Is anyone still using Windows 7?

OnlyMe said:

I still run win7 Pro on my home-built offline, graphics workstation..why?

It runs all my old painting programs; Corel Painter12, Corel PhotoPaint x14, Adobe PS CS2, & a bunch of effects plugins that do exactly what I need. It even has it's builtin virtual PC to run a couple of programs that are too old for w7!

My10 yr old scanner works perfectly from those programs. My large format (17x22") Epson pro 3800 runs off of it's dedicated offline win-Vista laptop.

I also have an online w7 18" laptop used for casual web surfing as well as this online w10 10yr old homemade desktop for more serious stuff

Yes, newer S/W can do a lot more with BRAND NEW FEATURES!!!...but I go w/ what i was taught in my college photography classes..it's not what model of camera you use, it's what you do with the camera you have. I spent years learning to use the above equipment & programs...& would rather do what i do, than spend more years learning to use all the BRAND NEW FEATURES of newer OS's & programs.

A nod to the comment about seeing a Hot Rod...I also routinely drive my 1960s Oldtimers (German word for classic cars & yes, they use the English word).

Sign me,
Dinosaur

With you all the way in this, Oldtimer. Priority #1 with PCs is functionality. Doesn't matter how new the features are, if they don't work properly the system is useless. Brand new features tend to be buggy. Win 7 is an old OS, tried and tested. When one considers the experience they have with their OS over the years, fixing issues that are no longer foreign to them, have learned the system backwards and forwards, have tweaked, and trimmed and personalized it until it runs like a finely-tuned, well-oiled, piece of machinery, not much is going to compete with it.

One of the things that annoyed me the most about Windows 7 was having to give up Win XP and learn everything all over again. I never did put Win 10 on my Work Station because it is just too bloody invasive for my personal preferences. AND YES, you can cut most of that junk out, AND YES, you can do massive surgery on Windows 10 to make it "something other" and yes you get a ton of those modifications back in the next Win update, (some working some not quite working anymore) and yes you can wind up with a half-assed operating system suffering from an identity crisis. The options are endless! Just think of the potential. The user could waste a lifetime of hours that could have been better spent on productivity but instead they get to fix their PC and, in many cases, pay Microsoft to do it.

Naw. I think I'll keep my WIN 7 for as long as possible. It's never worked so good since the updates 'stopped' coming.

Pressing the shift key before clicking on an icon doesn't really reduce the click count. It just changes where the first click is made from. It's still two clicks, but I do find it easier to hold the shift key and clicking the icon. Of course, with Windows 7 no such nonsense is required. I wonder if this feature will be included with Windows 12. Perhaps it won't be needed at all in Neon. I like the idea that Microsoft is at least considering the development of a functional modular OS for legacy systems. I hope they pursue it. If not there's always Linux.

maxseven said:

Well there isn't "always Linux" though is there. At least, I have numerous programs that are "Windows only" and I need to keep running.
I do like the idea that MS would revive W7 in some fashion. I get that they wanted to modernize, and apparently the data-gathering must provide them revenue in some manner, but I might even be willing to pop for some modest "subscription fee" if they were to revive support for the 7 platform, enough so that sw mfrs embrace and support such.

In that respect you are correct. Nonetheless there's always Linux — even if it means dropping your favourite flavor of software for a more lean and meagre diet. This is why monopolies are dangerous and options are essential. Trust me when I say I know what you mean. I just finished forking out once again for Microsoft Office even though I greatly dislike what they're doing to it. None of the open source programs provide the fonts that I require and the format I need for the book I'm writing. Linux can't help me here.

I like the idea of modules that is reported to be part of the integral structure in the coming Windows 12. I like the idea of a bare bones OS with strictly the basics so that one might only pay for the aps that they need as they need them and not have to worry about upgrading to a new OS every five years. If this whole TPM thing would allow us to run a flawless Windows 7 OS then so much the better but I just don't see it happening.