So Microsoft stopped supporting Win8, is Win10 bad?

[BinkerNate]

News broke today, 1/12/16, that Microsoft stopped its support for Windows 8, as well as IE. All of this in favor for Windows 10, which has been on the news alot, and even popping up in my computer, like all of you have experiencing.

So if support for Win8 has stopped, two questions I have to ask:

1) Is Windows 10, both getting it and having it, bad?

2) If you want to stick with Windows 8, what can you not do anymore, and what can you do if something happens and you need them?

 

[Ztruker]

Windows 8.1 is still supported. Do the update from 8.0 to 8.1.

 

[BinkerNate]

Windows 8.1 is still supported. Do the update from 8.0 to 8.1.

Oh, I already have 8.1. I thought it was for Win8 in general.

 

[LMiller7]

Windows 8.1 mainline support will continue until January 9, 2018 with extended support until January 10, 2023. Until the end of mainline support nothing changes. At that time only security updates will be provided which will continue until extended support ends. But even the end of extended support does not mean the OS cannot be used. Extended support ended for XP last year and many individuals and businesses continue to use it as always.

As for Windows 10. Many people love it while others hate it. New operating systems always have problems. Microsoft says that Windows 10 has been installed on over 200 million computers. Many millions are using it with no problems at all. But with that large a user base it is inevitable that there will be many that do have issues. And it is in the nature of things that many of these individuals will come to forums for help. That doesn't mean it is a bad OS. Even XP, clearly one of the most successful operating systems over, was much criticized in it's early days.

What is different with Windows 10 is that since it is being offered as a free upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 it is being adopted faster than with any other OS. That means more people with problems.

 

[BinkerNate]

Yeah, I was just concerned because 8.1 is great, and no one would (they could) disagree with me. Given the criticisms, I didn't want to upgrade to 10. I know I will eventually in the future, but I want to do it when all the bugs are fixed and I'm not one of the critics against Win10 but one of the supporters. But by that time, maybe it will be too little too late to get it for free, or to get 10 altogether (you never know when the next OS that is "better than 10" will come out, am I right?)

 

[broe23]

7 and 8.1 will be around for a long time still. Especially with 7 now being used in the workplace.

People are waking up and seeing that 10 still has little hiccups with each update on the OS. You most likely will not see a huge rush to 10, until right before schools go back in session in Aug/Sept.

 

[Ztruker]

The rush will be the week or two before next July 29th when the free upgrade offer expires, so if you plan to upgrade I'd suggest doing it before then.

I know I will eventually in the future, but I want to do it when all the bugs are fixed

You'll be waiting forever if this is your criteria as all the bugs will never be fixed.

Plan now on doing an image backup to an external hard drive using Macrium Reflect Free (or similar). Start doing this now as protection for your current Windows 8.1 install and continue to do this on a regular basis. Just before upgrading to Windows 10, do a last image backup, then if anything goes wrong recovery is 20 minutes away.

If you don't have an external hard drive, get one. You can get a 1TB USB 3.0 external drive for less than $60. Macrium Reflect Free is free

 

[Jody Thornton]

But even the end of extended support does not mean the OS cannot be used. Extended support ended for XP last year and many individuals and businesses continue to use it as always.

That would include me. At work we still have a system running on XP, and I am typing this from Pale Moon, running on the classic Windows 8. So I'm staying put.

 

[Chrysalis]

Yeah 8.1 has life in it yet as well as 7.

I will never say never for windows 10 but I will wait for sure before deciding to use it on production machines, however am in the process of upgrading some win7 machines to 8.1. So even with win10 out I am only just upgrading to win8.1, no shame in not been on the latest.

 

[Ztruker]

See here:

How to fill out System Specs for eightforums.

How to See Your System Specs with "System Info"

 

[Chrysalis]

who is that reply to?

 

[z3r010]

But even the end of extended support does not mean the OS cannot be used. Extended support ended for XP last year and many individuals and businesses continue to use it as always.

That would include me. At work we still have a system running on XP, and I am typing this from Pale Moon, running on the classic Windows 8. So I'm staying put.

Stay on an unsupported OS or take a free upgrade to one that will be supported for years to come - I know what I would do.

 

[broe23]

Stay on an unsupported OS or take a free upgrade to one that will be supported for years to come - I know what I would do.

There is no OS out there that is supported for years to come. They all have a end life. 7 will be used in the Enterprise for as long as XP has been.

 

[Jody Thornton]

But even the end of extended support does not mean the OS cannot be used. Extended support ended for XP last year and many individuals and businesses continue to use it as always.

That would include me. At work we still have a system running on XP, and I am typing this from Pale Moon, running on the classic Windows 8. So I'm staying put.

Stay on an unsupported OS or take a free upgrade to one that will be supported for years to come - I know what I would do.

Extensively posted on other threads that my box (Two Netburst-style Xeons on an HP xw8200) cannot be upgraded to Windows 8.1. So for x64, I'm stuck on Windows 8. I used to be on Vista (which still has support), but even Windows 8 runs way better.

On the flip-side, I'm rescued from all of that telemetry crap, and no nag screens telling me to upgrade to Windows 10. Also, there may be a possibility that Server 2012 updates (from the classic build) can be implanted onto Windows 8.

EDIT !!! - Also when I get a new machine, I can use my Windows 8 Pro license to upgrade to Windows 8.1 Pro.

 

[Ztruker]

who is that reply to?

The original poster, BinkerNate.