Posted on 11/08/2025 11:24:27 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
Microsoft has officially ended Windows 10, marking the end of an era, but what comes next might completely change how we use Windows.
In this video, we break down what’s happening behind the scenes with Microsoft’s next move, how Windows is shifting toward cloud-based systems, and what that means for you.
You’ll learn:
It was the platform that brought technology to the world. But somewhere along the way, Microsoft lost that spark. Windows didn't die overnight.
It faded slowly, one bad decision at a time. And now, what's left feels less like a tool for creativity and more like an ad platform wrapped in AI features that no one asked for. So today, let's talk about it.
How we got here, what really killed Windows, and what's coming next. There was a time when Windows was untouchable. Windows 95 changed the world.
It gave everyone a digital front door, the start menu, the task bar, the simple joy of clicking something and watching it work. Then came Windows XP, arguably the best version of Windows ever made. It was stable, simple, and reliable.
Businesses built entire infrastructures around it. XP didn't need constant updates or cloud sync. You bought it once, installed it, and then it was yours.
No telemetry, no ads, no bloat, just performance and predictability. Back then, Microsoft wasn't just selling software. They were selling empowerment.
You weren't leasing technology. You owned it. And in a way, that's what built the entire modern business world.
Offices ran on XP. Microsoft will pull the plug on technical support for its Windows XP operating system. But a lot of people still rely on XP.
I haven't had a need to change because it didn't break. Up to 25% of consumers and businesses are estimated to still be using the 12-year-old operating system. But Microsoft, on its website, is counting customers down to zero hour at midnight tonight.
Networks were built around it, and productivity was defined by it. For a while, it felt like Windows would last forever. But that kind of comfort always sets up for the next disruption.
The cracks started to show with Windows 8. Oh, brother, this guy stinks! Instead of improving what worked, Microsoft tried to reinvent the wheel and made a square one instead. They threw out the start menu, plastered the screen with tiles, and built an interface that made no sense on a desktop. It wasn't built for users.
It was built for metrics, for app installs, for engagement, for control. Microsoft was chasing Apple's App Store revenue and then forgot what made Windows powerful in the first place, familiarity. They stopped solving problems and started chasing trends.
Then came Windows 10, the last version of Windows. It was supposed to fix everything, a service that would evolve forever. Except service turned into subscription, and then Microsoft spent years calling Windows 10 a service, not a product, something that would evolve and not expire.
But apparently service now means subscription. They pulled the same crap with Microsoft Office, forcing everyone onto 365 whether they wanted it or not, and now they're doing it again here. It's the same playbook.
Take something people already paid for, strip away the ownership, and sell it back as a monthly bill. In the business world, we call that vendor lock-in. You build reliance, then move the goalposts.
And if you've ever had to migrate an entire team off a bad system, you know once you're locked in, they own you. The real death of Windows isn't about software. It was about trust.
Microsoft started treating its users like data points instead of customers. Updates broke more than they fixed, and ads appeared in File Explorer. Privacy settings became more like a maze of off-but-not-really-off toggles.
And then they pulled the hardware lock stunt. Perfectly good machines, still fast, reliable, they still worked, and then suddenly labeled as unsupported for Windows 11. That's when users realized this wasn't about innovation.
It was about control. The company that once sold ownership now sells permission. And that permission comes with strings attached.
Analytics, advertising IDs, and constant online verification. That's not progress, that's control. And it's a hard sell to businesses who actually rely on the consistency.
The modern Microsoft doesn't sell software anymore. It sells subscriptions, access, and telemetry. The Windows of today feels more like a marketing platform and less like an operating system.
Your taskbar promotes Edge, your start menu suggests apps, and even Outlook upsells for storage and co-pilot integrations. They've completely monetized productivity. And now AI is the newest obsession.
Recall, co-pilot, and intelligent everything. But here's the truth. AI isn't what's ruining Windows.
