Microsoft Ends Mainstream Support For Windows 7

jones_supa writes The mainstream support of Microsoft Windows 7 [ended Monday]. The operating system leaving mainstream support means no more platform updates, no new features, and end of free support. Windows 7 will now enter extended support, which means that security updates will keep coming, and support will be offered for charge. The final end of support for Windows 7 will be reached January 14, 2020. Is anyone nostalgic for Windows 7?

Comments

But

[rossdee]

Some people are even now upgrading to Win 7

I wouldn't touch 8.x with a 3 metre resident of Warsaw

Re:But

[Balthisar]

I'm a Mac user primarily, and a Windows 7 user at work (rollout was completed late last year). Even I don't hate Windows 8.1 (Windows 8.0 did suck, though). It boots to my desktop, I set up my preferences, and I'm mostly all set.

My only gripes are minor: Hiding the Startup Items folder is bad. Not being able to manage files in a folder for a Start Menu is bad. I still can't find crap I've deleted from the Start Screen if it's not a real application (like, say, the Microsoft Store).

Although I don't plan to give up my Macs as primary workhorses (and HTPCs) any time soon, I'm a bit frustrated at all of the B*S* networking issues with Yosemite. Still not enough to make me switch, though.

Re:But

[Penguinisto]

Serious question - does it also fix that bullshit Metro/Modern/Whatever UI?

Re:But

[DarkOx]

The funny part is the role reversal. To make efficient use of the Win 8.x start menu, you either need a touch device or you have to use the keyboard short cuts. Otherwise you are picking up the mouse, locating the startmenu, putting the mouse down to start typing a search string, then picking the mouse back up to click the result.

I use it on my VM, its actually a blazing fast way to find stuff if you go all keyboard, but get the mouse involved and its tedious. I don't have so many desktop applications that anyhting is more than a few clicks away in my organized XFCE doc though on Linux or the old start menu wasn't pretty efficient with the mouse.

Thing is keyboard shortcuts really are probably better and the search function saves the steps of actually defining all those shortcuts.

It makes me laugh though because if I suggested on any Linux UI that a former Windows user learn the keys, I was an apologist for an apparent UI failure. Now all the Windows folks are running around insisting the UI is just fine because its fast with the keyboard!

Re:But

[Just Some Guy]

We bought a laptop for my then-12-year-old son so he could play Minecraft without using ours. It shipped with Windows 8 and he is young and unexperienced enough to not have any prior opinions. And above all else, it was his beloved Christmas laptop, not some random beige box that an employer shoved onto his desk. In other words, this was the best possible scenario for someone to like Windows 8.

Two years later, he despises the desktop with a passion. Sure, his programs run well once he launches them, but everything else is a hassle. It looks weird. Nothing works like the lab computers at school. His friends don't have anything like it. It's obnoxious for the sake of being obnoxious, and I've heard plenty of complaints about Windows itself since we got it. They're good natured and he isn't ungrateful: when I asked him if he liked his laptop, he told me he loves it and it runs great, "but is the next Windows going to be less stupid?"

If you make a UI change and Retirement Joe in the office pool doesn't like it, well, that's probably just Joe being crotchety and close-minded. But what's it say when a malleable early teen who didn't have preconceived notions also thinks it's illogical and weird? I think it says you've done something very, very wrong.

Re:Nostalgic for Windows 7?

[tom17]

Yeah this, lol. My employer just finished with the Win7 rollout last year!

And on my personal device, I have not had any desire to leave Win7 as of yet. I skipped over Vista so I will likely do the same with 8.

Win7 is the new XP

[Anonymous Coward]

Some companies are still moving out of XP, and into Win7. Changing the entire digital infrastructure of a company is a costly affair (lots of non-productive hours by people, as well as purchasing new software, but lost time is far more important), and companies are not willing to do this quickly.

Microsoft will not be making themselves popular if they keep forcing enterprises to update their systems by dropping support and security updates (yes, 2020 sounds like it is far away, but it is only 5 years away, which is pretty soon in terms of investments).

Re:Win7 is the new XP

[pla]

Microsoft made a terrible mistake in allowing enterprises to remain on XP so long and thus allowing this culture of not upgrading to take place.

"Allowing"? Good one!

If Microsoft had tried to force companies to migrate to Vista, we would have seen 2007 as finally the year of "Linux on the Desktop".

Software vendors need to get a grip on their role in the ecosystem. They serve us, not the other way around. When people still run XP (hell, people still run 95!), that should tell Microsoft everything it needs to know about the viability of continuing its current trend toward forcing rapid unwanted change on people.

