Microsoft’s strategy to push Windows 11 is clearly not working out, and it could be because… the OS doesn’t have a good reputation. Or simply put, consumers just don’t want to dump their perfectly healthy Windows 10 PC. Dell now says that Windows 11’s transition is indeed slower than Windows 10, and PC sales are expected to remain flat.
As spotted by Windows Latest, during the Q3 2026 earnings call, Jeffrey Clarke, who is the Vice Chairman and COO at Dell, explained that a lot of PCs are now old, and the PC refresh cycle is being supported by those who are replacing their PCs.
“I think it’s flat as we look into next year’s planning horizon, and we’re building plans accordingly that would take share against that outlook. The PC refresh cycle remains durable, supported by an ageing installed base and a significant portion of systems not yet upgraded to Windows 11,” Jeffrey noted.
Slow PC sales are quiet, and I think it should come as news to anybody. This is not exactly an issue, but the question is. How is Windows 11 doing compared to Windows 10?
Windows 11 vs Windows 10 adoption
We don’t trust the numbers provided by third-party services like StatCounter, as they cover a very small number of devices. But Dell’s earnings call has some interesting tidbits.
According to Dell, Windows 11 transition is behind Windows 10’s transition in numbers, and the company admitted that they are not done with the Windows 11 move.
“We have not completed the Windows 11 transition,” Dell explained in an earnings call analysed by Windows Latest. “In fact, if you were to look at it relative to the previous OS end-of-service, we are 10, 12 points behind at that point with Windows 11 than we were the previous generation.”
Windows 10 was not the best operating system, but it was clearly a better choice than Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. When the previous Windows version hit end-of-support, such as Windows 7 or Windows XP, upgrades to Windows 10 were further along than they are now with Windows 11.
Dell’s statement aligns with our previous findings. Windows 11 is slower than the last big Windows transition, and that explains why Microsoft has been desperate.
We’ve had full-screen pop-ups or “ads” on Windows 10 promoting Windows 11. Microsoft also ended support for apps like OneNote, but even that hasn’t worked in transition’s favour.
However, for PC makers like Dell, that might be good news, as it means more future upgrade demand is still out there… unless, of course, the consumers switch to a MacBook, as affordable Apple products are on the way.
500 million capable PCs have not upgraded to Windows 11
Dell says Windows is installed on 1.5 billion units, which is a huge number, and out of the billion units, 500 million can be upgraded to Windows 11, but they’re still using Windows 10.
At the same time, Dell says there are about another 500 million PCs that can’t run Windows 11 because they’re four years old. These 500 million can be potentially replaced, driving PC sales in the coming years.
“The installed base is roughly 1.5 billion units. We have about 500 million of them capable of running Windows 11 that haven’t been upgraded. And we have another 500 million that are four years old that can’t run Windows 11. Those are all rich opportunities to upgrade towards Windows 11 and modern technology,” Jeffrey Clarke noted in the earnings call spotted by Windows Latest.
Dell says AI could help with Windows 11 growth and PC sales
Dell says it’s hopeful that the PC market will flourish going forward because “AI PCs, small language models and more capable apps” are equally important.
This could mean that consumers or businesses would prefer newer hardware because of AI features, such as the ability to run small language models directly on the hardware.
“….capability of the NPU and future PCs gives me the view that the PC market will continue to flourish going forward,” he added.
However, Dell is not trying to sell the narrative that PC sales are going to explode out of nowhere. The company expects steady demand.
Dell’s earnings call won’t tell you that Apple is going to challenge the Windows PC market with its affordable MacBook. A cheaper MacBook could utilise an iPhone chip and ship in colourful options to compete against PCs, which could make Windows PCs more affordable.
2026 is going to be an exciting year for all of us. But what are your plans? Do you plan to replace your Windows 10 PC with an AI-capable Windows 11 PC? Let me know in the comments below.
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