Microsoft finally ends Windows 7 and 8.x support
This week signals the end of the line for Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 support. After years of extended security updates, no more bugs or security holes will be patched in the venerable operating systems.
Windows 7 had a good run. When it launched in 2009, it helped Microsoft bounce back from the disastrous Windows Vista era. Windows 8, by contrast, was almost as big of a disaster as Vista but for a different reason. Whereas Vista was bloated and slow, Windows 8 was simply marred by a very bad interface that was universally panned.
This transition is no different than what we went through last decade with end-of-life support for Windows XP, said Mike Cherry, senior analyst at Directions on Microsoft. “We all understand that even though we have a perpetual license in theory, we’re at the mercy of how long Microsoft focuses on [the version].”