Windows 7: Windows 7 and Office 2010 End of Support

I also suspect that M$ is heading somewhere that will at the very least be controversial. If it isn't everything in the cloud or selling our stats, it could be renting the OS and/or showing ads everywhere. It could be something even worse than that. They have to have a plan for making up that lost revenue from giving it away for a year. They have something up their sleeve and it'll not be pretty but those on 10 with their forced upgrades will have no choice but to deal with it. The average end user isn't going to care to put linux on their computer and it is already next to impossible to have 7 or 8.1 on new computers thanks to a secret agreement between m$ and Intel.

Technically Windows has always been rented software, even in older Windows versions. You buy the licence, but it's only giving you the right to use their software. You're still bound by the EULA terms.

I also think that there will be more ads and annoyances baked into Windows 10 further down the line. I expect them to lock it down a little more too. If I'm proved wrong, then I'll happily start using it. I have no desire to right now though. I run it in a VM and to be honest it hardly ever gets used/booted up.

Intel and MS are trying their hardest to get people on to 10, including blocking the updates, which work perfectly on older Windows versions with newer chips. So there is no reason to do it, other than just being awkward! I've noticed certain Windows 7 drivers are difficult to find now on Intel's site. I had to get one for a friend's system from a 3rd party site. If the OS is still supported then drivers should still be readily available for it until its EOL.
At least there are workarounds for these issues (for now anyway).

It's testament to how much people like 7. MS has tried many different methods to get people to upgrade and they have always found ways to get around it. If people weren't convinced by a "free" upgrade, then they're unlikely to switch easily until they really have no other option.

I really don't need all the "bells and whistles" that Windows 10 has to offer. I can do all the same things I do on a daily basis with both 7 and 8.1 and with less distractions.
As long as it keeps running the software I use, then I'm good with what I have.

I suspect that ultimately Windows will be turned into an Azure-based subscription OS (Pay-per-Click).

End of support just means no more updates. Fine by me, what I have works. I have legacy hardware (Meade DSI just to name one) and software that goes with said hardware that Windows 8 and 10 would prevent from working. My custom built Win7 box is stable, everything works. I have no problem with using Surface Pro with Windows 10.

And before anyone starts about 'not secure'.. hogwash. It's not up to MS to keep my system secure, it's up to me. Haven't had any malware, hijackers, ransomware or viruses in over 18 years on different (through Win 95, 98, XP, Vista, 7, 8)

Right on, Sandra. I plan to continue using W7 on my music computer, keeping it offline most of the time, while doing my internet surfing on Linux. Which is what I already have been doing for a few years now. Kubuntu is my current favorite. Use W7 offline for Office or whatever you need it for. Use Linux for everything else. Easy.

In terms of renting it I'm speculating about end users having to fork out money yearly or even monthly or you lose the ability to use it kind of like office 365. That's unprecedented. Previously you only had to pay for Windows when going from one version to another no less than about every 2-3 years. Even then that was optional although they did their best to get users to upgrade. If they go that route users will be forced to update to whatever version they implement it on by their horrid update system which is one of the reasons why I don't like it.

7 users weren't forced to go to 8 when it came out and either where forced onto 10 although they did try to trick and nag users into installing it. With each version they did make it harder to get it on new computers and withdrew support but users weren't forced to upgrade. They are heading down a dangerous path and I don't trust them. They will have to change their policies drastically for me to go to 10 and I highly doubt that they will do so.

What is Microsoft Managed Desktop?
What is Microsoft Managed Desktop? - gHacks Tech News

Announcing Microsoft Managed Desktop (MMD)

So computers are heading to a cloud based portal for which we are given a terminal and won't be able to do anything without access. All for the low price of $20 per month.

It'll be the final nail in the coffin for me if it switches to a purely subscription based service. Seems like everything is going that way these days, but no way will I pay a sub for it. There are other alternatives.

Wonder if I can keep running Windows 7 for the next 20 years?