Who’s Going to Stop Windows 7? Not Windows 8.1, ...

These days, the most Microsoft news are about either Windows 8/8.1 or Windows XP, as the first still struggles to become successful, while the latter will soon get the axe.

Of course, with these two in mind, most people forget about Windows 7, which continues to be the number one operating system in the world and, indirectly, could even become a real Windows 8 killer.

How come, you might ask. Pretty simple, actually.

Windows 7 continues to improve its market share on a monthly basis, even though Microsoft has launched not only the new Windows 8, but also its first major update dubbed Windows 8.1.

Statistics provided by market researcher Net Applications do nothing more than to confirm that nobody can stop Windows 7 right now, especially because most Windows XP users prefer to switch to this OS version rather than to Windows 8 or 8.1.

Windows 7 posted a market share of 47.52 percent in December 2013, up from 46.64 percent the month before and from 44.55 percent in February 2013.

While this growth is quite impressive given the fact that Windows 8 was on the market for the whole year, it’s also another sign that Windows 8 isn’t quite the top choice for users looking to switch to a newer OS version.
Who?s Going to Stop Windows 7? Not Windows 8.1, That?s for Sure
 
It could become the new XP. Market share will only climb If it replaces XP in the corporate world. If that happens they will use it for a very long time before contemplating another upgrade. I would think the quick release cycle for 8.x is going to be a nightmare for the IT Pro. If Microsoft keeps it up that is.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
It could become the new XP. Market share will only climb If it replaces XP in the corporate world. If that happens they will use it for a very long time before contemplating another upgrade. I would think the quick release cycle for 8.x is going to be a nightmare for the IT Pro. If Microsoft keeps it up that is.

Yep and on the XP side the hardware is dated and getting hard to replace take the HDD and try to replace that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win7/8 Mint
    System Manufacturer/Model
    lenovo W530
    CPU
    intell i7
    Motherboard
    Lenovo
    Memory
    16gb
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    512 gb ssd
    Other Info
    Around 13 million employes
The VA, just recently, updated thousands of terminals from Windows XP-Pro, to Windows 7 (???)

At, I'm sure, a considerable COST, to "We The People".

It's doubtful that they will be doing that again anytime soon. Eh?

:cool:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win-8.1/Pro/64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer X-1200
    CPU
    AMD 2 Core
    Motherboard
    Acer
    Memory
    Crucial, 4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDEA GeForce 9200
    Sound Card
    On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Acer
    Hard Drives
    Sandisk, SSD 500GB
    PSU
    Acer
    Case
    SFF Slimline
    Keyboard
    emachines 101 key
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Internet Speed
    5 Meg
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Using Classic Shell on Win-8.1 /pro/64
That's the thing, any corporation moving to 7 now isn't going to be in any hurry to do it all again any time soon. I would think retaining costs would be a lot lower when moving to 7 versus 8. That makes 7 a better choice for the next OS in use. Likely less hardware upgrades with 7 than 8 too. Drivers for 7 should be available for a lot of hardware that's out there too. As near as I can remember its always been this way. The corporate world only moves on when it has to, and usually moves on to the next well established OS.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Consumer support for Windows 7 ends 1/13/2015 but enterprise customers can pay for extended support until 1/15/2020 so they have 6 more years to move to the next product (windows 9 or 10 by then)

Jim :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro w/Media Center 64BIT
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS - Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X6 1100T
    Motherboard
    ASUS M5A99X EVO
    Memory
    Crucial Balistic DDR-3 1866 CL 9 (8 GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI R6850 Cyclone IGD5 PE
    Sound Card
    On Chip
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VE258Q 25" LED with DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Two WD Cavier Black 2TB Sata 6gbs
    WD My Book Essential 2TB USB 3.0
    PSU
    Seasonic X650 80 Plus GOLD Modular
    Case
    Corsair 400R
    Cooling
    Antec Kuhler H2O 620, Two 120mm and four 140mm
    Keyboard
    AVS Gear Blue LED Backlight
    Mouse
    Logitech Marble Mouse USB, Logitech Precision Game Pad
    Internet Speed
    15MB
    Antivirus
    NIS, Malwarebytes Premium 2
    Other Info
    APC UPS ES 750, Netgear WNR3500L Gigabit & Wireless N Router with SamKnows Test Program,
    Motorola SB6120 Gigabit Cable Modem.
    Brother HL-2170W Laser Printer,
    Epson V300 Scanner
Consumer support for Windows 7 ends 1/13/2015 but enterprise customers can pay for extended support until 1/15/2020 so they have 6 more years to move to the next product (windows 9 or 10 by then)

