Microsoft Ends Support For Internet Explorer 8-10 and Windows 8 (venturebeat.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft today ended support for old versions of Internet Explorer, including IE8, IE9, and IE10, as well as Windows 8. For the browsers, the company has also released a final patch (KB3123303) that includes the latest cumulative security updates and an "End of Life" upgrade notification. In short, the final patch will nag Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 users to upgrade to Internet Explorer: A new tab will automatically open the download IE page. It doesn’t appear Microsoft has plans to push similar notifications for Vista, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2008 R2 users, but this isn’t too surprising: They can’t upgrade to IE11 or Edge without upgrading their operating system. While support for Windows 8 has ended, Windows 8.1 will have Mainstream Support until January 9, 2018 and Extended Support until January 10, 2023.

Comments

Clickbaity summary title

[Moheeheeko]

You cant say Microsoft is no longer supporting Win8 in the title and later in the article clarify that they are supporting Win8.1, they are the same fucking thing, one just has more updates to it.

Re:Clickbaity summary title

[Curunir_wolf]

You cant say Microsoft is no longer supporting Win8 in the title and later in the article clarify that they are supporting Win8.1, they are the same fucking thing, one just has more updates to it.

Not really - it's a different kernel, including boot loader and everything. You can't just say "it's more updates" - that would mean Windows 7 is the same as Windows 10 because "more updates".

I wrote a certification book on Windows 8 that then had to have tons of revisions for Windows 8.1 because we (and the publisher) decided it was not worth doing a production run for the Windows 8 manuals. Trust me, it's a different operating system.

Re:Clickbaity summary title

[PRMan]

Because you are now required to upgrade to 8.1 or 10 if you want support.

Re:Clickbaity summary title

[arglebargle_xiv]

Except that you'll be forced to upgrade to Win10 by increasingly aggressive MS malware long before then...

Re:Clickbaity summary title

[Golden_Rider]

Windows 8.1 is a "service pack" for Windows 8. Microsoft only supports the "service pack-less" version of an OS for one year after the service pack has been made available. So, if you want support for your Windows 8 machine, you need to update to Windows 8.1. It is the same for Windows 7, by the way. Support for Windows 7 *without service pack 1* has already ended in 2013.

Re:Clickbaity summary title

[thegarbz]

Not really - it's a different kernel, including boot loader and everything.

So? When do you really consider something new? Linux Kernel updates come out constantly but that doesn't magically include new support agreements for (e.g.) that specific version of Ubuntu. Likewise with the bootloader.

To be honest as an end user I don't see much more different between Windows 8 / 8.1 and say Windows XP and XP with service packs applied. What changed under the hood is quite different and up to Microsoft, but since they've all but said Windows 8.1 is the equivalent of service packs I find it hard to except an argument that it's not.

Re:Clickbaity summary title

[Ash-Fox]

When do you really consider something new?

As a third party to this conversation... When it's considered an upgrade instead of an update.

Linux Kernel updates come out constantly but that doesn't magically include new support agreements for (e.g.) that specific version of Ubuntu.

Kernel updates, sure. But kernel upgrades usually involve enabling backport repo or such for a reason.

To be honest as an end user I don't see much more different between Windows 8 / 8.1 and say Windows XP and XP with service packs applied.

As an end user, you should know that Microsoft stopped supporting XP before XP SP1, then XP2 etc. (which Microsoft labelled an upgrade and not an update) so while the lines maybe blurred between service packs and operating system release, it's pretty much the same thing when it comes to support.

Thanks, MS!

[DogDude]

I mean it literally: Thanks, MS, for having the longest (free) support time for OS's of any commercial vendor today.

Re:Thanks, MS!

[Darinbob]

But they are spending developer time shipping out updates to remind you to upgrade to the latest products.

Re:Thanks, MS!

[kammermusik]

Ever thought about running W7 in a Virtual Box on a Linux host (https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads)? I would consider that if I were you, especially if your "hardware is somewhat powerful" (works great for me, though my hardware is not that powerful). Not sure it would solve your update problems, though.

Oh Happy Days

[NaughtyNimitz]

Finally we can start building proper websites without IE8 hacks.

Summary not the full story, surprise, surprise.

[dstyle5]

The actual article is though, which is a nice change from a lot of recent articles on this subject:

"Microsoft announced the old IE version cutoff date back in August 2014. At the time, the company said it would only support the following browser-operating system combinations: IE9 on Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2; IE10 on Windows Server 2012; and IE11 on Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2. Since then, Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge have, of course, been released, so they’re supported as well."

Couldn't they end support for Windows 10, too?

[jfdavis668]

Then it would finally be the year of the Linux desktop.

Re:Couldn't they end support for Windows 10, too?

[squiggleslash]

I've not had these kinds of problems for over ten years now, at least with Ubuntu (and apparently Mint, though I've tried that once, but Mint seems to be using Ubuntu for the core install anyway.)

Yes, there are distros out there that do have these problems, and still have them (Fedora booting into a blank screen the other day because it didn't like my Nvidia card was a disappointment) but we're never going to be in a situation where every version of every installs fine by default. Try a generic, non-manufacturer-supplied, Windows DVD at some point on a random laptop that doesn't have Windows already installed - there's a reason most Wifi cards come with a little CD containing drivers.

At least as far as Ubuntu and Mint goes right now, I think they exceed Windows right now in terms of "OS that installs with everything working". People only perceive Windows as being better because they rarely actually install it, and even if they do, they usually do so with their PC manufacturer's installer, not with a disk shipped from Redmond.

Very dumb naming for windows 8

[Joe_Dragon]

They needed to call the updates 8.1 8.11 8.12 8.2

Re:Very dumb naming for windows 8

[darkain]

8.11 for Workgroups?

Re:My PC should keep working w/o gratuitous UI cha

[exomondo]

So run an alternative shell/customization environment like Litestep, Cairo, RainMeter, etc... You already said you do it to solve the problem on Linux so why not do the same thing on Windows?