Microsoft extends support for Windows Vista and 7

[Simon]

Microsoft has extended the support for Windows 7 and Vista, with another five years of updates for both versions of the OS.

According to Microsoft – which upgraded its terms without an official announcement earlier this year – all OS editions will be supported with service packs and security updates for ten years.

The changes see Windows Vista support extended to April 2017, while the company has committed to servicing Windows 7 until January 2020.

Under previous guidelines from the software giant, mainstream support for Windows Vista was set to end on 10 April, 2012.

Read more: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/373021/microsoft-extends-support-for-windows-vista-and-7

[Steve]

XP I think has only a couple of years left.

[Simon]

 

[Lance]

I'm surprised they are extending Vista given the issues they had with it.

[Simon]

I'm surprised anyone still has it! 

Joking aside, though, despite it's annoyances, it seems to run OK on my laptop. 

[Lance]

I never had an issue with it on my laptop either, and can't say W7 runs noticeably quicker either.

[Rik]

I can't help but wonder if they'll be forced to extend XP support?

[pctech]

I'm surprised anyone still has it! 

Joking aside, though, despite it's annoyances, it seems to run OK on my laptop. 

It's Windows ME reloaded.

[Glenn]

http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifeselectwin

[Lance]

I don't think xp will be extended again. Windows 7 has been accepted by businesses which is the key success factor.

[Rik]

Shame. I shall have to go back to DOS.

[Lance]

Start > Run > CMD

[Rik]

 

[Glenn]

http://www.emsps.com/oldtools/ibmdos.htm

[Rik]

They can get expensive, can't they. 

[Den]

I'm amazed they some of you ever moved from W95/W98 to XP. I run both on my machines on W7 and when I have to help some friends with their XP it's like stepping back in time to the days when I could only get 3 channels on my TV.   

[Rik]

At least they had some good programmes and less repeats, Den.

[Simon]

And you can tell it what to do, rather than vice versa. 

[Technical Ben]

Shame. I shall have to go back to DOS.

In my last job their back end was still a DOS type program. Probably emulated in Java (it showed a java console box when loaded) but the screen was your standard black with keyboard entry only. 

[Rik]

Happy days. Coders were economical and you only had to learn 2-300 arcane keystroke combinations to use a word processor.

[esh]

You can actually write console apps with Java, so it probably was in fact just Java without an interface.

DOS as we all know, hasn't been with us in any true form since Windows 98.

XP is pretty much relegated to old and/or underpowered systems now. I'm not as sad to see it go as I thought I would. I guess the horrible default fisher-price style interface will always linger in my mind... at least it could be turned off

[armadillo]

My sister still uses Word Perfect for DOS. She says she can work faster with the keyboard shortcuts she has memorised than with any Windows program.

I use XP and will do so until new hardware forces a change. And new hardware was the only reason I moved from 98 to XP. I use the "classic" interface that looks like 98. The trouble with new OSs is that they tend to make it impossible to use the perfectly functional software you already have and do not wish to replace.

[Technical Ben]

Happy days. Coders were economical and you only had to learn 2-300 arcane keystroke combinations to use a word processor.

That was the only thing wrong with it. Our customer facing software was a dream mainly. Want to open an account? Press the big button labelled "open account". However, on the back office software, it was like "4" for accounts, then "45" for additional tasks, then "0534" for the area code then "4" for opening then "7" for customer details, then "2" for entry.... you get the picture... 

My sister still uses Word Perfect for DOS. She says she can work faster with the keyboard shortcuts she has memorised than with any Windows program.

I use XP and will do so until new hardware forces a change. And new hardware was the only reason I moved from 98 to XP. I use the "classic" interface that looks like 98. The trouble with new OSs is that they tend to make it impossible to use the perfectly functional software you already have and do not wish to replace.

Oh... There is a modern day equivalent for that! You may have to learn new keystrokes though.
It's called [googles for it...] Emacs I think. Oh, I'm not sure. But there are some out there still.

[edit] Found it... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emacs
I was getting "E Macs (Macintosh)" from Google by mistake.

[armadillo]

... it's like stepping back in time to the days when I could only get 3 channels on my TV.   

I haven't even got a TV 

[Rik]

That was the only thing wrong with it. Our customer facing software was a dream mainly. Want to open an account? Press the big button labelled "open account". However, on the back office software, it was like "4" for accounts, then "45" for additional tasks, then "0534" for the area code then "4" for opening then "7" for customer details, then "2" for entry.... you get the picture... 

I remember that kind of stuff well.

[armadillo]

Oh... There is a modern day equivalent for that! You may have to learn new keystrokes though.
It's called [googles for it...] Emacs I think. Oh, I'm not sure. But there are some out there still.

[edit] Found it... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emacs

They look like very hard work!

[talos]

Does this mean they wont be supporting 3.1 any more

[Rik]

Probably not, Bob.

[talos]

Probably not, Bob.

DAMN!   More expense

[Rik]

OTOH, if it ain't broke...

[pctech]

Up until 2001 the department I work for was apparently still supporting 3.1 along with Trumpet Winsock.