Jim :cool:

Windows 7's consumer editions were due to drop off the support list on Jan. 13, 2015, a deadline that has now been moved to Jan. 14, 2020.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro, Desktop Mode
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Me
    CPU
    AMD FX-8150
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H
    Memory
    8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 (9-9-9-28)
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon HD 6570
    Sound Card
    Creative X-Fi Titanium
    Monitor(s) Displays
    PX2710MW
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080@60Hz
    Hard Drives
    1x1TB Western Digital WDC WD1001FALS-00J7B1 ATA Device Caviar Black -

    4 x 2TB Seagate ST32000542A -
    1 x 4TB Seagate External
    Case
    Antec
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14
    Keyboard
    Logitech Illuminated Keyboard K740
    Internet Speed
    60meg cable
    Browser
    Cyberfox
    Antivirus
    AVG Security Suite
Consumer support for Windows 7 ends 1/13/2015 but enterprise customers can pay for extended support until 1/15/2020 so they have 6 more years to move to the next product (windows 9 or 10 by then)

Jim :cool:

Windows 7's consumer editions were due to drop off the support list on Jan. 13, 2015, a deadline that has now been moved to Jan. 14, 2020.

They drop off Mainstream Support on 1/13/2015 and are not eligible for Extended Support that runs to 1/14/2020.

Non-security related hotfix support
During the product support Extended Support phase, Non-security related hotfix support requires the purchase of a separate Extended Hotfix Support Agreement (per-fix fees also apply). Please visit Please Verify your Location for more on Product Support Lifecycle information.
Important: Non-security related hotfix support is not available for Desktop Operating System consumer products.
The following Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP editions are considered Desktop Operating System Consumer Products and therefore do not qualify for a non-security related hotfix

Windows Version
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Home Basic
Windows 7 Starter
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Starter
Windows XP Starter Edition
Windows XP Home Edition

Still get security updates only.

Jim :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro w/Media Center 64BIT
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS - Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X6 1100T
    Motherboard
    ASUS M5A99X EVO
    Memory
    Crucial Balistic DDR-3 1866 CL 9 (8 GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI R6850 Cyclone IGD5 PE
    Sound Card
    On Chip
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VE258Q 25" LED with DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Two WD Cavier Black 2TB Sata 6gbs
    WD My Book Essential 2TB USB 3.0
    PSU
    Seasonic X650 80 Plus GOLD Modular
    Case
    Corsair 400R
    Cooling
    Antec Kuhler H2O 620, Two 120mm and four 140mm
    Keyboard
    AVS Gear Blue LED Backlight
    Mouse
    Logitech Marble Mouse USB, Logitech Precision Game Pad
    Internet Speed
    15MB
    Antivirus
    NIS, Malwarebytes Premium 2
    Other Info
    APC UPS ES 750, Netgear WNR3500L Gigabit & Wireless N Router with SamKnows Test Program,
    Motorola SB6120 Gigabit Cable Modem.
    Brother HL-2170W Laser Printer,
    Epson V300 Scanner
I stand corrected.
But they'll be getting a huge hullabaloo over this one....
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro, Desktop Mode
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Me
    CPU
    AMD FX-8150
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H
    Memory
    8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 (9-9-9-28)
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon HD 6570
    Sound Card
    Creative X-Fi Titanium
    Monitor(s) Displays
    PX2710MW
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080@60Hz
    Hard Drives
    1x1TB Western Digital WDC WD1001FALS-00J7B1 ATA Device Caviar Black -

    4 x 2TB Seagate ST32000542A -
    1 x 4TB Seagate External
    Case
    Antec
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14
    Keyboard
    Logitech Illuminated Keyboard K740
    Internet Speed
    60meg cable
    Browser
    Cyberfox
    Antivirus
    AVG Security Suite
They drop off Mainstream Support on 1/13/2015 and are not eligible for Extended Support that runs to 1/14/2020.

