- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
Windows 10 end of life could prompt torrent of e-waste as 240 million devices set for scrapheap::As Windows 10 end of life approaches, analysts are concerned that millions of devices will be scrapped due to incompatibility
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OK, half of them were trash, anyway. But the other half can still be a good Linux box. Wipe them, install Linux, and give it to schools so children can learn that there is something better than Windows.
Half? Bet that number is higher. Linux can run on a potato if you find the right distro.
For example, the potato I ran my web server on in the late 90s… That’s a 386sx under there.
Nice. Could probably still host some static pages today.
While you can run Linux on a potatoe, we would not making new friends that way. I have tried to use a RPi2b as a machine with GUI and browser, but I would not recommend this as an example for a Linux system for the uninitiated.
True. Those are slow. I have tried it with a 1b myself.
But those should do things like kodi or pihole just fine.
For example, the potato I ran my web server on in the late 90s… That’s a 386sx under there.
Even the trash ones can be a good linux box. Most people just surf the web, look at youtube videos, e-mail and some word processing. Linux can do that with two fingers up it’s nose.
You would not believe how shitty boxes people in some offices are using. I’ve got a netbook that barely runs Firefox under Linux.
of course no mention of upcycling these with linux and getting them into needy hands. with alll the solid state hardware now many of these machines are perfectly functional, and will be for some time. its the batteries that likely need a looking at
No, personal computers can only ever work with Windows. I just love that the common thinking process just accepted that problems, especially IT problems, can only ever be solved by 5 gigacorps.
BTW a lot of these will not even be laptops, I imagine they won’t even need much. If Windows was a proper system by the way, they could be still supplied with security updates by third parties.
Also, I’ve seen Rufus claiming to be able to remove the TPM requirement from the installer. I didn’t test it though.
Let’s go back to 1995, you’re a corporate IT manager or C-class executive , responsible for deploying desktops, laptops, to 10,000+ employees (I worked for or with several companies like this at the time).
You need directory services, email, app deployment. You also need common office apps, like word processing, spreadsheets, etc.
Your end users are finance folks, regulatory compliance teams (i.e. legal), marketing, etc, who’ve been working with systems that are purpose-built for their roles (mainframe/IBM As series for finance, print layout systems for marketing, etc), with not everyone really using email much.
Suddenly you have an opportunity to migrate everyone to a general purpose system that’s pretty easy to understand, and many people already have some familiarity with. You can eliminate sending handbooks to everyone by building your own intranet which people can access with IE. Your HR systems (which are still on mainframes/AS-400) can now be accessed by IE from anywhere in the company, so time entry, vacation, benefits changes, etc, reduce time and paper consumption dramatically.
Theres a million reasons why companies embraced Windows back then. Standardized UI for everything massively improved support capability. Being able to take output from legacy systems and present it better either via IE or custom-built apps made for significant training reduction, and could even reduce password management difficulties, and increase password compliance/security for the legacy systems (I saw one custom app in 1996 that presaged SSO by managing logins to 11 backend systems).
There was nothing in the *Nix world at the time that could compete with the whole package that Windows/Exchange offered, for the user management and end-user ease-of-use. Especially since you could retain your legacy systems and use Windows as both Windows and as a terminal if needed, and provide app flexibility for end users.
Then there’s the productivity side, there were already tons of Windows apps available, with many more on the way. And people were familiar with how to use them, because of a standard interface. Also, many people were using Windows at home or school, so we’re familiar with it.
Just compare Word to Wordperfect at the time. I’m not sure WP was even a GUI yet (I forget when they added it). So legal folks were fast as hell with WP, but your average user wasn’t, and it had a bit of a learning curve. Compare that to the menu-driven, WYSIWYG Word Perfect.
Now look at the SMB space, where money is even tighter. It’s much easier to deploy and manage an exchange/windows setup for 50 users than what, setup a Unix system? I could teach someone to do day-to-day Exchange admin stuff in a few hours, because GUI is way easier than command line for people who are new/inexperienced, because it reveals the concepts/paradigms. And Exchange ran on fairly generic hardware. Again, they didn’t have to buy something like an AS400.
Unix folks just didn’t see what was coming for some reason. I remember Unix admins disparaging Windows as a “toy” in the early/mid 90’s. Even today I couldn’t imagine selling a Linux setup to most companies, as mature is it’s gotten.
