Windows 10 Support Is Ending: This Is Why You Should Switch to the Mac

We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our editorial policies.

I have some extremely distressing news if you’re a Windows 10 user. It’s something I wasn’t aware of until recently, and it might be something that’ll come as a surprise to you, too.

On 14th October, 2025, Microsoft will cease support for Windows 10. That means your Windows 10 laptop, tablet, or desktop machine will no longer receive updates and will quickly fall into disrepair from a security standpoint.

However, I also have some good news. There’s an alternative. It’s called the Mac (or, more specifically in this case – macOS), and it’s much better than what you already have.

Despite this, I’m sure you might need some convincing that this is a good idea, which is what I’m going to try and do today.

What’s happening to Windows 10 in October 2025?

Microsoft will stop issuing updates for Windows 10 from 14th October 2025. There’s an official support page that explains what this all means, but to save you some time, I chucked it into ChatGPT and asked for the, erm… highlights:

• Windows 10 support ends on October 14, 2025 – no more updates or tech support after that
• Users can upgrade to Windows 11 if their PC meets the requirements for better security and performance
• If your PC can’t run Windows 11, you can:
  • Join the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program (for 1 extra year of security updates), or
  • Buy a new PC that supports Windows 11
• Windows 10 will still work after support ends, but it will be less secure
• Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 will lose support on October 14, 2025 (but get security updates until October 10, 2028)
• Office 2016 and 2019 will no longer be supported after October 14, 2025
• Office 2021 and 2024 will still work on Windows 10, but won’t be supported
• Upgrading to Windows 11 is free for eligible Windows 10 PCs (version 22H2 or later)

That doesn’t make for great reading if you’re reliant on a Windows 10 computer, does it?

However, there might be an alternative lying right under your nose, so to speak, and it comes in the form of the Mac.

Before you close this page and investigate those Windows 11 options, I highly recommend sticking around – just to give me the chance to dispel six misconceptions about switching from Windows to the Mac.

Misconception 1: Macs are stupidly expensive

Granted – Apple has always charged a premium for its devices. MacBooks are typically more expensive than the Windows-based alternatives, and the same can be said for the iPad and the iPhone.

There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, Apple has always viewed itself as the purveyor of quality goods. They have done so since the year they incorporated, and it ain’t gonna change.

Secondly, they genuinely believe their stuff is worth the higher asking price. When it comes to the Mac, I couldn’t agree more. In many cases, it is indeed possible to buy a better-specced Windows laptop, but it will come with a less impressive design, it’ll blow air out of its vents like an aircraft carrier, and it won’t have the desirability factor Apple mastered a long time ago.

Best Windows laptop? Samsung Book5 Pro review

I’d also argue that modern Apple Silicon-based Macs aren’t expensive. You can pick up the base model M4 Mac mini for £599 and the base model M4 MacBook Air for £999. Both represent what I believe is the pinnacle of computing at that price point – I encourage anyone to show me better Windows-based alternatives.

Misconception 2: I haven’t got time to set up a new computer

I can’t comment on how much time you have, personally, to switch to a completely new computing platform, obviously, but I can reassure you that setting up a Mac is ludicrously simple.

Related: M4 MacBook Air review

Setting up macOS from scratch is easy enough alone, but you can now do so via your iPhone. I think it’s a safe bet that many, many Windows users own an iPhone, and if that’s you, you’re halfway there. A couple of clicks on your new Mac and it’ll obtain all it needs from your iPhone to get you into macOS.

As I see it, if you’re teetering on the edge of switching to the Mac but you’re worried it’ll take too long when you first unbox it, you can either stick with what you’ve got and risk serious virus infection, or book out a maximum of thirty minutes to get into macOS (you’ll only have to do it once, after all).

Misconception 3: macOS won’t feel as familiar as Windows

It’s probably prudent to point out at this stage that I made the switch from Windows to macOS. This was, admittedly, a long time ago (around 2005, I believe), but I harboured the same concerns that you might have today.

