content: No, this is part of their business strategy, I'm sure.  I wish I was kidding, but I'm not.  The ability of technology companies to break every device and force people to buy replacements are the dreams of any sufficiently sociopathic stockholder.  Sadly, but unsurprisingly, there seem to be a lot of them.  Google's already started with bricking Nest machines. Best thing for Microsoft is that, in this case, the device is not technically damaged, just your ability to use it on Windows 10 machines has been removed entirely.  For a very large subset of the computer-using population without sufficient technical sophistication (and many who do have that sufficient technical sophistication but have for one reason or another either chosen Windows 10 or got it dumped on them), this means the device is in theory fine but in practice a lump of useless plastic and fiberglass now.