A "Window" on PC OS Evolution
October 7th, 2014 by John Morelock
Are You Making The Right Decisions?
This year (2014) many PC users lost their beloved Windows XP. With Vista being a huge disappointment and Windows 8 being perceived as too different, most organizations choose to stay or move to the tried and true Windows 7 and take a wait and see attitude towards Windows 8.
Now, with the release of Windows 10, many are beginning to worry about the latest impending deadline for Windows 7 and the total death of Windows Vista. On the Windows lifecycle fact sheet, Microsoft notes that it will no longer provide copies of Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium or Ultimate to third-party manufacturers for inclusion on new consumer PCs.
This means that the current stock of computers with Windows 7 preinstalled are among the last that will ever be commercially available. This was originally meant to help Microsoft lower the number of supported operating systems and push consumers towards Windows 8. However it is now being positioned to convince users to skip the current generation (Windows8) all together and move directly to Windows 10 once it becomes available to the public.
Most Business users aren’t going to be affected by the October 31st deadline — the end of sales date for Windows 7 Professional still hasn’t been established and Microsoft promises that it will provide at least one year of notice before the cutoff. However, we are already seeing the price of Windows7 Pro increase. This price increase can only be taken as an encouragement not to use this outgoing product.
Finally, in regards to Windows 7 becoming the next Windows XP, don’t fret: mainstream support for Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 doesn’t end until January 13th, 2015 and extended support will last until at least January 14th, 2020. At this point, Microsoft is just hoping that enough users upgrade to Windows 10 to justify either of the support deadlines.
However, going forward it is worth noting Windows 8 can be made to drive just like Windows 7 and Windows 10 is just around the corner. Windows Vista is already considered the “walking-dead”. As you make your plans for new systems, we can no longer recommend Windows 7. Originally released in July of 2009 Windows7 has been a very successful release but new security concerns, new networking enhancements and new processors are making Windows7 show its age. Windows 10 promises to take the best of Windows 7 and Windows 8 and some new technology to create the right blend for PC users.
You may be asking, what happened to Windows 9. The number 9 in the name could be confused in software for Windows 95 or Windows 98 which would have caused issues. Therefore the planned Windows 9 instantly became Windows 10.
As Windows 10 is released, CBE will deliver the needed reviews to help you make the right decisions and help create that smooth transition you need. As we often say, you take care of your business, we’ll take care of your technology.
John Morelock
Manager of IT Services
JohnM@cbesc.com
Posted in: Office Technology