The Home windows 11 improve state of affairs simply obtained much less and extra complicated

In June, we wrote that Home windows 11 will depart thousands and thousands of PCs behind, seemingly as a result of their processors aren’t as new and absolutely featured as Microsoft would love.

This morning, Microsoft revealed a change of plan to The Verge: it received’t technically abandon these thousands and thousands of PCs, since you’ll be capable of manually set up the downloadable Home windows 11 ISO on no matter you need. The corporate’s additionally extending its official CPU compatibility listing to a bunch of Intel’s costliest Xeon workstation processors and its costliest line of Core X desktop CPUs — and, tellingly, the much less highly effective Intel chip it shipped in its Floor Studio 2, so it now not has to defend the concept of abandoning a flagship product that it nonetheless continues to promote brand-new.

However whereas it would look like Microsoft’s opening up the floodgates, the complicated actuality of Home windows 11 upgrades hasn’t modified fairly as a lot as you would possibly assume. Whereas DIY PC avid gamers, IT admins, and different energy customers will be capable of carry out a clear set up of Home windows 11 on current {hardware} courting again years, it nonetheless appears like Microsoft might be encouraging thousands and thousands of individuals to switch their completely good Home windows PCs.

Think about for a second that you just’ve by no means heard of an ISO; you’re hoping to improve your getting old machine to the refreshing but acquainted Home windows 11 this fall; and also you wish to know if it’ll work. You would possibly effectively fireplace up Microsoft’s PC Well being Examine app, as a result of that’s the precise device the corporate is promoting for that function. However that device would possibly lead you astray. Microsoft tells The Verge that app will nonetheless test your CPU towards Microsoft’s listing of supported processors — and direct you to “related assist articles that embody potential remediation steps” if you happen to don’t have the chips that Microsoft prefers.

Most Home windows PC homeowners in all probability received’t hassle with a compatibility checker app, in fact. They’ll simply watch for the Home windows Replace that may robotically convey it to them totally free, very similar to how Home windows 10 was a free replace when it arrived in 2015. However right here, once more, Microsoft will solely be updating computer systems with supported CPUs.

Avoiding automated updates for CPUs that aren’t supported makes some quantity of sense: Microsoft doesn’t wish to be blamed if it makes your Home windows expertise worse, and it could’t take a look at each single configuration underneath the solar.

However how a lot worse is worse? Microsoft makes it sound fairly dangerous at first, writing that it noticed 52 p.c extra kernel mode crashes (aka the notorious BSOD) when testing programs that didn’t meant its minimal spec — whereas machines that did meet it had a 99.8 p.c crash-free expertise. However if you happen to do the mathematics, it means we’re going from a 2-in-1,000 likelihood of a BSOD to a 3-in-1,000 likelihood. That extra quantity of downtime won’t be acceptable for a sysadmin managing hundreds of older computer systems, however it’d possible be a unique story for the common one that solely buys a brand new PC each 4 to 6 years.

As we’ve defined earlier than, Microsoft has some legitimate safety causes to insist on extra stringent {hardware} necessities like TPM 2.0, significantly from its laptop computer and desktop companions. The corporate’s been focused by some extraordinarily troubling assaults and want to stop extra, however it solely has a lot leverage over the PC business to verify security measures are literally turned on. (Microsoft has technically mandated TPM 2.0 since July 2016.)

None of this might be an issue for many who merely purchase a brand new laptop with a preloaded copy of Home windows 11. However that’s my level — now that Microsoft has revealed it’s not really locking Home windows 11 to these security measures, the listing of supported CPUs feels much more like a present to Intel and PC producers within the type of further laptop gross sales (the place Microsoft income off every Home windows 10 license) than a staunch safety play. And it’ll be a disgrace, significantly for the setting, if folks wind up tossing PCs which are completely able to working the brand new OS.

As safety knowledgeable (and former Microsoft risk intelligence analyst) Kevin Beaumont put it earlier this 12 months, the corporate’s motivations are questionable:

Microsoft is doubtlessly about to push numerous folks towards shopping for a brand new laptop this fall, and PC producers might be solely too comfortable to assist. I simply marvel how shameless Microsoft might be as time goes on: in the case of selling its personal Microsoft Edge browser, it has repeatedly disrespected its personal customers’ selections with compelled Home windows Updates.