Dell says about 500 million PCs are holding off on upgrading to Windows 11

Windows users are moving to Windows 11 at a slower rate than upgrading to Windows 10. Microsoft’s 10-year-old operating system, which has just reached the end of support, is still proving popular among consumers and businesses. Dell revealed this week that about 500 million devices are able to upgrade to Windows 11, but are sticking with Windows 10 instead.

“We have about 500 million of them that are able to run Windows 11 that haven’t been upgraded,” Jeffrey Clark, Dell’s chief operating officer, said in a press conference. Q3 earnings call Earlier this week, in reference to the PC market in general, not just Dell’s hardware segment. “And we have another 500 million that are four years old and can’t run Windows 11.” He sees this as an opportunity to steer customers towards the latest Windows 11 devices and AI-enabled PCs, but warns that the PC market will be relatively stable next year.

It’s the first time we’ve heard that up to 500 million devices are holding off on upgrading to Windows 11, and that a similar number simply can’t. Microsoft Hardware requirements tightened for Windows 11, leaving behind millions of PCs sold over the past decade.

Dell’s Windows 11 upgrade numbers come just a week after the Windows chief Pavan Davuluri said That “nearly 1 billion people depend on Windows 11.” It’s not clear what certification means here, as Microsoft has typically provided monthly device numbers in the past.