[NFBCS] Windows 7 Support Has Ended As Of January 14, 2020
Jack Heim
john at johnheim.com
Wed Feb 19 15:56:46 UTC 2020
Microsoft hasn' charged OEMs on a per-CPU basis since 1994.
On 2/18/20 7:58 PM, Christopher Chaltain via NFBCS wrote:
> I'm not really disagreeing with you, but I don't see how Microsoft
> forcing OEM's to pay for a Windows license on a per CPU basis is related
> to them pulling support for Windows Seven after ten years. I hate the
> practice, because as you say, I'm paying for a Windows license even if I
> never intend to run Windows on my PC.
>
>
> I assume the reason people want to keep running Windows Seven is because
> there's something they don't like about Windows 10, but given the issues
> with IOS 13, there were also a lot of people who didn't want to move up
> from IOS 12, but they had no option if they wanted to continue to get
> Apple support. I get that they got a free upgrade to IOS 13, but I also
> got a free upgrade to Windows 10 on my virtual machine and previous laptop.
>
>
> I'm not saying Microsoft is a saint, but I don't think they're a villain
> either for supporting an operating system version for 10 years.
>
>
> On 2/18/20 7:16 PM, Michael McQuaid wrote:
>> It is relatively easy for the government to force a company to
>> continue support for products for a certain period of time, by
>> enforcing escrow accounts and spare parts supplies. I am pretty sure
>> that this is an important cost center for many industries in many
>> countries.
>>
>> I don't think it is fair to compare Windows to iOS or Android because
>> it is not possible to buy iOS or Android. People are forced to buy
>> Windows in the sense that Microsoft charges the OEMs on a per-CPU
>> basis. This is to the detriment of Linux, by the way, since every
>> machine on which you run Linux (with a very small number of
>> exceptions) has had a payment extracted by Microsoft for Windows.
>>
>> You are technically correct that iOS 12 doesn't get updates once iOS
>> 13 is released but Apple does make iOS 13 available as a free upgrade
>> for many discontinued products and will continue to do so for years.
>> One reason I have switched to iOS from Android is that I perceive the
>> support situation for the device to be better (on a longer time horizon).
>>
>> - Mick
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 8:02 PM Christopher Chaltain
>> <chaltain at gmail.com <mailto:chaltain at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>> An model of the iPhone will be supported for four or five years,
>> but IOS 12 won't be supported once IOS 13 is released. Similarly,
>> PC's that came with Windows Seven may be able to run with Windows
>> 10, so just as with the iPhone, the platform is still supported,
>> but you can't stick with a particular version of IOS, at least not
>> if you want support from Apple.
>>
>>
>> I suppose you're right in that a lot of people have to use
>> Microsoft products, but if you get an Iphone, you have to use IOS
>> and Apple products. Ditto for an Android phone and Google. You
>> could run Linux on your PC and not Windows, which is what I do.
>>
>>
>> I don't see how a company could be forced to support a product
>> once they've gone out of business. My point is that if you force a
>> company to support a version of an operating system forever then
>> costs will go up as they support an older operating system and
>> revenue will drop forcing them to go out of business, at which
>> point you'll lose support.
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2/18/20 6:48 PM, Michael McQuaid wrote:
>>> Gee, I don't think what you are saying is correct. Do you have
>>> evidence to back this up? My impression is that iOS devices are
>>> supported much longer than their Android counterparts.
>>>
>>> It doesn't seem fair to compare Microsoft's holding us hostage to
>>> other companies because other companies don't have the monopoly.
>>> For most people, there is not a choice about using Microsoft
>>> products.
>>>
>>> I am similarly unsure about support being limited to the lifespan
>>> of the company. I have the impression that in some industries,
>>> companies must support products for a certain number of years
>>> regardless of whether they stay in business. If not for laws
>>> regulating them, I suspect you would see more small companies
>>> form around one-off products and going out of business quickly to
>>> avoid support issues.
>>>
>>> - Mick
>>>
>>> On Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 7:38 PM Christopher Chaltain via NFBCS
>>> <nfbcs at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfbcs at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
>>>
>>> I suppose this is true, but any given version of IOS is only
>>> supported
>>> until the next version comes out. Android gets three years of
>>> support.
>>> Ubuntu gets five for it's LTS releases. Microsoft supported
>>> Windows
>>> Seven for 10 years. I suppose you can say any company making an
>>> operating system and not supporting a version forever is
>>> holding us
>>> hostage, but any proprietary operating system will only be
>>> supported as
>>> long as the company is around anyway.
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2/18/20 10:55 AM, Kevin via NFBCS wrote:
>>> > This is yet another example of Microsoft holding the user
>>> hostage. We
>>> > have little recourse.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On 2/18/2020 12:34 AM, Nicole Torcolini wrote:
>>> >> Thanks for the information, but my Windows 7 ain't going
>>> >> anywhere. If Microsoft wants us to use Windows 10, then
>>> maybe they
>>> >> should consider how some of the major changes impact blind
>>> users.