Their business model is. Microsoft's not building for users, they're building for retention. Keep people inside the ecosystem, feed them just enough innovation to justify another subscription, and then collect data along the way.
For some small businesses trying to stay efficient and secure, that's a nightmare. Because instead of stable, predictable tools, you're now managing an ever-changing ecosystem of forced features and hidden costs. Windows doesn't feel personal anymore, and it feels transactional.
But here's the thing. People are waking up. 10 years ago, switching operating systems felt impossible.
And then today, most of what you do is in the browser. Email, file sharing, chat, project management, everything's online. The operating system is no longer your ecosystem, it's just your gateway.
And that's why we're seeing more MacBooks and Offices that used to be all Windows. Even Linux? Yeah. The nerd OS is quietly building momentum.
Distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora, and PopOS are all polished, secure, and they don't try and sell you things every five minutes. And for a lot of companies, this change isn't rebellion, it's efficiency. They're realizing that they don't need to be tied to one vendor.
Their workflow's in the cloud, and the OS is just the wrapper. Microsoft trained people to depend on Windows. The cloud trained people not to care.
The next Windows moment won't happen on your desktop. It'll happen in the cloud. Microsoft knows this.
That's why they're pushing hard into the cloud PCs, the virtual desktops streamed from Azure that run anywhere. It's convenient, sure, until you realize that that convenience means you're giving up control again. When everything lives on Microsoft servers, you don't just lose ownership of your software, you lose ownership of your work environment.
And it's not just Microsoft. Apple's heading there with on-device AI that syncs everything through iCloud. And then Google's already there.
You live in the browser, not on your machine. We are moving to a world where your device is disposable, and your identity is the product. It's efficiency for the vendor, not the user.
And while this makes perfect sense from a business perspective, it's dangerous for innovation. Because monopolies don't innovate, they optimize revenue. But here's where it gets interesting.
Users still have power. If you're tired of being milked by subscriptions, there are real alternatives. macOS, Linux, and even cloud PCs from independent providers, they all work, and most businesses won't miss a beat.
Your tools are already in the cloud, your files are already synced, and all you really need is a system that's secure, stable, and something you actually enjoy using. And if Microsoft's direction keeps going this way, more people will move simply out of principle. Because in business, trust and reliability are currency.
And once that's gone, it doesn't matter how advanced your AI is, people are going to leave. The best tech doesn't trap users, it earns them. Say what you will, Windows changed the world.
It put a computer in every home and every office. It connected people, it built industries, and it made the modern economy possible. But somewhere along the line, Microsoft forgot that success came from empowerment and not control.
Windows used to represent creativity and ownership and possibility, and now it represents surveillance, subscriptions, and lost trust. And it's just so sad because Microsoft didn't have to lose the people who helped them build their empire. They just stopped listening to them.
Windows didn't die because it failed, it died because it became unrecognizable. So what's next? Probably cloud PCs, subscription models, and AI baked into everything. Microsoft's going to keep doubling down on control, and people will keep deciding if that trade-off is worth it.
But here's the beautiful thing about technology, it always finds balance. Every time a big player overreaches, something new rises. Linux is maturing, macOS is stable, even Chrome OS is finding its footing.
And then new platforms, later open source and privacy first, are already being built by people who grew up frustrated with the same problems we're talking about right now. So maybe Windows isn't dead, maybe it's just evolving out of relevance. Because as history shows, when a company forgets about why people love its product, that product eventually stops mattering.
So yeah, the Windows we grew up with is gone. The startup chime, the simplicity, that feeling that your computer worked for you, all replaced by AI prompts, cloud sync, and subscription reminders. But maybe that's not the tragedy, maybe that's the lesson.
Because Windows taught us everything about computing. And now it's teaching us one last thing, that no company or system or platform lasts forever. Technology moves forward, users adapt, and maybe it's time we take back a little bit of that control we've been handing over.
Thanks for watching. If you've ever used Windows, you're part of this story, and I would love to hear your take. Do you think Microsoft can turn this around, or is Windows truly gone for good? Drop a comment below, and I'll see you in the next one.
