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Windows 7 still popular


AdvancedSetup

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I wish I could go back to 7; unfortunately Intel and AMD getting onboard with Microsoft's mandate to no longer provide driver support for the aging OS has made it all but impossible to use on any modern hardware (basically anything newer than 1st gen Coffee Lake, i.e. the 8xxx series CPUs/Z370 chipset, and even that is difficult due to lack of native USB 3.0 support so it's only possible with certain motherboards and requires slipstreaming of compatible USB 3.x drivers into the OS install disc, assuming you can find them).  Kaby Lake was the last platform 'officially' supported for Windows 7, and even its support was quite limited and only happened because so many business users/companies demanded a solution to allow them to purchase new hardware with 7 instead of 8/8.1 or Windows 10 on it.

I've been using 10 as my only OS for several months now and I still hate it.  It's unstable, has a very confusing interface for finding settings; items that were once logically grouped together are now separated between two interfaces (the newer 'PC Settings' modern interface and the classic settings/control panel applets) and that's not even mentioning the mountain of telemetry/user data the OS collects compared to previous Windows versions.

Edited by exile360
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18 minutes ago, exile360 said:

I wish I could go back to 7; unfortunately Intel and AMD getting onboard with Microsoft's mandate to no longer provide driver support for the aging OS has made it all but impossible to use on any modern hardware (basically anything newer than 1st gen Coffee Lake, i.e. the 8xxx series CPUs/Z370 chipset, and even that is difficult due to lack of native USB 3.0 support so it's only possible with certain motherboards and requires slipstreaming of compatible USB 3.x drivers into the OS install disc, assuming you can find them).  Kaby Lake was the last platform 'officially' supported for Windows 7, and even its support was quite limited and only happened because so many business users/companies demanded a solution to allow them to purchase new hardware with 7 instead of 8/8.1 or Windows 10 on it.

I've been using 10 as my only OS for several months now and I still hate it.  It's unstable, has a very confusing interface for finding settings; items that were once logically grouped together are now separated between two interfaces (the newer 'PC Settings' modern interface and the classic settings/control panel applets) and that's not even mentioning the mountain of telemetry/user data the OS collects compared to previous Windows versions.

So, you hv ported to 10 after all !! with time will get used to it.

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22 minutes ago, sman said:

So, you hv ported to 10 after all !! with time will get used to it.

It's not getting used to it that's the problem.  What I can't get used to is the fact that it's almost constantly having issues, especially after updates.  It seems with nearly every update cycle, something breaks on one of my systems or both.  I keep all my drivers and software up to date, but still have issues more frequently than with any other OS I've ever used going all the way back to Windows 3.1.

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Well look at Ron's top post - "Microsoft ending support of Windows 7 in January 2020 the operating system is still at almost 25% of OS market share"  anyway when its gone. I'll go to 10....  everyone has a good point...  I liked XP & I still like 7...... I'll post back here when I go to 10....  this is my 2 cents  

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7 hours ago, exile360 said:

It's not getting used to it that's the problem.  What I can't get used to is the fact that it's almost constantly having issues, especially after updates.  It seems with nearly every update cycle, something breaks on one of my systems or both.  I keep all my drivers and software up to date, but still have issues more frequently than with any other OS I've ever used going all the way back to Windows 3.1.

have you approached MS? what's their response? better attack them for causing such system havoc.

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Most of the issues I've experienced are widely reported by others so there's little point, plus with all of Microsoft's data collection, they're well aware of pretty much everything that happens on every Windows 10 device, especially errors, so while I have not approached them directly, I am certain they know about it.  Besides, you can't talk to anyone who actually works for Microsoft on their own support forums (Technet); it's just volunteers that help out there, and I don't want to go to their support just to have them tell me I need to reinstall Windows (again); something I've done more times than I can count to try and fix issues since I started using 10.

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7 minutes ago, exile360 said:

Most of the issues I've experienced are widely reported by others so there's little point, plus with all of Microsoft's data collection, they're well aware of pretty much everything that happens on every Windows 10 device, especially errors, so while I have not approached them directly, I am certain they know about it.  Besides, you can't talk to anyone who actually works for Microsoft on their own support forums (Technet); it's just volunteers that help out there, and I don't want to go to their support just to have them tell me I need to reinstall Windows (again); something I've done more times than I can count to try and fix issues since I started using 10.

Shouldn't let them go scot free, after all the damage. Take it with media, letters to editor editorials, higher up's tech support, etc. to highlight the issues. After all MS would like to improve/update issues involved, for better product.