I knew Windows like the back of my hand. By comparison, the Mac felt completely foreign. Weird, even. Window management was slightly familiar but, equally, totally different. The menu bar at the top of the screen behaved differently. Using the command rather than the control key to invoke keyboard shortcuts demanded that I undo years’ worth of muscle memory.

To this day, there are still elements of macOS that catch me off guard, such was my extended experience of Windows during my formative years. But I learned its intricacies fast when I switched. Arguably, the biggest thing was that command button shortcut. If you can get past that (and you will), you’ll discover that macOS is a far more fluid and enjoyable operating system to use.

Related: M4 Mac mini review

Equally, if you number among the iPhone-wielding Windows users, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover that a lot of the first-party Apple apps on your new computer look and feel just like their counterparts on your phone.

Misconception 4: the Mac won’t work with MS Office

I hear that there are still a lot of people who don’t realise you can run the entire Microsoft Office suite on a Mac. No, really – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook – the lot; I can happily confirm that they all work on Apple computers.

There may be edge cases. For instance, I’m not an Excel power user, and I have no idea if there are any missing features for that crowd on the macOS version of their favourite number cruncher, but a quick Google should confirm, if you’re concerned.

MacBook Air alternative? Microsoft Surface 7 Laptop review

The only Office app I use these days is Outlook, but that’s because it’s my email client of choice on the Mac. It’s probably the best one I’ve used so far (and I’ve been through a lot). I have only moderate experience with the likes of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but in my experience, they felt no different to their Windows counterparts.

If this has been the one thing stopping you from switching to the Mac, I hope I’ve just delivered some very good news.

Misconception (kinda) 5: I’ll get locked into the Apple ecosystem

I can’t sugarcoat this one: you probably will get locked into the Apple ecosystem.

If you’ve already got an iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad, arguably, you already are. The missing piece of the jigsaw is the Mac.

If you’re running an Android phone, it’ll probably only be a matter of time before you switch to the iPhone after picking up your shiny new Mac.

Is this a bad thing? From a usability and productivity perspective – no. As annoyingly sticky as the Apple ecosystem is, that’s also its strength. The way in which each device talks to the rest is unmatched, in my opinion. This is particularly the case with the iPhone and the Mac; I’m yet to find a more cohesive way of working across your smartphone and computer more seamlessly (or reliably).

Want to switch? Read my Mac buying guide!

This is how Apple ‘gets’ you. And don’t get me wrong – as much as I enjoy using certain elements of the Apple ecosystem, it frustrates me that I feel unable to make an Android phone one-hundred percent my daily driver. But that trade-off of ultimate convenience is worth it.

Misconception 6: Windows is better than macOS

I promise the heading above isn’t placed on this page purely to goad Windows users.

Ok, maybe it is. A little bit.

Come on – this is the Internet.

This is a massively subjective topic, of course. And I should note that I don’t dislike Windows; I’ve used it a fair bit during my time as a tech reviewer, and it’s nowhere near as teeth-grindingly breakable as it used to be. But it still isn’t macOS.

If you’re reluctant to come across to the Mac once Windows 10 support ends because you’re concerned that macOS is a step-down, or if you’re worried that you’ll become the Apple Fanperson you’ve always despised, you’re in danger of missing out on a far more enjoyable computing experience.

How to choose: M2 vs M3 vs M4 MacBook

Of course, if you make the switch and come to the conclusion that I’m completely wrong about this, please return here and share your experience in the comments section.

Wrapping up

When Windows 10 support ends later this year, the world isn’t going to fall apart. Your computer isn’t going to refuse to turn on. You’re also unlikely to be hit immediately with a file-chewing, bank-account-emptying virus.

It’s nice to be prepared, though, and now that you know of the impending demise of Windows 10 – and that the Mac is a very real alternative – you’ve at least got time to give it some thought!