
This policy pivot isn’t spontaneous. Over the past decade, European governments have experimented with Linux migrations, reporting mixed results. What’s changed now is both the urgency and the rationale:
Estimates from Gartner and other industry analysts suggest that, globally, needed refresh cycles driven by Windows 11 compatibility could result in tens of billions of dollars in collective hardware spending.
For many IT decision-makers, this raises concerns about long-term costs, dependency on vendor-side cloud infrastructure, and the difficulty in reversing course should organizational priorities change.
Beginning in March 2025, Microsoft further restricted long-standing loopholes for bypassing Microsoft account creation during installation, a move that deeply frustrated privacy advocates and individual users alike. For institutions seeking to maintain greater control over user identities and data, this increased integration heightens security and compliance risks.
The debate, then, is whether these hardware-dependent gains are worth both the cost and upheaval.
Public sector CIOs, for example, might deploy Linux/LibreOffice suites to non-critical staff while maintaining Windows machines for departments reliant on proprietary tools. As cloud services become more interoperable and standards-based, these mixed computing environments are expected to become not just more tolerable, but perhaps even desirable.
Europe’s push towards digital sovereignty has only intensified in recent years, with governments seeking to avoid concentration risk tied to foreign technology giants. Open-source advocates see the current moment as uniquely opportune: proprietary software’s user lock-in strategies, combined with new compatibility headaches, have cracked open the door for robust open alternatives.
Still, critical voices warn against rosy projections. Past efforts to “ditch Windows” have sometimes ended in backtracking due to overlooked complexity or user revolt. Cautious optimism — guided by clear-eyed risk assessment and phased experimentation — seems the most prudent course.
Some will find the grass genuinely greener on the open side of the fence. For others, legacy needs and ecosystem ties will make a full transition unrealistic. As always, the best decisions will be those informed by measured experimentation and honest assessment of what truly matters — whether that’s cost, security, privacy, or the freedom to choose.
In the coming months, as countless desktops and laptops reach their day of reckoning, one certainty remains: the debate over Windows, Linux, and our digital future is only just beginning.
Source: Windows Central Goverments are ditching Windows and Microsoft Office — new letter reveals the "real costs of switching to Windows 11"
The End of Windows 10: A Watershed Moment
Windows 10’s official end-of-support date — October 14, 2025 — marks not just a routine transition for Microsoft, but a pivotal inflection point for its user base. After this date, devices still running Windows 10 will stop receiving security updates and technical support. While such transitions are nothing new, the scale and consequences this time around are significantly amplified.Microsoft strongly recommends upgrading to Windows 11. Yet, the reality for millions is far from straightforward. Windows 11’s stringent hardware requirements—most notably the necessity for TPM 2.0 chips and more modern CPUs—instantly disqualify a significant portion of existing PCs from eligibility. Research conducted in 2023 by Lansweeper suggested that up to 42% of business devices failed to meet Windows 11’s requirements, while consumer market studies indicate that the number of personally owned, unupgradable PCs could reach into the tens of millions.
For end-users, the choice is stark: pony up for new hardware, remain stranded and vulnerable on Windows 10, or seek alternatives. For government agencies, educational institutions, and enterprises, the possible costs multiply many-fold — spanning budgetary, operational, and even ethical considerations.
Governments Leading the Migration Away From Microsoft
Perhaps the most eye-catching recent development is Denmark’s Ministry of Digital Affairs, which announced a systematic migration away from Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office, opting instead for Linux and LibreOffice. Denmark is not alone. Similar discussions are underway in Germany, France, Spain, and other EU member states, often motivated by both practical concerns and broader agenda items such as digital sovereignty and open-source adoption.This policy pivot isn’t spontaneous. Over the past decade, European governments have experimented with Linux migrations, reporting mixed results. What’s changed now is both the urgency and the rationale:
- Sustainability and E-Waste: With millions of devices potentially rendered obsolete solely due to software constraints, environmental advocacy groups like the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) warn of “the single biggest jump in junked computers ever.” Governments are particularly sensitive to such optics, given climate commitments and public procurement regulations.