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MS is aware of all the negative sentiments around Windows 10, I just don't think they care.  Either they've got a replacement OS/overhaul of 10 in the works to address it, or they expect the PC industry to die and everyone to move on to mobiles and consoles exclusively outside of datacenters, so it's possible that the future of the Windows desktop OS is non-existent in Microsoft's roadmap (which would also explain why they have said from the beginning that Windows 10 would be the 'last' version of Windows; while most interpreted that statement as MS implementing a long term roadmap of simply patching the OS and adding new features over time, it might also mean that they don't expect Windows based computers to be in use for much longer, and while I hope they are wrong, all signs in the industry indicate that they are correct; the Windows computing market has been shrinking for years, with only the gaming sector showing any growth, and Microsoft would much rather gamers migrate over to XBOX/console than stick with Windows which is likely why they've made it so seamless to transition between the two with XBOX Live now being cross-platform for games).

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13 minutes ago, exile360 said:

MS is aware of all the negative sentiments around Windows 10, I just don't think they care.  Either they've got a replacement OS/overhaul of 10 in the works to address it, or they expect the PC industry to die and everyone to move on to mobiles and consoles exclusively outside of datacenters, so it's possible that the future of the Windows desktop OS is non-existent in Microsoft's roadmap (which would also explain why they have said from the beginning that Windows 10 would be the 'last' version of Windows; while most interpreted that statement as MS implementing a long term roadmap of simply patching the OS and adding new features over time, it might also mean that they don't expect Windows based computers to be in use for much longer, and while I hope they are wrong, all signs in the industry indicate that they are correct; the Windows computing market has been shrinking for years, with only the gaming sector showing any growth, and Microsoft would much rather gamers migrate over to XBOX/console than stick with Windows which is likely why they've made it so seamless to transition between the two with XBOX Live now being cross-platform for games).

It's said that MS is moving towards Azure cloud platform as Saas as a service.

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Yeah, even Windows 10 itself with the app store and UWP apps, MS is pushing to become more like Apple and Google with a much more restrictive, mostly web based environment rather than the versatile, powerful operating system Windows has been from the start.  One day soon, users like me may be forced onto Linux, and that platform is looking more attractive every day.  I just wish game support was better, because even though I don't game too much these days, most of the games I do occasionally play don't run on Linux (or in Whine).

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With popularity, Linux functionality will improve. Linux gaming - Wikipedia

Quote

Performance[edit]

In 2013, tests by Phoronix showed real-world performance of games on Linux with proprietary Nvidia and AMD drivers were mostly comparable to results on Windows 8.1.[48] Phoronix found similar results in 2015,[49] though Ars Technica described a 20% performance drop with Linux drivers.[50]

 

Quote

On 12 October 2013 Lars Gustavsson, creative director at DICE, said to polygon.com[86]

We strongly want to get into Linux for a reason," Gustavsson said. "It took Halo for the first Xbox to kick off and go crazy — usually, it takes one killer app or game and then people are more than willing [to adopt it] — it is not hard to get your hands on Linux, for example, it only takes one game that motivates you to go there.

 

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48 minutes ago, sman said:

With popularity, Linux functionality will improve. Linux gaming - Wikipedia

 

That was the claim every year now for 20 years and Linux is still only at 1.28% of market share.

Bottom line is that Windows is still difficult for the masses and even the best Linux experience is miles off from Windows for the average user.

 

 

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Let's wait for Win10 EOL for change to happen. yes. it will be difficult for users to switch but some shift will be inevitable with time.

there are Linux versions with feel & look of Win, which shd gain if users do want to go for change.

Edited by sman
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Yes, I'm sure it will but I probably won't be around to see that. Seriously doubt I have another 30 years in IT Support, the last 20 has shown only marginal gains for Linux on the desktop. It has always had fantastic use as a Server but the desktop is a hard nut to crack.

Best of luck though. Not sure Windows 10 will reach EOL as we know it. I believe they have different plans on how that plays out, but time will tell for that too.

 

 

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MS focus is now on Win 10X launch soon which is set to be more lighweight, secure and performance intensive OS but not for all, maybe in future.

What is Windows 10X and why does Microsoft need it?

What is Windows 10X and why does Microsoft need it? – BCFocus:  

https://bcfocus.com/what-is-windows-10x-and-why-does-microsoft-need-it/

Windows 10X: Everything you need to know | Windows Central

https://www.windowscentral.com/windows-10x

The only way to access Windows 10X is to install its image file and Microsoft Emulator from the Microsoft Store.

Differences from Windows 10

Taskbar Icons are aligned to the center rather to the left.

The taskbar is automatically hidden and by pressing it, it will show up.

This was specifically intended for dual-screen devices, but development is being shifted to single-screen devices.

The Action Center] is now called Quick Settings.

