According to Microsoft's lifecycle calendar, Windows 7 left mainstream support on the 13th of January and has entered “Extended Support”. This means that the operating system will still receive security updates, but not non-security ones, and “requests to change product design and features” will not be accepted. While the OS is over five years old, it is still very popular, especially among PC gamers.
My concern is that this occurred while we anticipate major changes to the Windows platform. While I never really expected that Microsoft would release DirectX 12 for Windows, there was still hope that we would see a pre-release or developer build while Windows 7 was still in mainstream support (despite being several driver models behind). Now that the window has closed, so to speak, that hope is diminishing. Windows 8.1, on the other hand, might be okay, but I have no idea why you would want to stick with it over Windows 10, especially if it is a free/cheap update.
Besides DirectX 12, I am also concerned about Microsoft cutting off first-party web browsers at IE11. Sure, it is a much better place to end than IE8 on Windows XP, and the end-user could always install a third-party browser, but it could lead to problems for web developers. It is much easier to say “keep Internet Explorer up to date” (heck, even Microsoft is saying it) than the alternative, “use a different browser”. There are still many features under consideration (Shadow DOM being the most interesting for me) that would be nice to have, and not need to worry about the fraction of a fraction.
But at least it will be kept secure until 2020.
“Now that the window has
“Now that the window has closed, so to speak, that hope is diminishing.”
It’s not just diminishing, it’s 0. It was always 0, with the release date for DirectX 12 being well beyond the Windows 7 consumer support end date. Windows 7 doesn’t even have the right driver model version to support DirectX 12 (DX12 required WDDM 2.0, Win 7 has WDDM 1.1). Given that no version of Windows have ever received a WDDM update, it’s unlikely than even windows 8.1 (WDDM 1.3) will receive DX12 support, unless Microsoft make history by making a dramatic change to the operating system, or cut down DX12 to allow support by WDDM 1.3.
Gotta kinda make ppl upgrade
Gotta kinda make ppl upgrade once and a while else they will sit an on old OS. Least with MS you get 10 years outta it, unlike A fruit company that won’t get named, they cut updates for on their OS couple years. Version of their OS hits like 3 years old, 0 updates even for security flaw’s. I won’t even go in to the whole fiasco of what they did to old core 2 laptops and made made it so you can’t even install newer versions of their OS on them.
You really think that
You really think that enterprises have all the money in the world to spend on software. Enterprises will stay with windows 7 after 2020, and pay M$, it’s not simply about the OS, its getting all the mission critical applications certified to work on a new OS, and some enterprises have just spent years moving from XP to 7, and the costs of millions, if not billions. Any enterprise that has just made the conversion from XP to 7, and those that are still in the process will damn sure be using windows 7 past 2020. For an individual, with no custom mission critical software written at high costs, well there is the option, for enterprises with millions of lines of custom code, running its specific unique set of services, try doing that will 100,000 laptops/PCs, just reimaging them for a new OS, without any testing/regression testing, will take years, and has to be done over years, without disrupting day to day operations.
I’m not going to 10, or any other OS until 2020, and that will probably be the Linux Distro that comes as an option, in addition to windows 7, from my laptop’s OEM(SUSE). If I get a New laptop, it will have to be 10/whatever, completely without TIFKAM, App Store, and all that Cloud and snooping, I’ll only logon to my computer, and not some cloud login, just to be logged into my system. My older laptops, are getting Mint after 2020, it’s not worth it to spend any more money on the older devices.
No but Mantle will be there,
No but Mantle will be there, unlike previously, so AMD will not suffer any ill effects should M$ try to use DX to force users to upgrade. GPU makers need the Best graphics APIs to be available across all OS versions, not just the latest version. AMD was smart with Mantle, so it does not matter what M$ does regarding DX 12, AMD’s customers who want to stay with 7, will have the Mantle option.
Steam OS has yet to be RTM, so things are going to be much different going forward, and Steam, and the Khronos group, as well as the mobile market, will be reworking their APIs, graphics, and others, also. Mantle has had a great influence on the driver/API side of the equation.
With the few games that even
With the few games that even support mantle? When DX12 is out, mantle is pretty much dead well even know it pretty much is. The day the release date for 10 came out and it including DX12 it was over. Game companies don’t want to spend money on a 3rd party API that is only supported by 1 of the 2 major GPU companies less they are getting a nice sized check from them or it makes the game look better and easier to make.
O yea still no mantle SDK like AMD claimed ?
There are only 2 major
There are only 2 major companies providing discrete GPUs for the gaming market, the mobile market uses the Khronos group’s graphics API/s. The gaming companies will develop for windows 7, as it is the OS with the largest market share. AMD can not afford to tie itself to M$’s declining fortunes, and Steam OS is on the RADAR. Once the Mantle libraries are in the SDKs, that the gaming engine makers provide to the gaming industry, it just a matter of targeting the API, not very hard, and the makers of the gaming engine SDK’s provide the tools to make it easy to target all the graphics APIs. So Mantle will give AMD an advantage for those that have windows 7, the largest market share, Gaming companies will target the OS with market share, and while also providing non DX, and DX future support.
It will take years for DX12 adoption, and people can with Mantle, keep their windows 7 systems until 2020.
The Gaming engine companies have the Mantle SDK, but the API, has not been opened to others as of yet, so the game creators have access to mantle, and that is enough for AMD and windows 7 users, who are not interested in M$’s newer Broken UI, App store, closed ecosystem, attempts at monetizing by monopolizing. Steam OS will be a breath of fresh air, for the independent games producers, and AMD needs to get Mantle for Linux ASAP, as well as good support for the Khronos APIs, good Linux compatibility will become necessary for growth going forward.
Note: Apple is in their own world, and is using in house developed APIs, and some compatibility with certain outside APIs, but Apple is more so moving in a different direction.
This is pretty irrelevant to
This is pretty irrelevant to anyone outside of a corporate situation, where they may actually rely on OS support. When was the last time anyone you know contacted Microsoft support for anything? Dating back to Windows 3.1, I’ve never done so.
The only concern is security updates… and by 2020, there’s a good chance Microsoft might actually throw those of us who aren’t on tablets or cell phones a bone that is worth chewing on.
Who cares, we have 4 Win7
Who cares, we have 4 Win7 PC’s in this house and 2 discs in my desk drawer. I don’t need support, I need an OS that doesn’t suck.