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Microsoft stops sales of Windows 7 Professional to OEMs (MS sticks a fork in Win7 for good)
ComputerWorld ^ | Nov 1, 2016 | Gregg Keizer

Posted on 11/01/2016 2:54:57 PM PDT by dayglored

Microsoft today quietly put an end to sales of Windows 7 licenses to computer makers, marking a major milestone for the seven-year-old OS.

According to Microsoft's rules, the Redmond, Wash. company stopped selling Windows 7 Professional or any version of Windows 8.1 to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) as of Oct. 31.

The end of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 left only Windows 10 as a long-term choice for OEMs that pre-load Windows on their wares.

The original end-of-sales deadline for Windows 7 Professional was to be Oct. 31, 2014 -- two years after the launch of Windows 8 -- but early that year Microsoft broke with practice and only called for an end to consumer systems. It left open the cut-off for Windows 7 Professional, saying it would give a one-year warning before it demanded that OEMs stop selling PCs with that edition.

Microsoft issued that warning a year ago.

Organizations with enterprise licensing agreements and Software Assurance -- the annuity-like program that provides additional rights -- may continue to purchase new PCs, then downgrade the OS from the already-installed Windows 10 to Windows 7 if they want to keep using the older edition.

And new Windows 7 Professional PCs won't vanish immediately; OEMs will be allowed to use what licenses they have in stock.

...[more at link]...

(Excerpt) Read more at computerworld.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: microsoft; windows; windows10; windows7; windowspinglist
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To: dayglored

I tried 10 for about 1 week last year, and it was crap. If I went with it, I would lose several software programs that do not have 10 equivalents. Those software programs are more important than the glitz and glitter of 10.

I will baby my Win7 laptop and desktop as long as possible.

Several weeks ago, I bought a Linux Mint laptop. I have played around with it some, but generally Linux is way behind Windows for productive usability. It doesn’t have equivalents for many Windows utilities and the WINE has recognized only one Windows program, so far. WINE partially loads some others, but ‘partial’ does not help. I am not familiar enough with VM to try that yet. Linux still is more of a hobbyist OS. Even many of the ‘instructions’ and tutorials are poor.


21 posted on 11/01/2016 3:45:17 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: Maudeen
You are not in the dark ages! Windows 10 has nothing on Windows 7. It's less efficient by a tad.

Microsoft is trying to keep its people employed, that's all. You are absolutely correct.

You are a special person for your unwavering honesty.

Cheers!

22 posted on 11/01/2016 3:50:34 PM PDT by Bogie
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To: Flavious_Maximus

What is your source for that info?


23 posted on 11/01/2016 3:58:49 PM PDT by bankwalker (Does a fish know that it's wet?)
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To: Flavious_Maximus

What is your source for that info?


24 posted on 11/01/2016 3:58:49 PM PDT by bankwalker (Does a fish know that it's wet?)
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To: Bogie

Thanks, I needed that! :)


25 posted on 11/01/2016 4:00:55 PM PDT by Maudeen (No one on this earth is too far gone for Jesus.)
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To: wally_bert

Me too.


26 posted on 11/01/2016 4:06:42 PM PDT by yuleeyahoo (Those are my principles, and if you do not like them...well I have others. - Groucho Marx)
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To: bankwalker

Just perform a search “NSA backdoor to Windows OS”

http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/08/22/nsa-windows-8-exploit/

http://www.heise.de/tp/artikel/5/5263/1.html

http://www.wnd.com/2013/06/nsa-has-total-access-via-microsoft-windows/


27 posted on 11/01/2016 4:28:03 PM PDT by Flavious_Maximus
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To: dayglored

Ive been done with microsquish a long time ago.


28 posted on 11/01/2016 4:30:32 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: dayglored

I’ve switched two of my three computers to Peppermint LINUX and will figure something to do with the third before ever switching it to Win 10. Peppermint LINUX will make most people forget about Windows and microsoft.