>>> >>
>>> >> -----Original Message-----
>>> >> From: NFBCS [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>> <mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org>] On Behalf Of Kevin via
>>> >> NFBCS
>>> >> Sent: Monday, February 17, 2020 2:05 PM
>>> >> To: nfbcs at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
>>> >> Cc: Kevin
>>> >> Subject: Re: [NFBCS] Windows 7 Support Has Ended As Of
>>> January 14, 2020
>>> >>
>>> >> This was a good thing to read but I admit a hard pill to
>>> swallow. I
>>> >> guess I'll need to get my rear in gear.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> On 2/17/2020 4:57 PM, Curtis Chong via NFBCS wrote:
>>> >>> Windows 7
>>> >>> Support Ended After January 14, 2020
>>> >>>
>>> >>> By Curtis Chong
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Windows 7 has been around for about a decade, and for
>>> people who are
>>> >>> not in
>>> >>> the habit of regularly buying new computers, this
>>> operating system has
>>> >>> served them well. For many blind computer users, Windows
>>> 7 became
>>> >>> the gold
>>> >>> standard of operating systems. Because of the stability
>>> of this
>>> >>> operating
>>> >>> system, some folks allowed their service maintenance
>>> agreements for
>>> >>> JAWS
>>> >>> and/or ZoomText to expire, figuring that everything was
>>> working fine
>>> >>> and
>>> >>> hence not in need of any updates. Many of us have read
>>> the Microsoft
>>> >>> announcement declaring that support for Windows 7 ended
>>> as of
>>> >>> January 14
>>> >>>
>>>
>>> <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4057281/windows-7-support-ended-on
>>>
>>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> -january-14-2020> , 2020. What does this mean for Windows
>>> 7 users?
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> First, while computers running Windows 7 will continue to
>>> work,
>>> >>> Microsoft is
>>> >>> no longer sending out any security or other updates.
>>> Using a good
>>> >>> antivirus
>>> >>> program (I'm not talking about the free ones) can reduce
>>> your
>>> >>> computer's
>>> >>> vulnerability to security threats, but if your system is
>>> actually
>>> >>> compromised, I can guarantee that you will eventually not
>>> be able to
>>> >>> get any
>>> >>> help at all to recover from the attack.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Secondly, Microsoft customer service is no longer
>>> available for
>>> >>> Windows 7
>>> >>> technical support. This means that you will not be able
>>> to get any
>>> >>> telephone
>>> >>> help at all from Microsoft for Windows 7-not even from
>>> the Microsoft
>>> >>> Disability Answer Desk.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Finally, technical support for screen reading and
>>> magnification
>>> >>> software
>>> >>> will become less and less available as technical support
>>> personnel
>>> >>> necessarily focus most of their attention on current
>>> versions of
>>> >>> programs
>>> >>> like JAWS and/or ZoomText. There will come a time when
>>> Freedom
>>> >>> Scientific,
>>> >>> the company which sells these two programs, will announce
>>> that the next
>>> >>> version of JAWS and/or ZoomText will no longer work with
>>> Windows 7.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> What should a Windows 7 user do? Here are my suggestions.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> 1. Buy a new computer.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> While it is certainly possible in some cases to upgrade
>>> your existing
>>> >>> computer to Windows 10, experience has shown that
>>> upgrading an existing
>>> >>> Windows 7 computer to Windows 10 creates enough problems
>>> that the
>>> >>> upgrade is
>>> >>> hardly worth the effort. A brand new computer with a clean
>>> >>> installation of
>>> >>> Windows 10 will give you a much cleaner (and more stable)
>>> operating
>>> >>> system.
>>> >>> For around $500, you can get a respectable laptop
>>> computer with a
>>> >>> decent-sized keyboard and a good amount of memory and
>>> disk storage.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> 2. Update your screen reading or screen
>>> enlargement program.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> It is essential that your screen reading or enlargement
>>> software is
>>> >>> current.
>>> >>> Windows 10 has been around for a few years now, but it is
>>> >>> continually being
>>> >>> updated-with a major update coming about once every six
>>> months. Screen
>>> >>> reading and enlargement software has to be kept up to
>>> date to deal
>>> >>> with the
>>> >>> sometimes significant changes which Microsoft continues
>>> to introduce
>>> >>> every
>>> >>> time a major update is released. If you have allowed your
>>> service
>>> >>> maintenance agreement to lapse, you are likely going to
>>> have to pay
>>> >>> a few
>>> >>> hundred dollars to bring your access technology up to date.
>>> >>> Fortunately, for
>>> >>> users of JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion, Freedom Scientific
>>> now offers home
>>> >>> annual licenses
>>> >>>
>>>
>>> <https://store.freedomscientific.com/collections/software-for-home>
>>> .
>>> >>> Instead of paying, say, $300 to bring your software up to
>>> date, you
>>> >>> can pay
>>> >>> an annual fee of $90 (for JAWS), $80 (for ZoomText) or
>>> $160 (for
>>> >>> Fusion,
>>> >>> which includes both JAWS and ZoomText) by acquiring the
>>> appropriate
>>> >>> home
>>> >>> annual license from the Freedom Scientific eStore,
>>> located at
>>> >>> https://store.freedomscientific.com.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> The good news for long-time users of Windows 7 is that
>>> Windows 10
>>> >>> continues
>>> >>> to offer the same keyboard commands and Windows Desktop
>>> which Windows 7
>>> >>> users know. In other words, once you move to Windows 10,
>>> you will
>>> >>> hardly
>>> >>> notice the difference between what is happening on your
>>> new system
>>> >>> and what
>>> >>> used to happen on your old equipment-with the possible
>>> exception that
>>> >>> everything will seem to run a lot more quickly.
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> _______________________________________________
>>> >>> NFBCS mailing list
>>> >>> NFBCS at nfbnet.org <mailto:NFBCS at nfbnet.org>
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>>> >>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>> >>>
>>> >> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > NFBCS mailing list
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>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/chaltain%40gmail.com
>>>
>>> -- Christopher (CJ)
>>> Chaltain at Gmail
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>> -- Christopher (CJ)
>> Chaltain at Gmail
>>
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