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Microsoft Stops Selling Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 To Computer Makers (venturebeat.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report on VentureBeat: Out with the old, and in with the new. Microsoft yesterday stopped providing Windows 7 Professional and Windows 8.1 licenses to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including its PC partners and systems builders. This means that, as of today, the only way you can buy a computer running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 is if you can still find one in stock. Two years ago, Microsoft stopped selling Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium, and Windows 7 Ultimate licenses to OEMs. Now Windows 7 Professional and Windows 8.1 are also out of the picture, leaving Windows 10 as the only remaining option, assuming you want a PC with a Microsoft operating system. This is Microsoft's way of slowly phasing out old operating systems.
More like the market stopped buying it...
If that were really true, why were all the serious business PC suppliers still offering Windows 7 Pro preinstalled right up until yesterday, in many cases as the default option when you ordered online ahead of Windows 10? Why did several of them have detailed explanations ready today for how to use downgrade rights to get back to the Windows 7 you actually wanted instead of the Windows 10 that Microsoft now forces them to supply? And why is Windows 7 still by far the largest OS in the marketplace well over a year after 10 was out, despite Microsoft literally giving the latter away and aggressively promoting it to the extent that many people wound up switching to it and then vocally complaining that they hadn't wanted to?
at least to the point where it isn't worth supporting it.
Now we're getting somewhere. Older Windows operating systems do not fit with Microsoft's vision of a service-based, always-online future. Since Nadella is basically betting his business on making that happen (and, to be fair, so far what they're making in other areas seems to outweigh what they're losing in OS revenue) this seems unlikely to change unless and until there is a change in senior management.
I still find it an odd strategy. They're basically playing to the non-geek home users ("Free upgrades! New shinies!") and the enterprise market (Win 10 Enterprise is practically a different OS to the other editions) at the expense of the whole small business, power user and geek level in between. I can see them possibly making a lot of money doing that in the short to medium term. But in the longer term, that middle group is the one that often sets the direction of the industry, and sooner or later a competitor or two will surely exploit that.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
As someone with small businesses dealing with sensitive commercial and personal data, not only do we give a crap, so do our lawyers. YMMV, but the telemetry and automatic updates are not a non-issue for those too small to be using the enterprise-level tools.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
No no, they are phasing out customers...
Cause win 10 can go f itself.
_ _ _ Go for the eyes Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!
It's amazing that a change to an interface somehow makes customer data flow out somewhere. I'm going to assume you can't follow a conversation and just froth at the mouth at the opportunity to mention telemetry every chance you get.
Amazing isn't the word I would chose to describe it. Quite mundane and easy to understand is more appropriate.
Step 1.
Develop single search UI that blends everything and does not provide any obvious indication or option to limit searches and obviously resulting data leakages. The point of this is maximizing intentional leakage of data by intentional malicious UX design.
Step 2.
Lawyer working a case types "Rob's rap sheet" into the search box on their computer intending to bring up file for case they are working. This data is sent to a public search engine with no expectation of privacy.
Doctor types "Gloria's Gonorrhea" into the search box on their computer intending to bring up file for patient they are working. This data is also sent to a search engine.
Windows 10 is intentionally ENGINEERED to leak information and invade privacy and confidentiality of information at every opportunity.
Also worth remembering Windows 10 is distributed with a fully functional RAT (Remote Access Trojan) installed and ENABLED by DEFAULT granting Microsoft the ability to exfiltrate data without either your explicit consent or knowledge.
https://web.archive.org/web/20...
https://web.archive.org/web/20...