According to Computerworld, Statcounter’s October data reveals a massive global divide in Windows 11 adoption. North America shows Windows 11 at 63.88% versus Windows 10’s 33.07%, while South America has an even wider gap at 73.14% to 21.91%. But Europe tells a different story with Windows 11 barely leading at 52.37% against Windows 10’s 45.16%. Asia is even closer with Windows 10 actually ahead at 49.81% versus Windows 11’s 47.17%. This comes despite Windows 10 hitting end of support in October 2025, meaning millions of devices will soon lose security updates.
The great Windows divide
What’s really fascinating here is how regional this split has become. Basically, the Americas have embraced Windows 11 while Europe and Asia are dragging their feet. And we’re not talking small differences – we’re looking at gaps of 30 percentage points or more between regions. So why the hesitation? Well, older hardware compatibility issues definitely play a role. Many European and Asian businesses are still running machines that just don’t meet Windows 11’s stricter requirements.
Microsoft’s upgrade headache
Here’s the thing Microsoft probably didn’t anticipate – Windows 10 is proving incredibly sticky. When you’ve got nearly half the market still on an operating system that’s about to lose security support, that’s a massive problem. Companies hate forced upgrades, especially when they involve hardware replacements. And let’s be honest – for most users, Windows 10 still works perfectly fine. Why fix what isn’t broken?
The security time bomb
Now we’re facing a real security dilemma. Come October 2025, all those Windows 10 machines become potential vulnerabilities. Microsoft will likely push extended security updates, but those cost money. So businesses have to decide – pay for protection or upgrade hardware? Neither option is cheap. This could create a two-tier system where wealthier regions upgrade while others stick with increasingly risky setups.
What happens now?
I think we’re seeing the limits of Microsoft’s upgrade strategy. Pushing people to new hardware requirements during economic uncertainty was always going to be tough. The company might need to reconsider its approach, maybe offering more flexible upgrade paths or extended support terms. Otherwise, we could be looking at a fragmented Windows landscape for years to come. And honestly, that’s nobody’s idea of a good time.
