Hi.

Wow, looks like Microsoft isn't playing around anymore, they mean business and want money money money. Why is it that Microsoft cranks out something really good, then turns up something terrible then in a desperate attempt to make things right again cranks out yet something else?
It happened with Vista, it happened with Windows 8, and will probably continue to happen.
Oh well, I'm not a Microsoft customer anymore.
I'll stick to Mac OS X and Windows XP.

Personally, I'm one of the people who don't see that as a bad thing.

Being completely honest, I don't see what's so great about windows 7. My main computer had some problems a few days ago, so I had to switch back to windows 7 on one of my older laptops while I resolved the other system; and truth be told, I couldn't stand it. This may be more because I've gotten used to windows 8, but I could never go back to 7.
In my case, windows 8 seems to perform better in everyday tasks. It's supposed to be better at managing battery consumption, but I can't speak for that since I never really paid much attention. But even in simple tasks such as browsing around with Firefox, windows 8 is superior to seven IMO. There's also the startup speed increase which is even more so using UEFI and secure boot.

Oh and don't get me started on XP. I'm not even going there.

I never actually thought of that but now that you bring it up I remember that you're right. LOL.

Well if Microsoft is thinking of going  bye with win7 they have another thing coming.
For all of us guys that just switched xp because we were essentially forced to even though xp is still better than even windows7 in some respects.
Now I have just upgraded all the computers to 7.
We don't have the cash to do another update so soon.
so ms better think before canning it.
windows7 still has the old style uac.
no modern app support, no needing a ms account to sign in.
no modern cloud based systems.
Nothing like that.
Can't they just leave us desktop users alone for once.
as for 8 and 8.1 I guess its not that bad but I'd hate it if I had to use the thing full time without classic shell.
I have had to do some critical survicing on a win8 system for 2 hours over the weekend.
luckily I was able to search what I needed in the start screen and that was ok and everything else I used was the same.
I do plan to shove over to win 9 when it comes out maybe another of the users may upgrade his box, but I only just got this laptop and I am hardly going to  splash out on another just  so I can get windows 9 on it.
at least not unless it breaks.
I may have to buy windows 9 ofcause and loose most of my feature set but I do wander what ms thinks.
Not to mention we havn't seen windows9 yet only rumours.
I do hope that they are true ms tries to innovate and always gets it out to fast.
In 8's case it was a mixed bag.
if you had a tablet, or several of them and a phone and a pc.
then you were roling in it and wanted it.
But if you don't or just have a desktop then you don't want it.
On the other hand with flash integration on 8 that's one less package to install and that's a less of a headache for us admins.
Another thing is that most of the explorer and desktop windows at least for what I needed were ok and most of the desktop apps I used were ok.
6 years is a while away I only used  support once for windows update.
I have not needed to use ms support officially so far at least not since xp and the support was so bad I had to reformat to make the problem created go away.
My main gripe with windows is that when it breaks the breaks are in an obscure place and require obscure registry edits to fix if you are lucky or running of some fixer apps if you are lucky.
If you have to fiddle round its almost easier to just reformat or wait for an upgrade package if it ever comes.
Right now for example I have an issue with task schedualer where it errors on a task.
I tried to fix things but ended up in stuffing up everything!
Luckily I had backed it all up.
So its  still broken but since I don't need to use it I don't have a problem with it.
Another issue is whenever I plugin an hard drive or anything there is a 10% chance that windows will ask me to reformat.
if I then unplug the drive and plug it in again it works.
I am sure that has to do with how windows checks things are powered.
I also have it where my network will drop the connection and or all cards forcing me to restart from time to time.
After talking to Toshiba I have reduced this but it still happens once a week or so.
My cousin with win8 has the same issue from time to time so its not just me.
But to be honest its not a critical issue and seems to mainly happen when the box has been idol for a time.
Again its an issue which I have chosen to ignore.
And in fact as long as it doesn't effect my performance there are many issues I have chosen to not bother with.
Sometimes when the system starts it does not always come up right, but since it fixes itself I have chosen to ignore that to.
On xp a lot of my issues did not exist at all!
But it was old and ms killed it.
now win7 is old and with the future of the windows environment a bit more uncertain hmph!
At least with 8 there was no choice but to revert.
only those that want  enterprise stuff and want touch will have it as it should be.
Or if you have a tablet then yeah I guess its ok.
But for the rest of us keyboard users touch is for the phone, the I pad and the tablet not the computer.
I even have my laptop touch pad off.

Fully agree with you sebi. Damnit, xp has been released in 2001 and they cut support for it in 2014, and 7 was released in 2009 and they're cutting support for it in 2015? That hardly seems fare.

True.

When I went and bought the hard where for my latest system, I tried to future proof it a bit. In my case, it's a case of trying to hold out until MS settals on a UI and get all the bugs worked out. My current XP machine has been running sense 2006 and my money has been tyte. So, I of cource upgrade when I can, but that doesn't happon as often as I would like at times. If it wasn't for a friend helping with the JAWS upgrades, I may have dumpt that along time ago for NVDA. The seven machine, which I should be getting in my hands soon, should be fully upgradeable asuming that nine doesn't require any more than seven and eight. I think I may have forgotten to by a touch screen. Can you get one of those? To me, a touch screen nor a touch screen interface really don't make sense for a desktop set up, and it seemed like eight was design for that kind of interface. That is part of my complaint when it comes to eight. Then again, maybe if you have the screen flat on the desktop... As for the over all public, you have MS changing the UI when it comes to vista, and you have them changing it again when it comes to eight. Is it any wonder that some of the public are on edge? LOL.

well, most people have their own preference... so, we can't complain much.
Socheat.

Well, that's good articals.

Intresting post trenton. severestormsteve, I thought it was FS coming more like MS. LOL. As an over all note, why the change in UI. the article indecates that it is to make all of their platforms look a like. Why not design their UI to best fit the invirement in question. That is where, at least in part, my complaint lies. From the bits and peaces of info that I have came across, windows eight has an UI that is half desktop and half touch based UI. My problem with the UI is alos dealing with the different sizes of the tiles on the start screen. They seem to make the start screen (which replaces the start menu) into a second desktop. Trust me, one of those is enough. LOL. I may update to nine when it comes out if it meets my needs or I have no other choice. As for why it being design for a touch screen mattering, try using the IPad with just the keyboard and you might see what I mean. LOL.

The title is misleading: "users will continue to get security updates till 2020".

Which is why I am still running win7 32 bit here.
I must admit after all my screaming last year I have not really touched dos of late, but to be honest I am sorting out an Linux box which was an old xp box.
My boxes a laptop and 2 desktops one an i5 duel and one an i5 quad are able to go 64 bit the i5 is 64 bit right now with ssd so I have no issue with updating.
the i3 is a first generation so it may need upgrading  but who knows.
it may be time for another laptop by the end of 6 years its still a long way off.
My plan is to upgrade at least the newest box to win9.
I do hope that ms does separate the desktop and tablet systems though and sets things at least back to normal.
I think because of the business related backlash they have no choice but who knows