Mainstream support of Windows 7 ends this week, an important signal of things to come.
We are at a threshold. If it isn’t obvious by now, to Windows users, it will be soon enough. This week might not be the end of Windows 7, as it was for Windows XP, yet it sure looks like a notice of “de facto” discontinuation of a product destined to be forgotten by the end of 2015.
The end of mainstream support is not, in fact, an end-of-life notice, but it is the end of support prior to the latest service pack available. Any future update up to the effective end-of-life of the operating system will be released only to systems where a service pack has been installed.
Windows 7 might have been the life-saver of those who initially hated Windows 8, but that was a whole “Windows 8.1 ago”, and now times have changed. Windows 8.1, even with all one could nit-pick about user experience, has improved to a level that is far ahead of Windows 7, for reliability, stability, and even looks.
From what we know, transitioning from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, if electing to do so when the time comes, will be a much smoother experience than from Windows 7, a radically different product that will present a bigger challenge in retaining user settings and applications.
In a business setting, time is of the essence, and every minute spent backing up files and reinstalling applications from one system to another, is time lost.
One could contend that upgrading to Windows 8.1 only to have to upgrade to Windows 10 next year, is a waste of money.
Microsoft has been very clear in its last unveiling. Windows 10 will be a responsive operating system, which is planned to be compatible across multiple devices, from smartphones, to tablets, to laptops and desktops.
There is nothing more beneficial than an ubiquitous operating system, and this means big savings for businesses looking to simplify their IT infrastructure. Upgrading Windows 8.1 systems to Windows 10 means cutting in half the time that would be required to upgrade from Windows 7, a procedure, as mentioned earlier, which entails the entire backup of applications, files and user settings, only to reinstall the full range of applications on a clean Windows 10 installation.
If upgrading your old laptop to a new modern operating system isn't an option, buying a new laptop with Windows 8.1 may be your best option to guard against the latest viruses and cyber threats..