Microsoft did everything in its power to get user to take advantage of the free update to Windows 10. It even nagged and fooled people in order to get them on-board before it was too late. This didn’t exactly go over well with those who wanted to stick with their old, reliable version of Windows. Microsoft is now calling out anyone who passed on the update and still using Windows 7, especially those in an enterprise setting. It says that operating system is outdated, and even with patches, it’s not secure enough.
Windows 7 was launched in 2009, offering a reprieve from the nightmare that was Vista. This OS update not only cleaned up a lot of the unnecessary junk in Windows, it streamlined the system to make it run better on low-power netbooks. Those were really hot at the time. Now, not so much. Windows 7 also introduced the new taskbar, “Aero” window management, and libraries.
Microsoft seems determined not to end up in another Windows XP situation, which required several support extensions to ensure the company wasn’t leaving too many users behind. It was finally able to end official support for XP in 2014, almost 13 years after it was released. Now, you only get support and updates for XP if your business has an expensive custom support contract with Microsoft. Right now, Windows 7 has extended support guaranteed through January 13, 2020. After that, no more public patches will be rolled out. Although, Microsoft says the public patches might not be enough to keep Windows 7 safe anyway.
Markus Nitschke, the head of Windows at Microsoft Germany posted a rundown of the situation on Microsoft’s Technet site. In it he says Windows 7 “does not meet the requirements of modern technology, nor the high security requirements of IT departments.” It’s based on a security model from almost a decade ago at this point, which doesn’t take into account the nature of online threats. Nitschke says that waiting for the official end of support to move can result in added costs from malware.
Meanwhile, Microsoft says Windows 10 is the most secure OS it has ever released. It includes biometric login support, application sandboxing, and advanced threat protection via Windows Defender. These features make Windows 10 capable of repelling some threats it hasn’t even been specifically patched for yet.
With only three more years of support, you can expect Microsoft will spend more and more time pushing this narrative that Windows 7 isn’t good anymore. It desperately doesn’t want Windows 7 to become XP v2.0.
[Source:-Extreme Tech]
