
Microsoft Warns Windows 7 Has Serious Problems - nikbackm
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2016/01/02/microsoft-windows-7-problems/
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djaychela
I think the problem for MS is that Windows 7 is much like Word 2003. It has
all the features that most users will ever want, and works well enough to mean
there's no real reason to want to upgrade, hence them needing to offer the
free upgrade to 10, and hence that process now slowing down as the "ooh, look,
shiny!" brigade are done, leaving those who are happy with W7 who will take a
lot more persuading.

I've updated my laptop to W10, and when I get a chance it will be reverted to
the image I took before the upgrade, as it offers me nothing new (as a user,
I'm sure the points outlined elsewhere on this page as under-the-bonnet
improvements are true for developers), and in fact works less well than when
it was running W7 - there are a bunch of things that just don't work properly,
and a load of things appear to be unfinished/missing (settings, etc).

If I could move completely away to Ubuntu then I would, but I have one piece
of software on my laptop that I need to run which needs Windows (Cubase), and
on my desktop I have a variety where there isn't a linux-compatible
alternative that works well enough, so that's that. But I will be running W7
until it's too dangerous to do so, as I detested Windows 8, and for me W10
still has the horrible look and feel of it.

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rossy
> There’s only one problem with Capossela’s statements: they are complete
> rubbish.

Woah, okay. Is it possible that Microsoft is telling the truth? Windows 7 will
be supported till 2020, so it will still get security patches, but MS can't
just patch in OS-level threat mitigation features like HEASLR. People seem to
think that the choice between 7 and 10 is a choice of user interface, but MS
still make changes under the hood between versions.

As a software developer, this sort of thing is frustrating, since if you want
to use the shiny new API features of newer Windows versions, you have to write
fallback code for the older versions. Things aren't so bad if the oldest
version you have to support is Windows 7, but back when XP was relevant, that
normally meant supporting DirectSound as well as WASAPI and Direct3D 9 as well
as (or instead of) Direct3D 11.

Personally, I think if you don't like the direction that Windows is going in,
you should consider the switch to Linux or OS X. Specifically, if you prefer a
traditional desktop interface over a touch interface and you don't want your
desktop computer to start looking more like your phone or tablet, Linux and OS
X might be the last places you can turn. When Windows 7 gets as old as XP is
today and 50% of people are still using it, I think developers will start to
get as frustrated with 7 users as they are with XP users.

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Piskvorrr
Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with "your OS is old, buy
this new version - it is better." What irks me with Windows Nein is the
forcible push: "you _will_ migrate NOW, and you _will_ like it, serf! We own
you and your computer anyway."

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Someone1234
> Windows 7 is no less secure than Windows 10

That's definitely untrue.

Both receive security updates, sure, but that's where the similarities end.

In terms of exploitation mitigation Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 pushed things
forward, e.g. SmartScreen, Secure Boot (Device Guard), Control Flow Guard,
Integrity Levels (inc. Restricted Caller), improved KASLR, improved ASLR,
Isolated User Mode (Pass The Hash Protection), SMEP support, SEHOP, tons of
new compiler-provided security functionality, and a more secure IE (better
isolation/boundaries).

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Piskvorrr
Summary: "Windows 7 is a serious (cannibalization) problem for Microsoft," not
the other way around. Cf: Vista uptake vs. XP.

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sreenadh
A rather cheap trick by M$ to get us to move to the 10. Make a good OS that
does not make the users feel handicapped or at the mercy of the company, then
users will come.

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neikos
I think they have burned the bridges for that.

~~~
sreenadh
As someone who is trying to move to Mac and earlier failed to move to Linux. I
must say that Windows has some good applications and I still reply on windows
for that apps. I hope they just the stop all their nonsense interface and go
back to windows 2000.

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gscott
Windows 7 is the last normal operating system from Microsoft so I install it
for myself I can't imagine being stuck on Windows 10 which phones home to
Microsoft on every action you take.

~~~
MollyR
I agree, that really irritated me as well. I've even started to checkout Linux
Mint to prepare myself on leaving windows behind completely.