- Vendor Lock-In and Sovereignty: The Document Foundation’s letter asserts that Windows 11 not only forces new hardware purchases, but also actively increases dependence on Microsoft’s identity and cloud services. This leads to greater exposure to a single vendor, undermining data control and digital independence — critical issues for any nation.
- Cost and Licensing: The shift to subscription-based licenses and cloud integration, hallmarks of Microsoft 365 offerings, transforms software from a one-time capital expenditure to a recurring operational cost. For public sector organizations managing tight annual budgets, this new model poses significant administrative and financial burdens.
The Document Foundation’s Open-Source Counterpoint
The Document Foundation, maintainers of the LibreOffice productivity suite, argue emphatically in favor of Linux and open-source solutions as viable replacements for Windows and Microsoft Office. The foundation’s recent public letter details several core claims:- Hardware Compatibility: Linux distributions reportedly run on “all PCs that ran Windows 10,” extending the useful life of aging hardware and drastically reducing electronic waste.
- Office Compatibility: LibreOffice touts native support for Microsoft’s proprietary formats (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX), alongside adherence to open standards like ODF (Open Document Format).
- Maturity and Security: Both Linux (with mature desktop environments like KDE Plasma and GNOME) and LibreOffice are described as “mature and secure — already in use worldwide for mission-critical workloads.”
- User Control and Privacy: Open-source operating systems offer fundamentally different privacy and data governance models, enabling organizations to regain autonomy over their digital infrastructure.
Breaking Down the “Real Costs” of Windows 11 Adoption
The heart of this debate, as the Document Foundation highlights, is the true cost of adopting Windows 11. Several interwoven factors contribute to this calculus:1. Hardware Investments
Windows 11’s minimum system requirements set a much higher floor than any prior Microsoft release. While Microsoft’s rationale stresses security — TPM 2.0 facilitates hardware-based encryption and protection against advanced threats — it excludes not only obsolete desktops but also laptops that are still relatively new. Organizations facing fleet-wide upgrades must budget for both new machines and transition logistics, a non-trivial sum when multiplied across thousands of end-users.Estimates from Gartner and other industry analysts suggest that, globally, needed refresh cycles driven by Windows 11 compatibility could result in tens of billions of dollars in collective hardware spending.
2. Licensing and Subscription Models
Microsoft’s pivot away from perpetual software licenses to subscription-driven models for Office (Microsoft 365) and Windows (with cloud-linked features) marks a fundamental shift for organizations. Instead of a one-time fee, customers are now locked into ongoing payments. There is also greater complexity tracking and managing these licenses, especially in education and the public sector.For many IT decision-makers, this raises concerns about long-term costs, dependency on vendor-side cloud infrastructure, and the difficulty in reversing course should organizational priorities change.
3. Cloud-First Integration and Microsoft Accounts
Windows 11 accelerates the move toward a “cloud-first” environment. Core features like OneDrive integration, Windows Hello authentication, and Microsoft Account dependency are now tightly woven into the operating system fabric.Beginning in March 2025, Microsoft further restricted long-standing loopholes for bypassing Microsoft account creation during installation, a move that deeply frustrated privacy advocates and individual users alike. For institutions seeking to maintain greater control over user identities and data, this increased integration heightens security and compliance risks.
4. Security Considerations
Microsoft insists that the enhanced security posture offered by Windows 11 (courtesy of TPM requirements, improved sandboxing, and memory integrity features) justifies these disruptions. While independent security experts do acknowledge genuine benefits, they stress that no system is invulnerable and that many cyberattacks stem from user behavior and outdated apps rather than OS flaws alone.The debate, then, is whether these hardware-dependent gains are worth both the cost and upheaval.
LibreOffice and Linux: Opportunity or Overreach?
