In Wake Of Windows 10 Retirement Over 780 000 Windows Users Skip Win

Leo Migdal

-Dec 6, 2025, 4:36 AM

in wake of windows 10 retirement over 780 000 windows users skip win

Windows-like Linux distribution claims over a million downloads in the past month for its latest build. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. The developers of the Linux-based Zorin OS say their latest release, Zorin OS 18, has already been downloaded more than one million times, and according to telemetry, over 78% of those downloads came from... It's not a perfect proxy for real migrations, but it's a striking data point during a moment when Microsoft's user base is unusually restless. As Windows 10's end-of-support deadline disappears further into the rear-view mirror, many users are still weighing their options, and Zorin OS appears to be one of the biggest beneficiaries.

We tested an older version of Zorin OS and it came out in first place for The Best Windows 10 Alternative Distro. Zorin has always positioned itself as one of the most approachable Linux distributions for people who don't want to relearn their entire workflow; version 18 seemingly takes that philosophy further than ever. The developers describe it as "faster and more responsive," but the headline feature is the interface overhaul: a very familiar new layout that we'd describe as a hybrid of Windows 11 design with MacOS... The system also introduces Windows-style window tiling, fully integrated and accessible without add-ons—something even many other Linux desktops still treat as an optional experiment. It's not just aesthetics, though. Zorin OS 18 expands beyond the usual Windows-to-Linux migration checklist by leaning heavily into web-app integration.

Make sure to set Windows Central as a preferred source in Google Search, and find out why you should so that you can stay up-to-date on the latest news, reviews, features, and more. Many people are seemingly still conflicted about Microsoft's unpopular decision to pull the plug on Windows 10, which happened last month on October 14. Multiple reports suggest that the operating system's death has left approximately 400 million PCs unsupported. Of course, users have a couple of alternatives at hand, including upgrading to Windows 11 (but your device must meet Microsoft's stringent hardware requirements for the operating system), signing up for the Extended Software... In wake of Windows 10 retirement, over 780,000 Windows users skip Win 11 for Linux, says Zorin OS developers https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/in-the-wake-of-windows-10-eol-over-780-000-windows-users-skip-11-for-linux-says-zorin-os-developers-distro-hits-unprecedented-1-million-downloads-in-five-weeks

https://www.webpronews.com/zorin-oss-million-download-surge-windows-10s-end-ignites-linux-exodus/ https://blog.zorin.com/2025/11/18/test-the-upgrade-from-zorin-os-17-to-18-and-celebrating-1-million-downloads-of-zorin-os-18/ Bye, Copilot: Microsoft is making Copilot a hands-free experience on Windows (it is like hey Cortana and Bye Cortana except Copilot, allowing hands free interaction) Support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025. While In wake of Windows 10 retirement, over 780,000 Windows users skip Win 11 for Linux, says Zorin OS developers — distro hits unprecedented 1 million downloads in five weeks | Tom's Hardware

The key feature of Zorin OS is its compatibility. It focuses on integrating web apps, allowing users to install apps like Office 365 and Microsoft Teams using the Progressive Web App installer. Apps like Google Docs and Photoshop can be used like native applications. Zorin OS 18, in particular, promises improved support for Windows software. Tom's Hardware notes that while Linux isn't on track to overtake Windows, the barriers to catching up are the lowest they've been since Windows 95, thanks to the resurgence of Linux gaming systems ,... Windows 11 Explorer now has a 'pre-load feature' to speed up startup

Google Search AI mode finally displays ads, with ads at the bottom of the page labeled 'Sponsored' Stallman was right. Choose Free software. Not to mention I'm very skeptical that 780K Windows users just happened to discover a more obscure Linux distro suddenly and switched to it in October while Windows 10 is still supported. This is basically an ad for the OS. If no to either, they will pay for Win11

But now we have LLMs, which I'm assuming should be very good at troubleshooting computer issues... Linux on the desktop is a nerd wet dream, and you should be aware of that. Next month, Microsoft is ending support for home editions of its Windows 10 operating system officially. While users may extend support by one year -- business customers get three -- the number of users who will take up Microsoft's offer is unclear. The extension is more or less free, as you get it as a consumer when you enable the backup functionality during the signup process. There is even a tool for that that lets you do all that with a local account and as little interaction as possible.

Recently, Windows 11, the successor of Windows 10, has been gaining traction. While it led the leaderboard of the most popular operating system on Valve's highly influential Steam gaming platform for some time, it passed Windows 10 at Statcounter's monthly OS popularity ranking in July for... Being newer and with the advantage that its main competitor is on its last months of support, one could predict the trend easily. Windows 10 usage declines naturally, as users start to migrate to Windows 11, if their devices are compatible, upgrade by bypassing compatibility checks, or buy entirely new PCs. But in August 2025, stats reversed seemingly, at least according to Statcounter. Windows 11 usage dropped by four points from 53 percent to 49 percent.

