Windows 7 Entering Extended Support in January 2015
No more new features for Windows 7 after January 2015.
This week, Microsoft issued a reminder to consumers that Windows 7 will exit Mainstream Support and enter the Extended Support phase on January 13, 2015. That means Windows 7 customers will still obtain security fixes until 2020, but the platform will no longer receive cool new features. This change affects all ten versions of the Windows 7 platform.
"Extended Support lasts for 5 years and includes security updates at no cost, and paid hotfix support. Additionally, Microsoft will not accept requests for design changes or new features during the Extended Support phase," states the support page.
Versions of Windows 7 going into Extended Support include Enterprise, Enterprise N, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Professional N, Starter, Starter N, Ultimate and Ultimate N. Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 will also enter Extended Support on January 13, 2015.
Windows 7 isn't the only operating system going into the "Extended" realm. The 12 versions of Windows Server 2008 have only six months left of Mainstream Support, as does Windows Storage Server 2008, Dynamics C5 2010/NAV 2009/Nav 2009 R2, and Exchange Server 2010 Enterprise/Standard.
Customers who are still holding on to Windows 7 may want to take the next six months to determine if Windows 8.1 is the way to go, to hold off until Windows 9 "Threshold" makes an appearance, or to keep using the same platform despite the lack of new features. Given that Mainstream Support for Windows 8 ends on January 9, 2018 and the Extended Support ends on January 10, 2023, Windows 8.1 may be the way to go for customers looking to acquire the latest features.
As of June 2014, Windows 7 held 50.55 percent of the operating system market share, followed by Windows XP at 25.31 percent, Windows 8.1 at 6.61 percent, and Windows 8.0 at 5.93 percent. With Windows 8.1 and Windows 8 combined, they hold 12.54 percent of the OS market, which isn't bad considering the age of the two platforms.
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Personally, I love Windows Phone 8 and Win 8 on a tablet, but every time I have to use it on a desktop, I just keep thinking how idiotic the design is.
I tend to not upgrade things until I have a compelling reason to and so far, there is nothing in Windows 8/8.1 that makes me feel any need to change from 7. Maybe 9 will have something, but from what I have read and seen of it so far, it's just a polished Windows 8. Similar to how 7 is a completed and polished Vista. I am keeping an open mind about 9, but so far, nothing compelling.
(Funny, I just spent several hours today 7/9/14 upgrading 6 computers from Windows 8 to Windows 7 for a client. Note: It was by their request after trying 8.1 for 3 months and hating every part of it.)
Windows 8's biggest problem has been that people are being dissuaded from it by the criticisms of people who've never actually used it.
Windows 8's biggest problem has been that people are being dissuaded from it by the criticisms of people who've never actually used it.
Hope you not including me in that.. I upgraded my desktop for a short while hated it..
Ran it on a work machine for a while.. it was a tablet device.. and while in tablet/touch mode was OK/good.. but when docked and used connected to mouse/key.. hated it.
When used in Mouse/key mode.. its a kludge.. I know it.. and MS know it.. which is why they looking to fix it.
Cheers
Windows 8's biggest problem has been that people are being dissuaded from it by the criticisms of people who've never actually used it.
Windows 8's biggest problem is that it broke all the rules of proper design in a single fell swoop. I put some serious effort into trying to like Windows 8. But the fact that Microsoft decided to hide all the features that those of use who actually use a computer use just made it too painful (almost reminds me of learning emacs). Windows 7 works well with some minor customization, Windows 8 needs a triple bypass to be usable.
Windows 8's biggest problem has been that people are being dissuaded from it by the criticisms of people who've never actually used it.
Windows 8's biggest problem is that it broke all the rules of proper design in a single fell swoop. I put some serious effort into trying to like Windows 8. But the fact that Microsoft decided to hide all the features that those of use who actually use a computer use just made it too painful (almost reminds me of learning emacs). Windows 7 works well with some minor customization, Windows 8 needs a triple bypass to be usable.
I'll give ms credit, they have been trying to fix Windows 8 over the past updates to make it more user friendly, i'll give them credit for that. Windows 8 was a big learning curve for many users in the way it functioned. Windows 8.1 fixed some of the issues people were complaining about with Windows 8. Windows 8.1 update 1 fixed even more issues. So i'll give credit where credit is due here with microsoft actually listening to the consumers issues with these updates. Is Windows 8.x perfect? of course not but with each passing update it is making Windows 8.x more and more user friendly. Adding a real start menu would be the next big thing, but that maybe held off until Windows 9 or Windows 8.2 or whatever they are going to call it.
What features?
Obviously, metro is good for nothing on a desktop PC, but I don't get what the start menu offered that the start screen doesn't, and other than that the changes don't seem to be that huge to me.
I would genuinely like to know what it is that makes Windows 8.1 so awful to many of you.
Needing an account at the MS store just to install a service pack? I can live without that. Needing an account at the MS store to play Solitaire? I can live without that. Needing to turn off and uninstall a mess of blinky Metro "apps" to banish useless bandwidth wasters? I can live without that. Having a schizophrenic OS that can't decide whether it wants to be an Apple clone or something less simplistic and more customizable? I can live without that. "Native" apps that for all the world seem like throwbacks to Windows 3.1? I can live without those. Faster boot times that just mean you are hibernating rather than truly restarting? Yeah, my SSD has that covered, the extra 0.2 second to actually boot is worth the wait. A locked down UEFI that means I have to jump through hoops to dual boot? I can live without that just fine too, thanks anyway.
In short, yes, please do enter extended support for Win 7 tomorrow, if that means you will just provide security updates and not make it more like 8.
Personally, I love Windows Phone 8 and Win 8 on a tablet, but every time I have to use it on a desktop, I just keep thinking how idiotic the design is.
I tend to not upgrade things until I have a compelling reason to and so far, there is nothing in Windows 8/8.1 that makes me feel any need to change from 7. Maybe 9 will have something, but from what I have read and seen of it so far, it's just a polished Windows 8. Similar to how 7 is a completed and polished Vista. I am keeping an open mind about 9, but so far, nothing compelling.
(Funny, I just spent several hours today 7/9/14 upgrading 6 computers from Windows 8 to Windows 7 for a client. Note: It was by their request after trying 8.1 for 3 months and hating every part of it.)