End of the road for Windows 7
It’s almost the end of the road for Windows 7.
Over the last year I have moved many people off the soon to be unsupported operating system onto Windows 10 and, for some, it has been like losing an old friend.
Truth is none of us like change, but if it is managed in the right way and things are set up in a familiar way, then the change can actually be for the better. Not least if you have just got something that is so much quicker than the slow old thing you just said goodbye to.
Microsoft stop providing patches and security updates specific to Windows 7 on 14th January 2020. This doesn’t mean Windows 7 will suddenly become unusable, but it does mean that over time the criminals of the world will focus on Windows 7 computers in order to capture email addresses, passwords, bank account details, credit card numbers, etc. It’s worth their while to do so as there will still be millions of people sticking with Windows 7.
So far I have only advised two of my customers that sticking with Windows 7 is ok for them. Neither of them make purchases online and the only password they have is for their email. For everybody else, computers are now essential day to day tools, which allow for communication, purchasing, the management of finances and administration, and a host of other tasks. These are the people I am advising to get off Windows 7 as soon as possible when the support stops.
What to get next? Hard to give general advice, but be prepared to spend £400 to £500 on your next computer or laptop. There are reasons PCs are cheap and it usually has a lot to do with performance.
And when will we be moving from Windows 10? Never, if you believe the literature, but 3 months is a long time in the world of technology, so who knows what could happen in a few years.