El Reg report on Windows 10 bullying

[bootneck02]

by denying support for Win 7 and 8 on new CPUs
Yes, you can run Windows 7, but only on hardware fit for Windows 10

18 Jan 2016 at 07:02, Richard Chirgwin
In a stunning example of consensus-building, Microsoft has somehow persuaded the big names of silicon that it would be better for all concerned if they quietly euthanize Windows 7 and 8.1.

Accordingly, Redmond, Intel, Qualcomm and AMD have occupied the same room without injury long enough to promise that future products like Kaby Lake (Intel), 8996 (Qualcomm) and Bristol Ridge (AMD) will not be sullied with Windows 7 or 8.1 code.

Windows 7 is already getting put on a nil-by-mouth diet: it gets “security, reliability, and compatibility” support for older silicon until January 2020 (2023 for 8.1).

After 2017, Microsoft's post states, security fixes will only be released if they don't pose a risk “reliability or compatibility”.

The Terry Myerson-authored blog post says for Windows 7 to function, “device drivers and firmware need to emulate Window's 7's expectations for interrupt processing, bus support, and power states.

“As partners make customisations to legacy device drivers, services, and firmware settings, customers are likely to see regressions with Windows 7 ongoing servicing” (we suspect the post could have withstood more rigorous editing).

Picking out the gems so you don't have to, El Reg was particularly struck by this part of the post:

In clarifying this policy, we are prioritizing transparency with enterprises on where to find the highest reliability and best supported Windows experience: Windows 10 on any silicon, Windows 7 on the down-level silicon it was designed for, or a device on the support list.

OEMs also formed into well-ordered, obedient ranks, with Lenovo, HP (the one that likes to have Inc after its name) and Dell all politely providing canned quotes for the announcement

 

[floppybootstomp]

Business as usual then

All that concerns me about computers, really, is if they can play the latest games releases.

And by 2020 the situation may have changed a great deal.

See: Linux; Ubuntu specifically; Android; Steam.

 

[bootneck02]

My feeling is that more people will be looking around for alternatives to Windows and as Linux Distro's are becoming more user friendly for the Likes of Ubuntu and Mint and user friendly and If I can successfully use Mint so can the majority of PC non technical users do so. What is stopping people is they feel comfortable with Microsoft products. But when they realise they are the owners of their PC's and not Microsoft and it is possible to another stable FOR FREE operating system they might start to transfer their minds. Anyway I see the future in tablets etc and less reliance on Home PC's

 

[floppybootstomp]

As of right now from what I can make out the young folk favour laptops and tablets anyway and there's a significant number who just own phones for internet interaction.

Having said that there's been a definite swing away from gaming consoles with desktop PC's now being used as the favoured gaming machine. Why is this? Several reasons - better graphics; keyboard and mouse beats a controller most of the time; PC games decidedly cheaper than console games.

I've been faffing about with Linux since 1999 and up until about six years ago I couldn't get any Linux OS to run stable or let me operate it easily. I think the first one that really worked for me was Suse or it may have been PC Linux OS. But Mint just kinda worked out of the box.

There are purists who will scoff at Mint and easy to use Linux OS's but me? I couldn't care less, if I like it I'll use it

 

[bootneck02]

There are purists who will scoff at Mint and easy to use Linux OS's but me? I couldn't care less, if I like it I'll use it


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