The push for mass Linux and LibreOffice adoption is not without precedent. Across Europe, multiple cities and agencies have already enacted partial or full migrations to open-source platforms, with varying degrees of success.Strengths:
- Cost-Effectiveness: Obviously, both Linux distributions and LibreOffice are available at zero licensing cost. Upfront expenditures drop considerably — a key motivator for government and education.
- Hardware Longevity: The ability to deploy operating systems on older machines not only curtails expenses but also aligns with e-waste reduction goals.
- Customization: Open-source nature allows agencies and businesses to tailor systems to their precise needs and security postures, something rarely possible with proprietary OSes.
- Community and Transparency: The development process is visible, and flaws (in theory) can be caught and patched by a global network of contributors.
Risks and Challenges:
- Software Compatibility: Despite advances, LibreOffice and Linux-based OSes occasionally struggle with handling complex Microsoft Office macros, proprietary plugins, or line-of-business software only certified for Windows.
- User Training and Migration Costs: Mass migrations require large-scale retraining. Cultural inertia, existing IT certifications, and staff resistance can all slow adoption and undermine efficiency in the short term.
- Support and Integration: Enterprise support for some Linux distributions is robust (Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE, Ubuntu), but fragmented for others. Coordination with third-party vendors may lag behind Windows.
- Gaming and Peripheral Support: While mainstream user needs (web browsing, basic productivity) are well-served, power users, gamers, and those reliant on specialized peripherals still find Windows a more reliable ecosystem.
The Case for a Hybrid Approach
In light of these strengths and challenges, a hybrid or phased approach carries strong appeal. The Document Foundation, as well as independent analysts, recommend that curious users begin by dual-booting Linux on existing hardware — setting up a second partition and testing workflow compatibility before taking the plunge. This allows gradual onboarding, identifying critical needs, and minimizing organizational shock, rather than a high-stakes, all-at-once migration.Public sector CIOs, for example, might deploy Linux/LibreOffice suites to non-critical staff while maintaining Windows machines for departments reliant on proprietary tools. As cloud services become more interoperable and standards-based, these mixed computing environments are expected to become not just more tolerable, but perhaps even desirable.
Broader Implications: Sustainability, Privacy, and Sovereignty
The discussions swirling around Windows 11’s “real costs” extend far beyond dollars and cents. The stakes include e-waste generation, digital literacy, corporate dominance, and, in the case of governmental moves, the ability of states to safeguard their citizens’ data and ensure the long-term viability of their IT infrastructure.Europe’s push towards digital sovereignty has only intensified in recent years, with governments seeking to avoid concentration risk tied to foreign technology giants. Open-source advocates see the current moment as uniquely opportune: proprietary software’s user lock-in strategies, combined with new compatibility headaches, have cracked open the door for robust open alternatives.
Still, critical voices warn against rosy projections. Past efforts to “ditch Windows” have sometimes ended in backtracking due to overlooked complexity or user revolt. Cautious optimism — guided by clear-eyed risk assessment and phased experimentation — seems the most prudent course.
Conclusion: Navigating the Crossroads
The retirement of Windows 10 is forcing individuals and institutions to reckon with the future of their digital environments. While Microsoft’s push toward Windows 11 offers clear security and integration benefits, it also carries substantial costs — financial, environmental, and operational. The Document Foundation and a growing coalition of public stakeholders argue forcefully that alternatives like Linux and LibreOffice deserve serious consideration, especially as they align well with sustainability, sovereignty, and fiscal prudence.Some will find the grass genuinely greener on the open side of the fence. For others, legacy needs and ecosystem ties will make a full transition unrealistic. As always, the best decisions will be those informed by measured experimentation and honest assessment of what truly matters — whether that’s cost, security, privacy, or the freedom to choose.
In the coming months, as countless desktops and laptops reach their day of reckoning, one certainty remains: the debate over Windows, Linux, and our digital future is only just beginning.
Source: Windows Central Goverments are ditching Windows and Microsoft Office — new letter reveals the "real costs of switching to Windows 11"
