That’s all changing for Microsoft users this week, with the surprising news that Windows 10 won’t reach end-of-life as expected next October. You can have one more year of security updates for which you will have to pay $30. But then, in October 2026, the cliff edge at the end of life returns again – no, this time.

If this is good news for home users – business users and schools already had extensive support options – it could be very bad news for PC manufacturers. Less than two weeks ago, third-quarter global PC sales numbers were lower than hoped, but as Canalys reported, the need for strong growth in 2025 should be boosted “as a large portion of the installed base of Windows PCs still needs to be refreshed before the end of life of Windows 10 in October 2025.” Not more.

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While Canalys pegged third-quarter growth at just 1.3%, IDC reported that “worldwide shipments of traditional PCs fell 2.4% year-on-year (YoY) to 68.8 million units during the third quarter of 2024 (3Q24) .”

Gartner saw the same decline, reporting a slightly smaller decline of 1.3%. “Demand for Windows PC refreshes driven by the end of support for Windows 10 in 2025 did not fully grow in the third quarter, partly due to economic challenges in certain regions,” although “more robust growth in 2025” is still forecast.

You get the point. A softer-than-expected 2024 led manufacturers to pin their hopes on a “last-minute” rush to shops to get a new car into service before the October 2025 deadline, which just became October 2026. Add that to Microsoft’s huge push to encourage users to use new PCs with AIand you have an industry preparing for an event that has just been canceled – or at least postponed.

Microsoft isn’t wrong when it says that you’re safer with a new PC running Windows 11 than an older device running an older operating system. While users may feel connected to the familiar and highly successful look of Windows 10, the reality is that month after month, Microsoft fixes serious security flaws. And the older the operating system and the less secure the hardware, the more likely they are to bite.

Like Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi published Thursday, “advanced security features (Windows 11) include hardware-based protection via TPM 2.0, improved authentication methods, and virtualization-based security fully enabled by default. Windows 11 also includes anti-phishing protection, offering robust defense mechanisms, and provides an additional layer of security against common and persistent cyber-attacks, such as attempts to compromise login credentials or install malware.”

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Nothing is ever certain, but the fundamentals of supply and demand and the imperative for a recovery from a soft 2024, coupled with significantly lower than expected demand given the extended support options, mean that 2025 could be a year of exciting PC deals on the market. . We’ll know soon enough – and we could see some movement as the market reacts before the end of 2024.

And so, whether it’s getting a deal or beefing up the security of your home setup, it looks like 2025 could be the year to buy a new Windows PC.