With Windows 10 support ending on October 14, 2025, critics fear a tidal wave of e-waste as hundreds of millions of devices fall out of security updates. While Microsoft offers Extended Security Updates via rewards, cloud-linked settings, or paid plans, advocacy groups like PIRG and The Restart Project argue these are short-term fixes that won’t help the roughly 400 million PCs that can’t move to Windows 11. Accusations of “planned obsolescence” have mounted, with some saying the company is nudging users toward Windows 11 and even new Copilot+ hardware.

Refurbished tech marketplace Back Market is stepping into the gap with a limited release of older HP and Lenovo laptops preloaded with ChromeOS Flex or Ubuntu, positioning alternative operating systems as a pathway to extend device lifespans. The initial batch, around 50 units, won’t solve the global scale of the problem, but it signals a broader push: the company’s “Obsolete Computer” initiative encourages repurposing Windows 10 machines rather than discarding them.

Back Market’s stance is clear: install ChromeOS or Linux, learn basic maintenance to keep machines usable, and lean on repair communities to avoid unnecessary upgrades. The company frames this as a direct response to programmed obsolescence, which it says drives premature replacement cycles and accelerates the fastest-growing waste stream in the world—discarded electronics.

Meanwhile, Microsoft maintains that Windows 11 delivers substantial performance gains and a more modern experience, and PC makers say half of the world’s computers still run Windows 10—underscoring the stakes as the deadline nears. Whether users choose paid ESU, switch OS, or replace devices, Back Market’s effort highlights a viable route to sustainability: keep functioning hardware in service longer, reduce e-waste, and give consumers practical options beyond buying new.