Removed by mod
Im still on a t430 🤷♀️
2013 Dell XPS i7-4470 up in this jawn.
Toshiba L745 i5 2430M here, still roaring
I will just go take all 240 million of them out of the garbage.
I’ll lend you my truck.
Year of the Linux deskt- haha just kidding. People are going to just go out and buy new stuff. All part of the system, even if it’s capitalist hell.
Keep an eye on ebay!
Positive take: Lots of great Linux laptops on their way to eBay.
cheap Linux laptop too!
So what I’m hearing is, free Linux servers?
Right? That’s what I heard.
High-end corporate laptops from 5-10 years ago make excellent cheap and powerful Linux machines today (given a reconditioned battery, assuming you want to run them without mains, and a new SSD several times larger than the hard drive they came with). See all the sticker-festooned Thinkpads you see at conferences that spent the first few years of their lives handling executive email and PowerPoint presentations, now living their best lives.
Honestly can’t see people dumping their pcs due to ‘incompatibility.’ Windows 10 support ends officially in 2025 but it doesn’t make it unusable for as long as the computer and programs are working as they should. My parents have a laptop from around 2018 that came with windows 10 and its not windows 11 compatible. They are going to use that thing until it can run no more. It’s essentially a more functional iPad.
Most people who are replacing computers for windows 11 are either college students, people who work on large projects or people who are gaming from a very old set up. As long as everything works with an internet browser and can install proprietary software then most likely they will keep it until the equipment gets too old.
Actually, that’s a real problem. The issue isn’t that features stop working or some slowdown, it’s millions of devices going without security updates and getting swooped into gargantuan bot networks.
I tried win11 for about 2 hours and installed linux on the third hour and haven’t used a windows machine in over a year. Windows costs an obscene price AND they have so much tracking and spyware that it actively impacts gaming performance.
Complete trash OS. I won’t be going back and I now actively avoid any game that doesn’t function on linux.
Not to mention the price of all the resource hogging and handicapping your workflow by changing everything around everytime.
The enshittification of an OS that used to be pretty good. It’s a shame. I haven’t touched Windows for over a year as well.
We’re starting to roll out Win11 at work. I created a GPO that keeps certain individuals on Win10. I am not looking forward to the day when that policy has to be retired.
I just helped a friend who is still on Windows 7. I showed him my Linux boxes. Even offered him one for free. “but I can’t live without this minesweeper”. Seriously. I showed him minesweeper on one of the Linux boxes. “it’s not the same one, I have a high score”. Thankfully, this isn’t a laptop, because he would not be permitted to connect to my wifi. Those that scrap their old devices for Win11 will either be businesses/corporations that have no other choice or slightly more advanced users that understand the benefits of active support. The general populace will likely keep their Win10 (or 7) computers until they have to upgrade the hardware, and they’ll likely be super happy that they don’t have to deal with the “annoying windows update that restarts [their] computer”. To be fair, forced reboots is an annoying feature.
Torrent of e-waste? More like torrents of Windows 11
This one is best for gaming: Windows 11 Gaming Edition
I can’t upgrade to W11, I can’t afford nor am I ready to upgrade my gaming PC, its likely I’ll be moving to Linux or keeping to use W10 w/o support.
Microsoft really did no favors with limiting official W11 support. Its not just TPM.
Everyone says “just install Linux” so I challenge all of you to do so. Please pawn it off on a small child who’s just getting into computing. Time to pay it forward.
In the eWaste scenario, you can easily get an SSD for 100$ and bring anything back to life. What distro are you giving to your niece/nephew? The best thing you can do is tell them “If you wanna play fortnight, you’re gonna have to figure out how to install windows”.
Most of them will give up, but a small % of them will figure out how to get windows running on that heap of trash in spite of you giving them Linux and at that point your trash has added real value to the world.
Getting a child to install an OS is magical.
Happy Holidays folks
Everyone says “just install Linux” so I challenge all of you to do so. Please pawn it off on a small child who’s just getting into computing. Time to pay it forward.
I did. Still dual-booting though. And I have TPM and Windows 11
fortnight
It’s like the old 32 bit to 64 bit jump - care will be needed or a competitor might sieze the market as people get disgruntled over the cost of upgrading.
