Windows 10 Deadline Boosts Mac Sales

The Windows 10 end-of-support deadline is driving the largest coordinated PC replacement cycle in years across the industry, and Apple is emerging as one of the main beneficiaries as Mac shipments accelerate.

Counterpoint Research this week reported that nearly 40% of the global installed PC base was still running Windows 10 ahead of the October 2025 cutoff, triggering early fleet renewals across both commercial and consumer channels. This pressure lifted shipments for most large brands, and the Mac is among the strongest gainers. According to Counterpoint, Apple's global Mac shipments grew 14.9% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, supported by demand for new MacBook models and rising enterprise adoption of Apple hardware.

Lenovo remained the largest PC vendor and had the highest annual growth at 17.4% year-over-year. Asus saw 14.1% year-over-year growth. HP followed with a 10.3% increase, driven by commercial penetration. Dell shipments declined 0.9% year-over-year. Counterpoint said that the top five vendors together controlled nearly three-quarters of the global PC market in the period, while smaller brands were flat or down.

Counterpoint noted that computer companies have started marketing systems with neural processing units and integrated AI features. While these features have not yet converted into a primary sales driver at scale, enterprise buyers are beginning to incorporate AI capability requirements into forward procurement so as not to retire devices before emerging AI workflows arrive.