Yeah. They have always done extended support like this.
Yeah I'm already switching to Linux next year, I don't need rage bait in my life.
This is just the beginning of a yearly subscription for Windows OS. Just wait.
By offering extended support? Same as they've done since at least windows 95?
Windows bad, remember?
Oh right. Uh, Bill Gates personally gave me AIDS.
Nah, I would rather use free Linux.
It’s actually incredible how good Linux is, and it’s entirely free. No ads, no bullshit, just a rock solid OS. It’s staggering how small a proportion of people use it.
It’s amazing how much better an operating system can be when it’s built by the community.
Arch BTW?
Hannah Montana Linux btw?
Microsoft needs to sell its software (including OS) and they’ve always done so through manufacturers.
The average user, in their mind, doesn’t care about/want/have a choice for Windows, they just went to a shop to buy a computer, Windows was just on it. So for Microsoft, a public company who’s graphs need to keep going up forever, “increasing revenue from Windows” equates to “making people buy more computers” - this, in my opinion, is why they went down the TPM route (which consumers didn’t care about), and now, the “Copilot compatible” PC (whixh users don’t care about) routes. For the shareholders, you need a new computer, not an update to your existing one.
So this is where it gets interesting - a catch 22 for Microsoft - the average user doesn’t want a new computer (the internet works fine right), but Microsoft need their graphs to go up and they don’t want to work for free… BUT they can’t afford to have “Windows” become synonymous with “viruses” again (they bothered to make Windows defender for free for this reason), so if people don’t pay up, there could be millions of virus ridden computers and everyone will look for a new laptop “but not windows again” because of the viruses…
Mac instead? Maybe, but most laptops are sold for €300, not €1000+…
Current known, “safe consumer choice” brands (OEMs) and big box retailers are and will continue to be influenced/controlled/blackmailed by Microsoft’s license pricing and legal teams to maintain the status quo on the shelves and we’ll see what plays out.
This subscription talk then is big news, not just because of the controversy surround subscriptions generally, but because this could change the shape of supply and demand in the PC market significantly.
As always there won’t be one answer for everyone, but these are some ways it could play out.
Will people pay up? Will Chromebooks take over?
Or…
(Removes sunglasses)
…will 2025 be the year of the Linux desktop?
Every year is the year of the linux desktop. Sure it has just as many problems as the others but it gets better every year and I certainly never felt the same about windows. Mac I don't have that reverse winding in my head that makes people find the apple UI's intuitive.
So.. Torrenting security patches will be a thing? That would be a bizarre usage of torrents I have to say
I mean, this is nothing new.
People pirate extended support all the time, just look at LTSB/LTSC.
If ya dig enough you can probably find people Frankensteining patches from POSReady just so they can keep running Win7 lol
OK Looks like my little MS Surface is going to be running Linux.
It is stupid easy to get Linux to run a surface
For one year.
They're not eligible to continue to get security updates after that (even though they'll still be doing them because businesses will).
lol no
Time to pirate my Windows updates
Holy shit. Absolute scumbags.
I'm gonna run cracked XP on a VM just to be a dick
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