Re:Win7 is the new XP

[Jason Levine]

There should be constant updates to Windows? This might work if you're a 5 person shop, but what if you're managing the IT resources of a 10,000 person company? Upgrading Windows means you need to make sure you're not breaking a business-critical application. If your Windows update will break this, you need to either 1) upgrade that application first, 2) migrate to a compatible application, or 3) somehow run this application in a VM. This might be a challenge if there is one application to consider, but when your organization gets large, there might be dozens of these applications to consider. Then there are employee training issues to consider. (Especially if you were moving to Windows 8's new UI.) The IT manager who just says "we're updating to the new version of Windows and too bad if it causes issues" will quickly find his users storming his office demanding answers as to why critical business systems don't work anymore. I suspect said IT manager would also quickly find himself searching for a new job.

Windows 7 like XP did - does what we need...

[jzarling]

Windows 7 like XP does what we need, with a familiar UI.

As an office we are going to skip 8/8.X - its not a bad OS, my parents adapted once I installed Start8 (yes I know there are free apps out there).

Re:It was the best Windows

[Anonymous Coward]

Windows 8 is fantastic, and the best Windows by far, if you install Classic Shell, tiny window borders, and maybe 7 Taskbar Tweaker. Without those things, it drops below XP in terms of usability.

Now, should I have to install third party things just to have a usable system? Probably not.

Re:It was the best Windows

[jbolden]

I agree with you on Windows 2000. That was really the high point of Microsoft comparatively. XP mainly brought Windows 2000 features to a wider range of machines. And around the same time Apple overtook them with OSX 10.1-10.2 which was so clearly better.

I had very high hopes that they were going to force through hardware changes in Windows 8 but Microsoft seems to have repeated the same mistakes as with Vista allowing OEMs and customers not wanting to spend to force them into using an OS on inappropriate hardware and thus destroying its reputation.

7? Are you kidding?

[kheldan]

I'm still on XP, mainly because the box it's running on is almost 10 years old and running a single-core processor. I have other priorities for my money than building a new box just so I can run a newer OS. Not that I wouldn't like a faster, multi-core processor, mind you, but I just can't justify the expense when I have other things I'd rather spend the money on before that. Have to build it myself, too, no pre-built computers, and nothing non-upgradable like a NUC, either. I suppose Win 7 would run on this box OK, but I also don't want to have to go through all the hassle of upgrading and then having to re-install everything I've got installed right now. It works fine the way it is, it does everything I need it to do, and frankly I spend more time outside the house doing active things than I used to spend inside staring at a monitor and have benefitted thereby.

Re:7? Are you kidding?

[Anonymous Coward]

Because computers (arguably one of the most important tools in modern society today) are sooooo expensive now...

I just bought a thinkpad with dual core processors from 3 years ago that runs windows 7 like a dream for $100. You can't spare a hundred bucks?

Re:Nostalgic for Windows 7?

[afidel]

Windows 10 is where the enterprise is going. I literally just got out of a meeting where we were discussing our goals for the year and Office 2013 and probably Windows 10 (depending on launch date and apparent buginess) are on the list. As far as your MBP, that's fine for you if you work in IT, but if you think most businesses are going to give every worker drone an expensive Mac with about 5-10x the support cost (as in I have numbers that show our Mac users cost that much more depending on their level of competence/IT independance) you're delusional.

Re:64bit

[Smauler]

XP will go down in history as the best OS made. Ever.

Win2k was better.

Re:Windows 8.1 is just ridiculous.

[Sir_Substance]

but XP was clearly the most powerful OS that MS has made, and Windows 7 is a barely usable but certainly much less convenient OS than XP.

It's very true. For years I thought that I liked windows 7 more than XP, but then about 3 years ago I had to use an XP machine at work, and I realised it was much better then 7. The only thing I missed from 7 was pinning windows to the start bar.

It turns out that what I really want from an operating system is to not notice it. Windows 7 is like windows XP, but flashier. Flashiness is not a desirable attribute in an OS. XP represented peak functionality over form for microsoft, and the balance has been going the other way since then.

I don't want your OS to respond to voice commands, I don't want it to automatically sync my files, I don't want push notification apps. If I wanted that I'd download a program to do it

I want a robust hardware abstraction so I can pretend thumb drives work the same as magnetic SATA drives, an understated and gentle file manager/desktop, and that's all.

I don't even want your browser. Bring back the thing which lets me choose a browser the first time I start the computer.