6 operating systems to consider when Windows 10 goes EOL later this year
The end-of-support date for any major operating system is often met with pushback from loyal users and businesses that don’t want to (or can’t, for various reasons) upgrade to the next major version. In October 2025, the EOS date for Windows 10 will arrive, and anyone who wants ongoing updates after that will have to pay Microsoft for the privilege.
Plus, you’ll lose updates and bug fixes for major packages like Microsoft 365, making it even more of a security risk to stay on W10. But you’ve got plenty of options to either upgrade or switch operating systems, and plenty of time to choose before October.
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6
Bazzite
This immutable OS isn’t just for gaming handhelds
Windows has been the home of gamers for many, many years now, partly because it has the widest support for graphics cards, game technologies, and gaming storefronts. But that all changed when SteamOS attacked the market and made Linux gaming viable for anyone.
Now, while you can’t install SteamOS on other devices just yet, you can install Bazzite on basically any PC hardware you already have. It uses the same Proton translation layer that makes the Steam Deck able to play Windows games, comes with Android app support, EmuDeck, and a ton of gaming-focused Linux software preinstalled, so the hard work is all done for you.
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5
Nobara
Fantastic Linux distribution for gamers with GPU detection and easy Nvidia driver installation
Another hassle-free Linux distro that’s just as happy playing games as running desktop applications is Nobara. It’s based on Fedora and has a whole host of tweaks and optimizations that make it a great choice for any combination of PC hardware.
For starters, it has auto GPU detection and can install Nvidia’s drivers automatically. This sounds deceptively simple,, but anyone who’s tried doing the manual install knows it can be tricky at best.
It also pre-installs packages that gamers will welcome, like Steam, ProtonUp-QT, MangoHUD, and Lutris, but it’s just as potent in GPU-intensive productivity applications like DaVinci Resolve, Blender, and OBS Studio.
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4
Pop!_OS
Still one of the most user-friendly Linux distros around
Pop!_OS definitely has an odd-sounding name, but the performance and user-friendliness of this Linux distro are hard to match. Designed and maintained by System76, it was one of the best options for gamers before SteamOS came out, and it’s still up there nowadays.
It supports all GPU manufacturers and their features, great support for the game launchers you might have your Windows games on, and both proprietary and community-developed drivers for your hardware. It’s powerful, responsive, and one of the better choices for those new to Linux.
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3
Windows 11
The upgrade is inevitable and you get to stay in Windows where you’re comfortable
As a Windows 10 user right now, you’ve probably been getting unskippable, full-screen ads that extol the virtues of upgrading to Windows 11. While these are annoying, they do serve one good purpose: reminding you that your beloved operating system is soon to reach the end of its road.
Microsoft has been trying to get everyone to upgrade for many years now, and at this stage, unless your PC hardware is on the unsupported list, there are not really any good reasons not to make the upgrade.
And unfortunately, what choice do you have if you want to stay on Windows? The choice between an unsupported version with no security updates and a working, supported version of Windows is no choice at all. Just look what happened when someone hooked Windows XP up to the modern internet. It didn’t stand a chance against the multitude of hackers, malware, and other malfeasances on the web, and Windows 10 is going down the same path.
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2
Chrome OS
Let’s face it: you probably spend more time using Google Chrome than any other app
If you’re a Windows 10 user, the chances are that you already use Google Chrome for most of your web browsing and possibly for document creation, email, calendar management, and a dozen other daily tasks. That means you might be just as happy using Chrome OS or a Chromebook instead of a Windows device, depending, of course, on what other tasks you do on a daily basis.
Chrome OS isn’t really suited for gaming, although light gamers can install Android apps and be happy enough. It can’t run specialized software like CAD or video editing, but if you need those, you’re not going to be leaving the Windows ecosystem anyway. For many, many users, Chrome OS is worth giving a shot.
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1
macOS
Sometimes a drastic change is needed, and Macs really are awesome
Moving to macOS from Windows 10 will take some adjusting, but it can be worth it as macOS Sequoia has some features that beat Windows 11, let alone the previous incarnation. For example, fed up with web results when searching for files? Spotlight is far superior and will actually find the files or apps you’re trying to ferret out, without sending you to the internet.
Plus, if you hate how much data Microsoft likes to scrape off, macOS and its preinstalled apps are a haven for privacy, where you won’t get served ads for things you’re doing on your computer. Then there are handy features like an inbuilt password manager, Apple Intelligence for actually useful AI tools, and if you have an iPhone, iPhone Mirroring is fantastic for managing both devices at once.
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Whatever OS you choose, staying on Windows 10 once its EOS is a dangerous game
When Windows 10 goes out of support, it’ll lose updates, upgrades, and important security fixes. Microsoft did eventually support Windows 7 way past its EOS date, but that might have been a different story as many businesses and government offices relied on it, and the upgrade path wasn’t as clear as the one from W10 to W11. You should start planning your upgrade now, so you’re not caught out when support ends in October.
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