Technology

I would assume that newer versions use more RAM, too, because they gradually added features or tweaked configurations that use more RAM. But I don't see how this changes the reality of the actual usage number...?

You can argue that they're better utilizing modern hardware and providing features users want, so the usage number should be judged differently. That is definitely the case. But Windows is still the slowest consumer operating system, so it certainly doesn't absolve them of the critique.