:confused:


Non-security related hotfix support
During the product support Extended Support phase, Non-security related hotfix support requires the purchase of a separate Extended Hotfix Support Agreement

That applies only to non security support.They are eligible for extended support ( just not the non security bits ).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
. . .and Billy Gates made how much more last year. . .no say it isn't true. . .15.8 billion dollars (U.S.) more than the year before. . .no way. . .MS is falling Windows 8 is a total failure. . .how can he have done that. . .omg. . .:doh:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8, (VM win7, XP, Vista)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion p1423w
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 3330 Ivy Bridge
    Motherboard
    Foxconn - 2ADA Ivy Brige
    Memory
    16 GB 1066MHz DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 5450
    Sound Card
    HD Realteck (Onboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Mitsubishi LED TV/Montior HD, Dell 23 HD, Hanspree 25" HD
    Screen Resolution
    Mit. 1980-1080, Dell 2048-115, Hanspree 1920-10802
    Hard Drives
    1 SanDisk 240Gig SSD, 2 Samsung 512Gig SSDs
    Case
    Tower
    Cooling
    Original (Fans)
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Keyboard 2000
    Mouse
    Microsoft Optical Mouse 5000
    Internet Speed
    1.3 (350 to 1024 if lucky)
    Browser
    Firefox 19.1
    Antivirus
    MSE-Defender
They drop off Mainstream Support on 1/13/2015 and are not eligible for Extended Support that runs to 1/14/2020.

:confused:


Non-security related hotfix support
During the product support Extended Support phase, Non-security related hotfix support requires the purchase of a separate Extended Hotfix Support Agreement

That applies only to non security support.They are eligible for extended support ( just not the non security bits ).

They get ONLY security updates and that is all. No other updates and no telephone support.

Jim :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro w/Media Center 64BIT
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS - Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X6 1100T
    Motherboard
    ASUS M5A99X EVO
    Memory
    Crucial Balistic DDR-3 1866 CL 9 (8 GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI R6850 Cyclone IGD5 PE
    Sound Card
    On Chip
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VE258Q 25" LED with DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Two WD Cavier Black 2TB Sata 6gbs
    WD My Book Essential 2TB USB 3.0
    PSU
    Seasonic X650 80 Plus GOLD Modular
    Case
    Corsair 400R
    Cooling
    Antec Kuhler H2O 620, Two 120mm and four 140mm
    Keyboard
    AVS Gear Blue LED Backlight
    Mouse
    Logitech Marble Mouse USB, Logitech Precision Game Pad
    Internet Speed
    15MB
    Antivirus
    NIS, Malwarebytes Premium 2
    Other Info
    APC UPS ES 750, Netgear WNR3500L Gigabit & Wireless N Router with SamKnows Test Program,
    Motorola SB6120 Gigabit Cable Modem.
    Brother HL-2170W Laser Printer,
    Epson V300 Scanner
. . .and Billy Gates made how much more last year. . .no say it isn't true. . .15.8 billion dollars (U.S.) more than the year before. . .no way. . .MS is falling Windows 8 is a total failure. . .how can he have done that. . .omg. . .:doh:

Bill Gates owns much more than Microsoft. Not to mention investment returns in business he partially owns, including Apple. Finally, a huge amount of his wealth is in, and or going to, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. So hopefully he will keep rolling in the money because that foundation does a lot of good around the globe.

That said, I think it also shows at least part of the reason the company as slid downhill since he left the helm.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7/8
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-3770k
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia 630
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 23 inch LED
    Screen Resolution
    1680X1050
    Hard Drives
    1 internal 1tb, 1 external 3tb
I think we already know by now that the de facto standard of Windows in the enterprise space is 7 and will be 7 until the year at least 2020. And, I think we already know why that is: vista was a code flop and wasn't able to be used on Xp era PCs. The other wasthat Xp and 7's release date difference were eight years apart. That's a REAL long time to stay on one OS for sure.