I use Linux (albeit an older version) and use the CLI regularly. Just being realistic.
When I build a new PC I’ll get to experience the improvements. I’m not going back to Windoze!
However, I would be incorporating AI tools. I've created a neat little Bash script, layered over Daniel Miessler's 'fabric' tool, that dynamically builds AI prompts based on traversing the directory structure appending context files it finds along the way. I've also created some AI 'prompt fragments' that provide other support for authors. It's pretty powerful stuff for serious authors.
I use Mint for laptops (with one legacy Kubuntu install - which I don't hate at all) - and Lubuntu for servers. Recently I obtained a 128G EVO X2 that I'm using mainly to run local LLMs under Lubuntu. Actually I've got that set up for dual boot, just in case it tickles my fancy to do something with WIN11.
Speaking of AI, I conducted an interesting AI experiment last night. One of Free Republic's great contributors from years past was the amazing 'Firehat', who sadly passed away some years ago. Firehat had a most distinctive "punch-in-the-gut" writing style. Last night I fed a number of Firehat's legacy postings into AI and asked it to create a commentary on today's government shutdown using Firehat's writing style. The results were just amazing. I'm in the process of tweaking that article now before sharing here on FR.
I wish you would indulge me and bring yourself up to speed on the newer versions. Seriously, give Mint “Cinnamon” a try just for your knowledge base. The GUI desktop is based on Gnome and very polished and customizable. All the apps that are boxed are all GUI point and click just like Windows and no CLI is needed but rarely if you want to do something more technical and specialized like building your own VPN server or similar. The average user will probably never need the CLI unless they are downloading and installing software that still uses the old copy an paste CLI instructions. And most of those are all now in the repository GUI software manager for a simple two click download... :)
The problem is that I have bleeding-edge hardware that I’m running, so options are limited. Once I have a new build sky’s the limit.
I’ll post something about my experience when it’s done.
After using Windows from the very beginning, I picked up an HP ProDesk 405 G4 (Actually 3 of them) and last week, I loaded Cinnamon on the first one. So far, I have been impressed. Peppy and familiar to Windows.
I will build up a stable of Linux ponies and see about transitioning from the boat anchor that Microsoft has become.
I would have considered Apple, but my parents were married to each other before I was born. ;-)
Just download it and make an external stick to run it from. As you know this will give you some idea what it is without needing to install it. As for new hardware, I just recently installed a full Mint Cinnamon current version on a 2004 Dell desktop dualboot with Win XP.
The new Mint is handling all the old hardware just fine. Even the floppy and the Dialup Modem. Mint loves old hardware. Except maybe drivers for some printers. Other than that it doesn’t care how old the computer hardware is...
I absolutely would be interested in what you think later on... :)
Yes, once you actually use a well laid out Linux like Mint it is impressive from the beginning. Like you say it is familiar, file system, menus, tool bars, Etc. And right away you realize that what you have now belongs to you and you alone to do with what you want.
That independence alone makes any and all slight inconveniences well worth it. And there really are not many. Learning to use it is no different than going from Win 7 to Win 10... Every new OS version or new App has it’s learning curve, all of them... Switching to Linux is no different and it is actually not hard at all.
Found the themes yet? I like the Metallic Cyan theme. Classy... I love Mint but I hate the green... lol
“I’ve considered building a distro as well. In my case it would be a distro for authors. It can be quite a challenge to get Linux set up for some LaTeX libraries, and an “authors’ distro” would solve that.”
Absolutely. And isn’t that cool that we “CAN” if we want to? Every Linux version or Distro can be customized and built to exactly what you want if you like.
I am currently working on a “Stealth” Distro for a portable OS on a stick. Specifically designed to plug in and have all the tools installed to go underground off the radar for communications and mail and leave no trace on the machine. Similar to “Tails” but with much better apps preconfigured...
“They” don’t want us communicating with each other,or getting any information.
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