As the article notes, the increase seems to be driven mainly by users in Asia, where recycling and reusing older hardware is quite common. I wonder if third-party companies are offering extended security patches there, which could make affordable second-hand Windows 7 machines more appealing for people who just need them for browsing or light tasks. It would certainly make sense given recent fiascos and Microsoft’s current stance on AI, especially with generative AI being used to develop system-level code.
I’ve been around the block with linux. I’m no expert but I have used it since the 90’s off and on. And I always go back to Mint. It’s by far the best out of the box. Easy to set up and very intuitive. The only thing I’ve ever had to configure after the install, is sometimes I have to use a proprietary video driver (not hard to change). My Dell 2in1 will not go into tablet mode with the open drivers. You can test drive it from a USB stick before committing to it.