29 posted on 11/01/2016 4:34:09 PM PDT by ganeemead
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To: Maudeen

Windows 7 is not the dark ages. Is it doing what you need? Are you having any problems with it?

It’s not nice to fix something that ain’t broke.

My Win 7 Pro desktop and laptop do everything I need and has many capabilities I never use. Why should I change? Especially to an operating system that constantly phones home with everything I’m doing?

MSFT is desperate for everyone to “upgrade” to Win 10 so they can sell their telemetric data about you to third parties. To Hell with that :)


30 posted on 11/01/2016 4:45:49 PM PDT by upchuck (Attention Killary: Lying Is Stupid When The Truth Is So Easy To Find)
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To: upchuck

I’m feeling better about not upgrading. At church they are using a later version laptop to show the slides I come up with for announcements, etc. We are getting a little more high tech at the church. The tech kid was gone and I had a hard time just bringing up the powerpoint I did from my flash drive. What was so easy is now ridiculous. Also they are telling me that they are having to subscribe to powerpoint every year????? I’m not sure about that. I know I’m not wanting any of my stuff going to any cloud in the sky! I’ll take my horse and buggy computer program any day at this point.


31 posted on 11/01/2016 9:13:07 PM PDT by Maudeen (No one on this earth is too far gone for Jesus.)
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To: ganeemead

running linux mint- perfect for all my online stuff- I dual boot into windows 7 for everything i want to do on windows- but i do not allow windows access to the INTERNET-

To make life even more fun- I run windows 10 in a virtual machine on my linux desktop because there are a few MS programs i use and don’t feel like rebooting into windows— once again not allowing it access to Internet-

I’ve run linux for about a year or so and will never go back to windows for any online stuff- linux does everything i need it to do online- windows will never see the Internet again UNLESS i need an update n order to run a program or something- but then i switch the connection right back off-

I had thought switching to linux was going to be a nightmare- but it was easy- I wish i had done it years ago- Everything like printer, mouse, keyboard etc- all installed effortlessly- the only thing that doesn’t run well is my intuos wacom tablet- it works, but the stock software for it isn’t nearly as nice or configurable as it is under windows- it works well enough to use- but just can’t assign some buttons on the tablet to common tasks- other than that one issue, everything else has installed fine and works great- no issues at all

And, as an added bonus, my computer no logner sounds liek it’s goign to explode because the fans are running full steam most of the time like it does with windows 7- Linux is way way easier on the computer- (Of course I’m not running games, as there are very few linux games- but even in windows when I’m not running games, the computer just always works quite a bit harder than it does running windows- only rarely do the fans spin up in linux-


32 posted on 11/01/2016 10:20:13 PM PDT by Bob434
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To: dayglored

THANK GOD! Like it’s server-side analog, Server 2008, I’m thankful for this revelation.

Don’t care what the naysayers will grouse, Win 7 and earlier are a pain in the ass to support. With Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2, I have full control of my environment with PowerShell in a way that I couldn’t get on previous OS without a good deal of work.

I physically wince when I have to log into a Win7 or 2008 machine now. The experience is just not as quick and smooth as the more contemporary operating environments.


33 posted on 11/02/2016 3:11:04 AM PDT by rarestia (It's time to water the Tree of Liberty.)
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To: Maudeen

Agree. Win 7 forever, IMHO.


34 posted on 11/02/2016 5:04:07 AM PDT by upchuck (Attention Killary: Lying Is Stupid When The Truth Is So Easy To Find)
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To: Flavious_Maximus

***** Everything you do on Windows 10 is sent to the NSA. *****


I’m not buying that, at least, at this time. I do have reason to believe Win 10 is a very intrusive spying OS and if Microsoft wanted, they could know all your passwords to your bank or 401K, if you access it on a computer using Windows 10.

Stop Windows 10 Spying - Privacy & Security Matter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1kGMCfb2xw

More....

Why is Microsoft forcing Windows 10 Upgrades?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXTWCqTRIag


35 posted on 12/17/2016 4:10:09 PM PST by Valk Rider
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