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Qandon's avatar
Qandon
Iron Contributor
Sep 01, 2025

Why isn't Windows coming to existing devices?

This confuses me. It would surely lead to better uptake of the operating system, and give new life to existing devices, especially tablets as the OS is more touch and web app driven. Win-win.

Is there a driver incompatibility issue? Are they having stability issues? What reason do you think there is behind this move?

2 Replies

  • Droake's avatar
    Droake
    Iron Contributor

    What is the hardware profile? For modern devices, Windows 11 is more recommended!

  • eric10's avatar
    eric10
    Copper Contributor

    Honestly, I’ve been wondering the same thing. From a user’s perspective, it really does feel like it would give older devices, especially tablets, a second life and make the OS adoption stronger. But from what I’ve seen, it usually comes down to a mix of driver compatibility and long-term stability.

    Manufacturers stop maintaining drivers for older hardware after a certain point, and if Microsoft officially supported those devices, they’d also take on the responsibility of ensuring updates don’t break anything. That’s a big risk on their end.

    So instead, they draw a line and limit official support. It doesn’t necessarily mean the OS can’t run on those devices — just that Microsoft doesn’t want to guarantee the experience. From their angle, it’s about reducing support headaches, even though for us it feels like a missed opportunity.

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