Microsoft is Finally Done With Windows 7 and 8.1

Microsoft is Finally Done With Windows 7 and 8.1

upstart writes:

Microsoft Is Finally Done With Windows 7 and 8.1:

Windows 7 has had a long life, and even though Windows 8 and 8.1 were less popular, there are still many people who haven't updated to Windows 10 or 11. Microsoft is now saying goodbye to both 7 and 8.1.

[...] Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 were all significant milestones for Microsoft, and the entire PC industry. Windows 7 fixed many of the rough edges that kept PC buyers away from Vista. Windows 8 was a radical departure towards a tablet-friendly design that not everyone was happy with - including some people here at How-To Geek. Microsoft followed it up with 8.1, which re-introduced some desktop elements and fixed a few issues, and later fully merged the two design principles with Windows 10. The varying problems meant many people simply stayed on earlier versions - StatCounter reports that 11% of PCs worldwide are still on Windows 7, while 2.59% are on 8.1.

If you're still using Windows 7 or 8.1, you should really upgrade to Windows 10, or Windows 11 if that's even an option. Switching to Linux may be an alternative, though many modern distributions will struggle on most Windows 7-era hardware. Debian still supports 32-bit x86 PCs, among other distros.

Sorry, Microsoft Has Finally Stopped Support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1

upstart writes:

Windows 7 is more than a decade old, but the company had previously extended security support for those willing to pay:

Poor, beleaguered Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 are now officially strolling the Elysian Fields of dead operating systems as Microsoft that the end of its support for them finally arrived on Tuesday. [Jan. 11]

[...] Of course, both operating systems will still run on computers, but a lack of software patches does open up plenty of vulnerabilities. The last patch Windows 7 received for ESU customers was back in December.

[...] In the meantime, adoption of Windows 11 has been pretty slow for Microsoft's tastes. Analytics firm Statcounter reported at the tail end of last year that the latest OS accounts for just under 17% of Windows market share. It barely beat out Windows 7, which claimed 11%. Last year, the company included a host of new features for the OS, including new accessibility and security features, but that still hasn't made enough of a case for the 68% of Windows 10 users to finally make the switch.

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