Chances are however, maybe in five years 7 will be replaced by whatever version is out. The Win32 coding environment is just inherently flawed security wise while WinRT is rather solid as of now, although WinRT needs further expanding on. Just one of several reasons why any company should move from Xp to 7 is obviously UTTERLY better security. In the future, Windows 7 won't cut it for security and with the way Windows is being released/updated every year or so now, third party developers might be less inclined to support elder systems.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
Coke Robot, you make some good points. One thing to consider though is the new development environment for true Modern Apps. Many large Corporations have hundreds, or in the case of the global company I am with, thousands, of vertical application. Many of those are internal and cost millions to re-code, test, train, deploy.

This is not a Microsoft bash, but honestly, if it will require a wholesale recoding away from Win32, many companies may consider alternatives such simply running VM servers with Windows 7, or possibly another desktop platform if the dollars are right. I think we'll continue to see support for Win32 for many years to come. As an example, Oracle has pushed for years to get the developers to move to java; however, they still fully support and develop PL/SQL because most of us have millions of lines of code in it, and frankly why kill the golden goose.

The real world always takes time to catch up with what is being developed or deployed. When I left Microsoft in 1995 I saw code we beta tested and used internally still coming out post 2000. Then add on the lag adoption and it was probably another 5 years beyond that before it saturated the market.

I totally agree we'll see Windows move towards the modern API, but it's likely going to be at a slower rate than us geeks think.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7/8
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-3770k
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia 630
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 23 inch LED
    Screen Resolution
    1680X1050
    Hard Drives
    1 internal 1tb, 1 external 3tb
I think it is pretty obvious that businesses (and most private users) implement every other OS. Who still remembers Vista (which came before W7)? Exactly....

It also seems for every other OS MS implements something new that takes an entire OS generation to get right. Vista had all new kernel and other revolutionary things, but before W7 they didn't really get the resource hunger under control and people didn't want it.
With W8 they introduced a really new GUI and it probably will take them to the release of W9 to get that right.

It is like with all new technolgies, you have to wait for at least the 2nd generation to get a mature product. Like the first hybrid drivetrain was pathertic comapred to todays, the first EV were pathertic compared to a Leaf. the first smartphone (Blackberry) now look like bricks.

Unfortuantely IT departments don't want that "1st generation" technology. And how would an IT department implement W8? Would they use W 8.0, 8.1, or 8.2? all of which seem to be different beyond just service packs.

Edit: Whoever switched to W7 when it came out made the best investment. One time implementation cost, and 10 years service life. Businesses that switch today to W7 still have the same implementation cost, but only have 6 years of useful life left.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro 64
    CPU
    Core i3 3.3 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB 1600 MHz
    Hard Drives
    SSD Samsung 830 128 GB
I think it is pretty obvious that businesses (and most private users) implement every other OS. Who still remembers Vista (which came before W7)? Exactly....

It also seems for every other OS MS implements something new that takes an entire OS generation to get right. Vista had all new kernel and other revolutionary things, but before W7 they didn't really get the resource hunger under control and people didn't want it.
With W8 they introduced a really new GUI and it probably will take them to the release of W9 to get that right.

That is not entirely true. and every time a see a post like this, it needs to be addressed.

"The following list describes the recommended minimum hardware requirements for basic functionality of the different editions of Windows Vista. Actual hardware requirements will vary"

The third parties and OEM's sold PC's with the "recommended minimum hardware requirements for basic functionality".

At the time, I was working for a small PC shop. We did not sell them with the bare minimum, and when people asked why, we told them why. They bought our PC's and were quite happy with Vista.

Go back to XP days and you will find the same thing happened, yes, actually, completely identical.

Most everyone was running 32G of Ram for Win98 and when they dropped XP in, it acted the exact same way
and when they added more ram (typically 64M to 128M) they were much happier.
In the end, by SP2 everyone knew that XP ran phenomenal on 512M of Ram and that is what most people upgraded too. Since then, RAM has only been an issue for gamers, Video/Audio rendering, and Virtual Machines. However, at least 1.5G to 2G of ram is recommended to Run XP extremely well for everything else today.