Windows 10X is stripped of all legacy components and legacy apps run in an emulator.

Edited by AdvancedSetup
corrected font issue
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The latest on Azure cloud platform and surge in pandemic driven e-commerce 

Microsoft's Azure Cloud remains in a good position going into the holiday season: Jefferies analyst (cnbc.com)

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2020/11/20/microsofts-azure-cloud-remains-in-a-good-position-going-into-the-holiday-season-jefferies-analyst.html

Breaking Analysis: Azure Cloud Powers Microsoft’s Future

Breaking Analysis: Azure Cloud Powers Microsoft's Future - Wikibon Research

https://wikibon.com/breaking-analysis-azure-cloud-powers-microsofts-future/

2020-11-21_18h19_16.png

Meet the Microsoft Pluton processor – The security chip designed for the future of Windows PCs

Meet the Microsoft Pluton processor – The security chip designed for the future of Windows PCs - Microsoft Security

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Our vision for the future of Windows PCs is security at the very core, built into the CPU, where hardware and software are tightly integrated in a unified approach designed to eliminate entire vectors of attack. This revolutionary security processor design will make it significantly more difficult for attackers to hide beneath the operating system, and improve our ability to guard against physical attacks, prevent the theft of credential and encryption keys, and provide the ability to recover from software bugs.

 

Quote

Pluton design redefines Windows security at the CPU

Today, the heart of operating system security on most PCs lives in a chip separate from the CPU, called the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). The TPM is a hardware component which is used to help securely store keys and measurements that verify the integrity of the system. TPMs have been supported in Windows for more than 10 years and power many critical technologies such as Windows Hello and BitLocker. Given the effectiveness of the TPM at performing critical security tasks, attackers have begun to innovate ways to attack it, particularly in situations where an attacker can steal or temporarily gain physical access to a PC. These sophisticated attack techniques target the communication channel between the CPU and TPM, which is typically a bus interface. This bus interface provides the ability to share information between the main CPU and security processor, but it also provides an opportunity for attackers to steal or modify information in-transit using a physical attack.

The Pluton design removes the potential for that communication channel to be attacked by building security directly into the CPU. Windows PCs using the Pluton architecture will first emulate a TPM that works with the existing TPM specifications and APIs, which will allow customers to immediately benefit from enhanced security for Windows features that rely on TPMs like BitLocker and System Guard. Windows devices with Pluton will use the Pluton security processor to protect credentials, user identities, encryption keys, and personal data. None of this information can be removed from Pluton even if an attacker has installed malware or has complete physical possession of the PC.

 

Edited by AdvancedSetup
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Oh. The future of Windows is WCOS (windows core OS) 

Windows Core OS: The complete guide | Windows Central

https://www.windowscentral.com/windows-core-os#:~:text=%20Here%27s%20what%20Windows%20Core%20OS%20is%2C%20at,6%20Doesn%27t%20replace%20legacy%20Windows%2010.%20More%20
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That's where Windows Core OS comes in. With Windows Core OS, Microsoft is building a universal base for Windows that can be used across all these different devices. Instead of having to develop a new version of Windows 10 for every new device type that comes along, Microsoft can simply use Windows Core OS to start. They would then pull in features and functions it has already built for it, and create it as an OS for that device type. All that would be created with less overhead and fewer resources used.

Windows Core OS strips Windows down to the bare minimum. It doesn't include any legacy components or features, and sticks to UWP as a core for the operating system as it's lighter and already universal. From there, Microsoft can build out Windows Core OS with different components and features that it can then apply to devices where necessary. But this time, those components and features can be shared across the many different devices Windows Core OS will run on.

It's essentially a modular platform. Any feature or function Microsoft builds for it can then be applied to any Windows Core OS device that it wants. For example, let's imagine Microsoft builds out Win32 support as a component for Windows Core OS for desktop and laptop devices. Since that work has now already been done, Microsoft can also bring that Win32 component to HoloLens 2 or Surface Hub 2X running Windows Core OS, enabling that functionality on those experiences too.

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Here's what Windows Core OS is, at its core:

A universal base for Windows products.

Allows Microsoft to build new versions of Windows for different device types quickly and efficiently.

Shares components and features where it makes sense.

Features faster updates.

Is the future of Windows on new and unique device types.

Doesn't replace legacy Windows 10.

 

Edited by AdvancedSetup
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Could be, but could very well not be. Don't have the link on hand but there have been many "ideas, roadmaps, etc" that have failed miserably for  Microsoft since they started. 

Regardless, it has nothing to do with this topic at all. The topic is about Windows 7 still surviving. Not what "might" be on the horizon for Microsoft.

 

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