Windows 10 is in its last stages, and users have just over eight months to leave before Microsoft ends support for its popular operating system on October 14, 2025.
Many Windows 10 users feel up against the wall when it comes to upgrading to Windows 11 — be it through personal preference, an attachment to the familiar, or aging hardware.
I get that; I do. I've been a Windows user my entire life, and this isn't my first rodeo of having Microsoft pry one of its better operating systems out of my hands and push me onto its latest platform.
However, the stars are somewhat aligning at this very moment, and upgrading to Windows 11 now could be the smartest move you can make in 2025, especially if you don't want to pay hand over fist come October — even if that means buying new hardware. Let me explain.
Upgrading to Windows 11 is free (for now)
Microsoft might be a bit pushy about getting Windows 10 users to switch to Windows 11, but it also doesn't place many hurdles in their way.
Windows 10 users have had access to a free upgrade to Windows 11 for some time now. Despite similar pathways typically expiring a year or so after the release of a new version of Windows, this option is still available over four years later.
However, while Microsoft has seemingly backtracked over a recently deleted blog post that labeled this upgrade as a "limited-time" offer, it stands to reason that this proposal (like the others that came before it) will have an expiry date.
Precisely what that date is remains unknown. However, failing to take advantage of the free upgrade in time could cost as much as $139 for a Windows 11 Home license or $199 for a Windows 11 Pro license.
Given such prices, "free" sounds like an attractive alternative. That said, users running Windows 10 on older hardware may have issues meeting Windows 11's stricter minimum requirements, particularly its demand that devices feature a Trusted Platform Module (TMP) 2.0 module.
Still, if you need to upgrade your hardware for Windows 11, now might be the best time to do so.
Rael Hornby, a lifelong Windows user, brings decades of tech enthusiasm and Windows familiarity to the table with a broad experience of Microsoft's platform, involving technical support, programming, and web design, beyond his role in covering key Microsoft and Windows-related news for Laptop Mag.
Trump's tech tariffs could spell trouble for laptops and PCs in 2025
During a House GOP Issues Conference on Monday, President Donald Trump reasserted his plans to promote American manufacturing by luring companies to produce in-country, stating, "In the very near future, we're going to be placing tariffs on foreign production of computer chips, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals to return production of these essential goods to the United States of America."
In the long run, should Trump's tariffs succeed in promoting companies to produce within U.S. borders, then the cost of computers and computing components could be lower for Americans.
However, in the meantime, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) predicts that tariffs proposed by Trump could make Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm-powered laptops up to 46% more expensive due to their reliance on overseas fabrication.
Given the rate and speed of Trump's actions since his second inauguration earlier this month, there's no telling when these tariffs may be applied. This lends a sense of urgency to securing new hardware early in 2025.
Luckily, the best Windows laptops are experiencing a renaissance lately. They boast excellent new chipsets that offer high performance and impressive efficiency. They also feature Neural Processing Units (NPUs) to aid in AI computing tasks and measure up to AI PC and Copilot+ PC standards.
Bottom line
To put it plainly, whether you're a desktop or laptop user, 2025 could potentially be an expensive year in computing.
If you want to make the smartest financial steps, then now is the time to snatch that free upgrade from Microsoft, or better still, invest in a new Windows laptop and clear the platform's minimum requirements with ease and without worry of falling short on performance over the coming years.
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