In fact, Win7 and Vista run pretty well on 2G, but 4G's is what I recommend.

These are all indisputable facts.

Vista was a perfectly fine OS with some small flaws, but it was NOT entirely MS's blame
99% of that blame lay at the OEM's, 3rd party developers of software and drivers that drug their feet to get things working in Vista due to many changes that occurred in Vista from XP. They were all perfectly aware of these changes well in advance, and they ignored them, completely.

WinME was a completely different story and that OS was a complete joke, and abandoned as quickly.
But Vista was NOT ME.

As for Win8, the OS works perfectly fine, the GUI is different, but not hard.
There are some small annoyances, but the system is in no way unusable.

As for how long 7 will be around, no body knows that, it could be 2 years or 50.

Now, IF MS can pull off the Modern App with full cross platform capabilities, of Laptop/Desktop to Tablet to Phone?
AND, Developers actually create stable working apps that are good enough?
Trust me when I say, all bets are off.

I already know many who are getting Surface Pro's over iPads due to the ability to install whatever they want and have access to Remote Desktop stuff for work.

The message is getting out what a Surface Pro is capable of over the competition.
And if they don't take head, they will suffer.

Edit: Yes, many iPad owners looking at the iPad Air and then seeing the Surface Pro and getting the Pro, and :eek: being happy with the choice they made.

So, while a lot of you are sitting here in LALA Land thinking you know so much, there are things going on without your assistance and people are happy.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    I7-3770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77
    Memory
    CORSAIR 8GB 2X4 D3 1866
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX680 4GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 24" LED VG248QE
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG E 256GB SSD 840 PRO -
    SAMSUNG E 120GB SSD840 -
    SEAGATE 1TB PIPELINE
    PSU
    CORSAIR GS800
    Case
    CORSAIR 600T
    Cooling
    CORSAIR HYDRO H100I LIQUID COOLER
    Keyboard
    THERMALTA CHALLENGER ULT GAME-KYBRD
    Mouse
    RAZER DEATHADDER GAME MS BLK-ED
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    APC 1000VA -
    LGELECOEM LG 14X SATA BD BURNER -
    CORSAIR SP120 Fans x 3 -
    NZXT 5.25 USB3 BAY CARD READER -
    HAUPPAUGE COLOSSUS
Chances are however, maybe in five years 7 will be replaced by whatever version is out. The Win32 coding environment is just inherently flawed security wise while WinRT is rather solid as of now, although WinRT needs further expanding on. Just one of several reasons why any company should move from Xp to 7 is obviously UTTERLY better security. In the future, Windows 7 won't cut it for security and with the way Windows is being released/updated every year or so now, third party developers might be less inclined to support elder systems.

Nah, there is nothing "wrong" with win32 "security." Indeed, because of Microsoft's efforts, Win7/8 are the most "secure" mass-market OSes it's possible to buy. Your assessment of WinRT is way off, sorry to say: the only "security advantage" RT has at the moment is that almost no one is running it and therefore almost no one is actively trying to hack it...;) I mean, why should they? What's in it it for the RT hacker?

OS X is much the same. Apple continuously rolls out security patches in every OS update the company releases, exactly after Microsoft's example, but so many fewer people and companies use OS X than use Windows that it scarcely generates the same degree of publicity and interest that Microsoft's monthly updates generate.

