Windows 7 still OS choice of more than a quarter of Windows users

[DanceswithUnix]

...d but for the user base it's very straightforward.

Let's face it, for most corporate end users the machine is so locked down there isn't anything they are allowed to do anyway. But if you can run Outlook, Chrome and Word, that's 90% of users sorted right?

[ik9000]

Let's face it, for most corporate end users the machine is so locked down there isn't anything they are allowed to do anyway. But if you can run Outlook, Chrome and Word, that's 90% of users sorted right?

You missed Excel.

[Corky34]

....so provided they can locate their everyday shortcuts and click on them....

You're lucky to have such computer literate users.

[IAmATeaf]

You're lucky to have such computer literate users.

If you have such users then I question what they are doing out?

[Corky34]

If you have such users then I question what they are doing out?

You're not alone.

[Saracen999]

Gotta say the new hardware that I have not working properly with Win 7 kinda forced me but it's still a decent upgrade. Things are changing and not even Microsoft can help that. All pc's here are now Win 10 x64 except one which some old music hardware forces Win x86

If you think this is bad don't even think about the Mac with the latest round of breakdates I mean updates which broke pretty much everything that people I know were using... music software and plugins mainly

I hear what you're saying, but we're coming from a different place. A different start point.

First, for me, all my machines are tools to do a job. My existing hardware does the job I need doing. Nothing I see in new hardware offers me much I want, and nothing that I need to get the job done. So why spend a shedload of cash upgrading? Faster? No doubt .... on benchmarks. But not comparing to my productivity gains. Cost/benefit fail. My current hardware is fast enough for me.

Second, new software might require new hardware, for sure. Thing is ..... I don't need (or want) any new software. I'm winding down what I need, not ramping up.

Third, and it's the killer blow. For a couple of my systems, the launch of W10 (years ago) presented me with a choice - either commit to W10 and everything it was (back then) and their roadmap said/hinted it would be, or get off the MS train and find an alternative. A number of W10's 'features) crossed red lines for me, ruling out the W10 route. So, I spent months checking out alternatives, which led me to Linux for some things, and sticking with Win7, and even XP, for others. And I ended up with a mongrel mix that worked for me. And still does.

I took the non-MS fork, and it was irreversible. It matters not to me what MS does now. That boat has sailed ... with my train on it. Sorry about the mixed metaphors.

If MS released a Win10 version that met all my issues (which I really don't see them doing) I'm still not switching to it. Why not? First, my tools ain't broke, so why fix 'em? Second, W10 utterly broke my trust in MS. Once bitten, twice shy. And third, switching back offers me nothing I need, and precious little I want.

[3dcandy]

I hear what you're saying, but we're coming from a different place. A different start point.

First, for me, all my machines are tools to do a job. My existing hardware does the job I need doing. Nothing I see in new hardware offers me much I want, and nothing that I need to get the job done. So why spend a shedload of cash upgrading? Faster? No doubt .... on benchmarks. But not comparing to my productivity gains. Cost/benefit fail. My current hardware is fast enough for me.

Second, new software might require new hardware, for sure. Thing is ..... I don't need (or want) any new software. I'm winding down what I need, not ramping up.

Third, and it's the killer blow. For a couple of my systems, the launch of W10 (years ago) presented me with a choice - either commit to W10 and everything it was (back then) and their roadmap said/hinted it would be, or get off the MS train and find an alternative. A number of W10's 'features) crossed red lines for me, ruling out the W10 route. So, I spent months checking out alternatives, which led me to Linux for some things, and sticking with Win7, and even XP, for others. And I ended up with a mongrel mix that worked for me. And still does.

I took the non-MS fork, and it was irreversible. It matters not to me what MS does now. That boat has sailed ... with my train on it. Sorry about the mixed metaphors.

If MS released a Win10 version that met all my issues (which I really don't see them doing) I'm still not switching to it. Why not? First, my tools ain't broke, so why fix 'em? Second, W10 utterly broke my trust in MS. Once bitten, twice shy. And third, switching back offers me nothing I need, and precious little I want.

Yup - totally get that. But then I understand your situation. I do have software that I use that just works better with Win 10 - and also again, my hardware choices work better with Win 10. There are people who visit us and have no idea why I have 3 pc's sitting in my studio. Then I boot up my "work" machine and they are like wow it works so well... my laptop takes 10 minutes to boot up, and we talk idly and I find out it's 5 years old and was £200.

PC's are tools at the end of the day - my tools just happen to work better (most of the time) on Win 10

[worldmaker]

It this the right room for an argument?

Have Win7 installed across my systems, and even hunted down laptops (end of linke stock) with it because...

(1) when I test-upgraded to Win10 (during the FREE offer they launched originally) on one PC it wiped my profiles. Now imagine performing a lot of upgrades and seeing your account profiles disappear and having to spend a lot of time and trouble reinsalling everything. Similarly, W10 has reported many issues over the years since launch, each deterring me from a serious assessment of any kind of upgrade.

(2) Win 7 is far easier on the eye than Win 10 when you're using a desktop workstation for long hours every day.

(3) Apart from the usual little bugs and irritations, customary with all versions of Windows, it's performed very well for a decade now.

(4) Windows 10 appears to have been created for and promoted to the touch-laptop lightweight generation with the typically unnecessary remake/makeover for this new generation of users and lacks the sense of style and eye-candy comfort of W7.

(5) Microsoft, in typical tradition, have failed to understand elements of these issues for many, many years. For example, before W7 my previous installation across my machines was Windows 2000, for exactly that same reasons - stability, robustness, style. I skipped everything in between.

In all likelihood I will upgrade to W10 for a few high performance stations in the future because some of my critical new applications only run on it, but the older machines will remain in use for as long as possible (and I will likely duel boot the new machines to keep Win7 running alongside W10 where practical). And THEN I'll start looking at the alternative options or developing my own system.

Oh yes, and I still have the Win2000 setup on a virtual box running inside Win7.