Windows 10's demise nears, but Linux is forever

The Register ^ | 28 January 2025 | Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

[Paal Gulli]

"I buy refurbs from Amazon, usually less that $150."

Same here, except I buy from New Egg. I read lots of their reviews and look for trends, never yet been steered wrong.

Old components go through three phases. New & expensive, old & cheap, and then really old, rare and expensive. I look for post-institutional lease boxes, which usually have a mediocre CPU and too little RAM. I look for ones old enough that I can buy the top-tier CPU for that socket type dirt cheap, and that will take at least 32GB RAM. Upgrading the slug & RAM usually costs another $150. Then another $100 for an M.2 SSD to host the OS and the swap space. My /Home slice goes on a YUGE SATA drive. Makes Linux SCREAM for $400.

[steve86]

“My machines don’t have the resources to do that. They’re all pretty much low end, Gen 6 or older.”

My Gen 4 I5 runs Windows 11 in a VMware VM under OpenSUSE just fine.

[daniel1212]

Today, anyone smart enough to use Windows, a very low bar indeed, can use desktop Linux.

Me again, with my usual counterpoint. The above is basically true, and most Windows users do not even car to customize Windows, despite MS removing functionality and enhancements that "power users" could easily implement for efficiency and appearance. And which safe 3rd party apps allow us to recover and more.

Windows users, why not switch to Linux? I do not like the looks and spartan menus of Linux distros, and access to functions. etc. To learn how to render it as I have Windows 11 simply does not warrant the time. But if MS keeps making customization harder, there may come a time.

[daniel1212]

For those that want to keep using a secured windows 10, there is the ability to pay (ugh spit) for updates for awhile longer, and then there is a site that will do updates well beyond microsoft’s end date- can’t recall it now- I’ll see if i can find it

Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10

Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 can be purchased today through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Program, at $61 USD per device for Year One. For more information, see When to use Windows 10 Extended Security Updates. The price doubles every consecutive year, for a maximum of three years. - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/extended-security-updates

[T.B. Yoits]

...but I’m told that now I can only rent Microsoft Word.

$149.99 gets you MS Office Home & Student 2024 - From Microsoft:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/p/office-home-2024/CFQ7TTC0PQVJ

[EVO X]

Thanks for the updated research..

[sethro]

Horrible OS! I remember there being a batch script that would “convert” Windows Server 2008 into a semi-Vista box. I ran with that for a while.

I got Microsoft certified in Vista... SMH

[Myrddin]

A review of Linux AV products review

[Myrddin]

Most of the Linux boxes I administered were behind spin-dial doors or part of the ACE network. I suspect most of the ACE boxes were in secured data centers.

My personal Linux boxes are all inside my home. No visitors. Secure network. The clamAV runs on the Fedora box next to the router. That one is up 24x7. The others are booted as needed.

[hoosierham]

Goofwill online and no doubt ebay are sources for late model PCs unable to run Win11 but have linux pre-installed.

[MomwithHope]

I have been looking for a lenovo laptop with a 10” screen and windows 10. Looking for a new one if I can find it.

[dagunk]

I’ve bought many of those, too. They’ve been more dependable than me ones overall.

I think that when someone refurbishes a machine he’s more diligent about quality control than the q.c. of ones popping off a production line.

***********************************************

The ‘infant mortality’ has passed too. Stuff breaks before 90 days or soldiers on for years.

[dagunk]

Here is where Microsoft has actually been kind to me. MS breaks MS and then folks just go buy a new computer and give me the almost new old one... lol

First thing Wipe and Linux, good to go...

*****************************************************

At work - If I needed a box for a project I’d just go talk to the the IT or supply guys. The secretaries would get their machines swapped out every couple years for the latest and greatest and the old machines still had plenty of life in them. They got a FreeBSD load.

Government guy gave me a little grief about that one year. Told him my way costs nothing in hardware or software. A windows machine with the same capability would cost him $15,000 minimum.

We went and had a drink. He was a Good Guy, didn’t mind him asking. Explained the how and why to him.

[SkyDancer]

I need Windows Media player for W7 and MSFT website says it’s unavailable.

[Bikkuri]

Did you ever attempt to install it (PS5 or PS6) via Lutrix like we had discussed?

[Bob434]

no i haven’t tried that- i was just in a shouting match with adobe because the program i paid $600 for no longer works because they shut down their servers for CS6 and lower so now i can’t deactivate in order to reactivate on another machine- went round and round with them - only to have the3m tell me ‘Nope- you have to buy the subscription if you want to continue using photoshop” basically-

So I’m screwed out of my photoshop because i had it installed on 2 old machines that i don’t have anymore, and i can’t reinstall it on new machine- as they only allow 2 installs -

[pollywog]

Bookmark for later questions!

[Bob434]

Thanks Daniel- there is also the service by someone else that will be free or low cost- i gotta find it again-

[Bob434]

got it- it’s called 0patch or something like that

“0patch Offers Additional Windows 10 Security Updates, Extending Usage Until 2030”

https://www.techpowerup.com/324067/0patch-offers-additional-windows-10-security-updates-extending-usage-until-2030

I can’t vouch for the safety of it though-

[Bikkuri]

"Nope- you have to buy the subscription"

ANY software that you purchase, should be yours (not to copy or redistribute, of course), the way it USED to be.
This subscription crap should be a CAPITOL Crime!

I avoid any of that...



There are cracks out there for CS6, if you run into the issue you are having.