It is sometimes difficult to overcome the temptation of familiarity, and many IT services that provide an upgrade service are mindful that there will be a need for training and additional guidance to help them make the transition.
Despite this, there has been a particularly noticeable reluctance to upgrade operating systems, most notably to Microsoft Windows 11 from its previous decade-old iteration.
This is in spite of the fact that free software updates have been discontinued for Windows 10, and security updates were only made free for European users following an outcry from consumer activist groups.
However, according to data from StatCounter, over two-fifths of Windows users still run Windows 10, Windows 11 only overtook Windows 10 in terms of Market share in June this year, and even then, it is only seven per cent higher.
For perspective, that is estimated to equal over 400 million PCs around the world. Even more concerningly, of the 21 million people in the UK running a Windows 10 PC, less than two-thirds intend to upgrade to Windows 11, according to a Which survey.
Even more concerningly, 26 per cent plan on sticking with a now-insecure computer, and just 14 per cent intend to buy new hardware.
By comparison, Windows 10 became the dominant version of the OS less than a year and a half after release, less than half the time as Windows 11.
The reasons why are remarkably complex, from hardware issues to an increasing distance between the feature set of Windows 11 and the needs of businesses, irrespective of size.
They Cannot Affordably Do So
One of the biggest reasons why a lot of people have not upgraded is simply that they cannot, as Windows 11 is incompatible with a shocking number of computers that currently and comfortably run Windows 10.
Some of this is because of remarkably high system specification requirements, but a much bigger issue is the need for a Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0), a piece of hardware that secures the computer from the boot-up process and eliminates many potential BIOS-level exploits.
Windows 11 uses it for a number of data encryption features and will refuse to install without one. Most computers bought after 2016 will typically have the TPM you need, but not every business upgrades every computer at once.
Most businesses tend to have graduated upgrades, swapping out machines as and when they become redundant, so if a business needs to replace all of their computers and all of their OS licenses, the upfront cost can be significant.
Other options are available, but given that support not only for the OS but for many applications will end around the same time, it can be an increasingly problematic system to keep running.
Performance Issues
Even if your computers can technically run Windows 11, one issue that a lot of early adopters noticed was that, despite claims of performance increases, older computers that updated to Windows 11 suffered from a range of performance and reliability issues.
Part of this was the extra reliance on Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), which is a web interface platform that has had issues with optimisation.
Some of these issues have been improved, but when time is money, it can be another reason why businesses have been reluctant to make the change, especially when Windows 10 feels, on the surface, to be far more stable.
Familiarity And Missing Features
When you use a particular tool, application or operating system for years, you get rather comfortable and familiar with it, developing a workflow that fits you and works best for your productivity.
Windows 11 changes just enough to throw that off significantly, whilst missing features, functionality and changing how to do some very basic features.
Whilst Windows 10 managed to keep most of its settings efficiently grouped together, Windows 11 requires a lot of clicking around to see which menu relates to which set of preferences.
As well as this, the rigid, centre-focused taskbar drew a lot of criticism almost from the beginning, and whilst there are third-party ways to change it, they are not likely to be a priority for an IT manager.
A lot of the selling points of Windows 11 are possible options that an enterprise manager can activate or find better third-party options, whilst a lot of popular features remain missing.
Security And Privacy Concerns
There are two massive problems with Windows 11, and both of them involve its much-touted CoPilot artificial intelligence system, which affects the security and the privacy of computers in an age of data protection.
This, alongside the increase in adverts and suggestions in nearly every menu, makes Windows 11 increasingly distant from many companies that have relied on the OS for decades.