Well you see, they learned their lesson from Windows 7 and having to support it for years longer than they intended to.
They know the same thing will happen for 10, because they are literally forcing a bunch of hardware out, even though all of it can technically run Windows 11 and just don't have a TPM 2.0 chip. They made this choice, this was a business decision and they know it's coming.
Back in the Windows 7 days, they only did that for corporations, extended updates with a cost attached. Now you, the consumer, get the joy of paying for these updates as well.
Not only are they purposefully creating trash, they're also squeezing people for money in the process.
They're doing exactly what they did with Windows 7, this time they just plan to charge you for the convenience.
Stay classy, Microsoft.
[^1]: "Individuals or organizations who elect to continue using Windows 10 after support ends on October 14, 2025, will have the option of enrolling their PCs into a paid ESU subscription."
You forgot the "best" part, which is that requiring TPM 2.0 is purely self-serving for Microsoft in that it serves no purpose but to make it more difficult to run non-Windows OSs on the hardware in the future.
Nobody needs a TPM except for the copyright cartel trying to destroy computer owners' property rights.
Oh I mean, I thought that was implied, but yeah, go off about it, it fucking sucks!
EDIT: In response to your edit. ACKSHUALLY the TPM requirement is a big deal for corporations, because it does help increase corporate security. The thing is, the average user doesn't actually need that extra security so much and will likely never use it so making it a requirement for the consumer-level Windows is abject bullshit.
I upgraded my CPU in preparation for 11 but have since installed Linux instead. It seems like you're saying simply having a TPM makes it harder to use other OSs?
I don't know why, but your post made me question if TPM 2.0 expansions outside the processor are a thing. Turns out they are as long as your board supports them. I was just able to get one for mine for $25.
I still have a 4th Gen devil's canyon in my main pc. It still outperforms most current gen chips apparently, so I plan on running it til it burns the house down.
Consumers can also pay for extended Windows 7 updates, of course. I also don't see why just that (consumers can also pay) part is bad and much worse than a stupid requirement to force users to pay.