The huge, practically insurmountable advantage Microsoft has presently with Windows is that it dwarfs the third-party hardware and software support of every other OS shipping on the planet; every Linux distro, every Apple OS that ever shipped, OS/2 (r.i.p.), Solaris, etc, ad infinitum. That's what makes Windows so much more compelling a choice by such a wide majority of customers, in case you were wondering. But it's those very same advantages that also incite the interest of the great majority of hackers, who don't waste their time hacking OS X when hacking Windows automatically provides them with 20x the potential target base--and WinRT is such small potatoes that it doesn't even register on the hacker's "wanna'be" scale...;)

So far, at least in my opinion, Microsoft is equal to the task. If you keep your Windows 7/8 box patched up to date (once a month), and you run Microsoft Security Essentials in 7 (a more robust version of MSE is built into Win8), you should never be troubled by "security" woes. I know that's been true for me for years--can't remember the last "nasty" that got me, it's been so long ago.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    UEFI install of Win8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    self-crafted
    CPU
    FX-6300 @4.515Ghz
    Motherboard
    MSI 970a-G46
    Memory
    8 GB DDR3 (2x4) 1600 @ 1800
    Graphics Card(s)
    2GB HD 7850 @1.05GHz core/6GB/s ram
    Sound Card
    RealTek 892
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HannsG HZ281
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 320GB sata2 boot UEFI install of 8.1 x64;
    1TB WD Blue SATA 3;
    Seagate 2x 500GB sata2's in RAID 0
    PSU
    Corsair GS600
    Case
    LIan Li
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    Logitech Internet k-board
    Mouse
    Microsoft Sidewinder
    Internet Speed
    VDSL
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    built into OS MSE/Defender
    Other Info
    Had a brain amputation followed up by an all-lobe "clean-up" lobotomy last year, am doing fine. Life is so much simpler, now.
Tepid: i agree much of Vista problems were OEM drivers and people that upgraded old hardware. but I muyself built an all new PC when Vista SP1 already was out. I had core2duo (OC to 3.5 GHz), 7200 rpm WD Black Caviar HDD and 4 GB of 1066 RAM, so way above the min. requirements. I also had a fairly modern gigabye baord, so all drivers should have been OK. But whenever i did something requiring memory (i. e virsuscan) the PC was really slow. It was slow even compared to my then 3 year old 2 GB laptop with XP.
I then desperately upgraded to 8 GB, which helped a bit. And no, I'm not just to stupid to set it up right. I did a great deal of research on Vista forums to figure out how to make Vista run faster.

But when W7 came out I installed the (not even completed) beta version on my 2 GB laptop and it ran circles around my high-powered 64-bit Vista desktop. That latpop with 2 GB and slow HDD started up in less than 1/3 the time my desktop with 8GB and Black Caviars! That latpop was not supported by Dell for Vista or W7, but i had no problems to get the beta W7 version to run properly. So yes vista sucked big time...

I'm not even sure if I made it to SP2, but as soon as W7 was officially released I bought W7 and banned Vista from my desktop. My desktop felt 10 times faster and when I did the same memory heavy things (i.e. virsusscan) I could fully use the PC.

I dont even want to know how Vista behaved on a 2 GB desktop as you suggest should suffice.

I assume a desktop with 16 GB RAM, SSD and quadcore CPU can make Vista useful, but that was not a reasonable hardware requirement at the time Vista was released.

Whether you are right about vista, or if I'm right is moot since the vast majority of IT departments and users agrees with me based on Vista market share then and now. I'm not even sure if Vista ever got more than 10% marketshare while competing with an almost 10 year old XP. The only reasons i had chosen Vista is because I wanted 64 bit and thought with all new hardware it should not be a problem. In hindsight I should have just kept XP untill W7 came out.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro 64
    CPU
    Core i3 3.3 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB 1600 MHz
    Hard Drives
    SSD Samsung 830 128 GB
I think it is pretty obvious that businesses (and most private users) implement every other OS. Who still remembers Vista (which came before W7)? Exactly....

Actually I recall Vista as a great OS--on my desktop, that is. I had no trouble with drivers or with Vista, even when I made the jump from Vista 32 to Vista 64-bits many years ago. Where Vista had its severe teething problems was in OEM laptops (Dell, HP, etc.) which hadn't done their driver-model homework for Vista and were trying to run it on their systems with much older drivers. The hardware driver model changed with Vista (to a more secure model) but the OEMs were dog-slow in getting their custom drivers done--most of them tried unsuccessfully to run XP and XP-64 drivers in Vista and Vista 64, respectively. Didn't work. Was entirely the fault of the notebook OEMs as Microsoft had supplied them with the foundational driver model tools and base a *full year* before Vista shipped.