Windows 10's usage jumped three points to 45 percent. Even the out-of-support Windows 7 operating system jumped by 1.5 points to more than three percent usage, according to Statcounter. Does this mean that users moved back to Windows 10? Reverted the upgrade or even downgraded their machines, where possible? It seems highly unlikely that this is the main cause for the reversal. Statcounter claims to pull the statistics from billions of visits of users each month.

While that sounds much, its stats are not a true reflection of the actual market share of each operating system or browser. https://nordictimes.com/tech/businesses-and-individuals-face-dilemma-as-windows-10-retirement-looms/ When Microsoft ends support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, charities, businesses, and individuals, among others, will be faced with a difficult choice: continue using the operating system without security updates, switch to... For a long time, non-profit associations and organizations around the world have been collecting and refurbishing older computers that would otherwise have been discarded. The devices often come from companies replacing their IT equipment, but also from private individuals. After refurbishment, the computers are donated to those in need, but as many of these are not Windows 11 ready, the impending death of Windows 10 poses a major problem, Sweclockers reports.

Running an operating system without security updates can leave computers extremely vulnerable to cyberattacks and phishing. Something that particularly affects people with limited technical knowledge. The developers of the Linux-based Zorin OS say their latest release, Zorin OS 18, has already been downloaded more than one million times, and according to telemetry, over 78% of those downloads came from... It's not a perfect proxy for real migrations, but it's a striking data point during a moment when Microsoft's user base is unusually restless. As Windows 10's end-of-support deadline disappears further into the rear-view mirror, many users are still weighing their options, and Zorin OS appears to be one of the biggest beneficiaries. We tested an older version of Zorin OS and it came out in first place for The Best Windows 10 Alternative Distro.

Zorin has always positioned itself as one of the most approachable Linux distributions for people who don't want to relearn their entire workflow; version 18 seemingly takes that philosophy further than ever. The developers describe it as "faster and more responsive," but the headline feature is the interface overhaul: a very familiar new layout that we'd describe as a hybrid of Windows 11 design with MacOS... The system also introduces Windows-style window tiling, fully integrated and accessible without add-ons—something even many other Linux desktops still treat as an optional experiment. Zorin OS 18 will suggest more appropriate options for users when they attempt to install poorly-supported Windows software. It's not just aesthetics, though. Zorin OS 18 expands beyond the usual Windows-to-Linux migration checklist by leaning heavily into web-app integration.

The new Progressive Web App installer allows users to "install" services like Office 365, Teams, Google Docs, or even Photoshop Web as if they were native applications, with icons in the app grid and... Combined with built-in OneDrive file-system integration, the distribution goes further than most to accommodate Windows users. Indeed, compatibility remains a major part of Zorin's pitch, and the developers say Windows software support has been improved again in this release. It still relies on Wine and related compatibility layers behind the scenes, of course, but user-facing defaults and configuration have been refined so more Windows applications run out of the box without manual tweaking. It also helps that Linux gaming — once a punchline — has had a few years of rapid progress thanks to Valve's work on Proton. Zorin OS isn't a gaming-focused distribution, but the broader ecosystem shift makes the idea of leaving Windows a lot less intimidating than it used to be for most folks.

There’s now less than six months until Microsoft plans to kill support for Windows 10. There’s just one major problem: it’s still the world’s most used desktop operating system. Microsoft plans to end free support for Windows 10 on October 14, potentially leaving hundreds of millions, if not billions, of PCs without protection from security threats. Businesses and (for the first time) consumers will be offered the chance to extend support further for a fee, but how many people will be willing to pay upwards of $30 for operating system... Only Microsoft knows the true number of Windows 10 machines still ticking in the world, but it’s not a number the company reports publicly. However, third-party analysis says that it’s still more widely used than Windows 11, which was launched in October 2021.

StatCounter – which collates the operating systems used by computers visiting more than 1.5 million websites – reported that Windows 10 was still used on 54.2% of all Windows PCs in March 2025. Windows 11, while starting to climb more rapidly in recent months, remains in second place on 42.7% of all Windows machines. Windows 11 has overtaken its older sibling in many Western countries, including the U.S.A., the U.K. and Canada. But in parts of Asia and Africa, there’s still an enormous gulf between Windows 10 and Windows 11.

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Https://www.webpronews.com/zorin-oss-million-download-surge-windows-10s-end-ignites-linux-exodus/ Https://blog.zorin.com/2025/11/18/test-the-upgrade-from-zorin-os-17-to-18-and-celebrating-1-million-downloads-of-zorin-os-18/ Bye, Copilot: Microsoft Is Making Copilot A Hands-free