"Cortana, you're fired!"

[Mpegger]

Many people upgrade their rigs right about the time a new OS comes along (shady advertising and such) so they get the OS for free,

8.1 wasn't pushed as much as 8 was on release, since it was just a update. At the time, 8 had such a bad rep, that OEMs were offering free "downgrades" to 7 (which was advertised heavily too), even though M$ was trying to force the OEMs to offer only 8 on new systems. I think the switch from 8 to 7 was in the 30-40% range of every new computer purchased (desktops and laptops, phones not included). But you are correct, as the prevalence of 8 was due more to new sales of hardware then upgrades. Still, 7 reigned supreme, with many not having a easy (free) way of updating to 8/8.1 even if they wanted to then, and now.

In our current day and time i would think that very few people (average joe) would actually fork out £220 for Windows as a stand-alone product without something else to sweeten the deal unless they know absolutely nothing about computers.

We here on this forum are not average joes. We are not the norm or the standard. Don't think your level of understanding of computers is the same as everyone else. The true average joe really truely knows nearly nothing about computers, especially in this day and age when everything about computers is simply plug it in, and it runs. The true average joe also doesn't update often, especially when it'll cost them. This is one of the reasons M$ did the free update push, and one of the reasons it's pushing 10 so much with it's forced updates, to get the average joe to actually update.

 

[Alaric]

I tried W8 from the beginning with the Developer's Preview. If you think the end product was bad you should have seen that process. Yikes. LOL. I ran it on a laptop throughout the development. When M$ announced it was ready and it had to be purchased I went back to W7. I couldn't stand W8 and M$' insistence that everybody love Metro killed that OS dead. 8.1 was too little too late, even though it turned W8 in to W7 Plus (which it should have been in the first place). W8 was the first time M$ decided to try forcing things on customers, and all they learned from that was to be even pushier and sneakier. 8.1 is a great OS, I installed it on a build I did for a neighbor a while back and she has had zero problems in the months since the build. If someone were building one today, and didn't need Media Center, I would recommend 8.1 over W7 easily. The unattractive interface is easily fixed and that's about all I can find wrong with it.

 

[Alaric]

Is this still a thing???
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-prevent-windows-10-upgrade/

 

[knoober]

I dont think so. I spent all of a few weeks on 10 before going back to 7, i haven't seen a notification since. I guess they must be searching against their database of mobo serials and targeting those who have never done the upgrade? If so thats some real Skynet type shenanigans

 

[Alaric]

There are reports of W7/8/8.1 product keys still being able to activate new Windows 10 installs.

 

[Audioaficionado]

I registered all my spare copies of win7 in VM installs. Hopefully that worked.

 

[Audioaficionado]

Well I have the Creator's update sitting in the download que. It won't install due to my previous custom settings. Those settings will get blown away if I allow its installation. So now I sit frozen in time. Allow it to take total control or make the move over to Linux. Hmmm...

 

[Alaric]

I'm still happy as a clam with W7. Probably happier, because what the heck does a clam have to be happy about? LOL

 

[Mr.Scott]

because what the heck does a clam have to be happy about?

 

[Alaric]

Oh. My. GOD!!! LMAO!!! I'm still laughing. Someday I'll tell you about the wall wart I rigged to an, err, personal entertainment device, for someone.

 

[Kenrou]

Great, now the wife wants to tear open my rig to get her hands on the PSU (double purpose, also to stop me from raiding in World of Warcraft)

 

[ihrsetrdr]

Spoiler

omg, I almost lost mah grip on me mud!

 

[Culbrelai]

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...l-off-after-32-years-graphics-editing-program

Looking up paint's dependecies to see if I can save it for later versions of Windows, similar to what I did with Windows XP Movie Maker and the old 3d Space Cadet Pinball

Weird about boxes though (uses winver.exe, but both are fully functional.)

 

[Alaric]

M$ just keeps finding new ways to screw people over with W10. https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordon...otix&partner=yahootix&yptr=yahoo#3337e4a34031

 

[c627627]

The linked article is totally worthy of this thread.
So basically it's a racket to get you to absolutely needlessly spend $ on a brand new PC.

Never before did old versions of Windows exclude PCs from upgrades if they were deemed powerful enough to run that version of Windows at launch.


First they tricked people into upgrading to Windows 10 by having the Close X button on Windows 7/8 mean "YES UPGRADE TO WIN10" and they are now cutting off those same PCs from getting new features just two years after having tricked them into upgrading to Win 10. That will make people have a nasty feeling of having been used...

 

[Mpegger]

The linked article is totally worthy of this thread.
So basically it's a racket to get you to absolutely needlessly spend $ on a brand new PC.

Never before did old versions of Windows exclude PCs from upgrades if they were deemed powerful enough to run that version of Windows at launch.


First they tricked people into upgrading to Windows 10 by having the Close X button on Windows 7/8 mean "YES UPGRADE TO WIN10" and they are now cutting off those same PCs from getting new features just two years after having tricked them into upgrading to Win 10. That will make people have a nasty feeling of having been used...

Don't forget, if you have the latest CPUs, they also locked updates on 7 & 8, so those older OS's can't take full advantage of the hardware. Which would force you onto 10, which then locks you in their update cycle.

 

[c627627]

My theory is still that all these shenanigans will not be happening as much once 2023 comes and Windows 8 updates expire.

Before then, it's open season on treating Windows 10 users as bona fide Beta testers in every definition of the term.
Microsoft has 5-6 years to get Windows 10 right. They'll do it, but in the mean time, there are more unwelcome surprises to come for Windows 10 users Beta testers!

 

[wagex]

The linked article is totally worthy of this thread.



First they tricked people into upgrading to Windows 10 by having the Close X button on Windows 7/8 mean "YES UPGRADE TO WIN10"

lol no, it was the "download but upgrade later" button.

also you can still get win10 as a free upgrade from 7

and my mutant windows 10 machines have not eaten my brains yet.. so that's good.


lastly what is new about having hardware requirements for software?

there is literally not any way for them to force a user to upgrade from 7 to 10 because it has newer hardware lol that is bologna.

 

[Audioaficionado]

Lots of options if you are willing to think outside the box that MS wants you to accept as your limits.

 

[Kenrou]

Microsoft has 5-6 years to get Windows 10 right. They'll do it, but in the mean time, there are more unwelcome surprises to come for Windows 10 users Beta testers!

What happened to the good old "get it right BEFORE the product goes to sale"