At home I have the luxury of hand-picking my own hardware components for my desktop and the folks who manufactured my desktop components had their Vista drivers ready to go at the proper time. Made all the difference.

It also seems for every other OS MS implements something new that takes an entire OS generation to get right. Vista had all new kernel and other revolutionary things, but before W7 they didn't really get the resource hunger under control and people didn't want it.
With W8 they introduced a really new GUI and it probably will take them to the release of W9 to get that right.

It is like with all new technolgies, you have to wait for at least the 2nd generation to get a mature product. Like the first hybrid drivetrain was pathertic comapred to todays, the first EV were pathertic compared to a Leaf. the first smartphone (Blackberry) now look like bricks.

Actually, the GUI in Win 8 was nothing like a paradigm shift in GUI's--it was, regrettably, simply a misapplication of a touch-screen UI. Metro or Modern or whatever you want to call it, was always just a *touch screen* GUI. It should have been reserved for touch-screen devices exclusively, because all Microsoft wound up with was a situation in which the company was trying to force a touch-screen specific UI on people who don't own or want touchscreens and prefer to use a keyboard and mouse and sitting in a comfy chair in front of a large, easy-to-read monitor.

So what has been happening with 8's GUI since 8.1 is that Microsoft is having to reinvent the wheel and bring Win8 full circle to what it should have been in the first place--a desktop-friendly GUI which also offers a touchscreen GUI to those people with touchscreens who might want it. So in the case of the Win8 "Metro" GUI we aren't really dealing with a "new" concept in GUIs--just, as I say, a touchscreen UI that Microsoft erroneously tried to force on its user base whether those customers had touchscreens or not. It's not surprising, therefore, that the people responsible for this mistake have already left Microsoft and are in the process of leaving Microsoft even as we speak...;)

If with 8.2, let's say, Microsoft can fix the Win8 GUI so that it's attractive and useful for desktop users again, as was Win7, then business might be picking up Win8 far more rapidly than has been the case so far. Microsoft surely doesn't need to remove "Modern" or whatever it is--the company simply needs to make the touchscreen UI an *option* at installation that is left up to the installing customer.

Edit: Whoever switched to W7 when it came out made the best investment. One time implementation cost, and 10 years service life. Businesses that switch today to W7 still have the same implementation cost, but only have 6 years of useful life left.

Microsoft OSes have always been terrific investments for business and consumers alike because of the support Microsoft has consistently provided it's OSes after shipment--support that is *free* after the fact of the sale. Microsoft puts every other software company to shame in that regard...;) That's also very much a reason for Windows' success.

I've been using Win8x64 (now 8.1x64) since January '13, and underneath the superficial touchscreen UI it's a leaner, meaner Windows 7--in fact, using Win7x64 these days seems downright klutzy to me--sluggish on the same hardware, actually. Win 8 has several nice features Win7 lacks, as well, after you get past the "Modern" GUI. I don't use the touchscreen UI in 8.1 because I don't have a touchscreen device and don't need it. There's a world of improvement Microsoft can bring to the desktop GUI environment yet--the book has certainly not already been written on that score, don't you believe it...;)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    UEFI install of Win8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    self-crafted
    CPU
    FX-6300 @4.515Ghz
    Motherboard
    MSI 970a-G46
    Memory
    8 GB DDR3 (2x4) 1600 @ 1800
    Graphics Card(s)
    2GB HD 7850 @1.05GHz core/6GB/s ram
    Sound Card
    RealTek 892
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HannsG HZ281
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 320GB sata2 boot UEFI install of 8.1 x64;
    1TB WD Blue SATA 3;
    Seagate 2x 500GB sata2's in RAID 0
    PSU
    Corsair GS600
    Case
    LIan Li
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    Logitech Internet k-board
    Mouse
    Microsoft Sidewinder
    Internet Speed
    VDSL
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    built into OS MSE/Defender
    Other Info
    Had a brain amputation followed up by an all-lobe "clean-up" lobotomy last year, am doing fine. Life is so much simpler, now.
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