Well, as of now it is 14 hours until Windows 10 stops being supported with any security updates.
Here's a short retrospective and what you'll probably do in response to this.
If you asked me this back in 2016/17, I would say maybe. I considered it a step up from 8 and 8.1, but 7 was still better in my eyes. Didn't help that I was running a Windows 7 Ultimate system at the time.
As of now however, I'm a bit more mixed. While I do think 7 was better in the way that it had way less bullshit around it, such as Edge being shoved down or ads in the OS, 10 as it got updated got way more comforts. Things like Task View and extra desktops really did help with workflow somewhat. Not to mention that its touchscreen support is heavily underrated, what with it basically having 8.1s interface without the bloat. As the OS matured and I installed all the applications I wanted to improve my experience (PowerToys, Winaero Tweaker and similar apps), I got used to it.
In the case of design, I personally prefer Aero to Windows 10s Metro theme. Metro while alright, I honestly feel like Windows 10 never actually went through with it, and went halfway. Aero was way more in-your-face, which I liked more. Plus, I see way more Windows 7 remnants in 10 than I did XP in 7 (most of that was probably due to Vista, but hey, at least that OS took the fall)
11 feels like a weird update. Most of its improvements feel like PowerToys ports anyways (such as FancyZones turning into Snap Layouts) or they feel like they could just be in 10. Its UI also feels very macOS like, which while I do like macOS' look, I don't really want to see it in Windows. As for bloat and nagging, well that's dialed up to 11. I think most already know about this.
Even then, you may not even be able to get 11! Requirements for stuff like TPM 2.0 mean that many computers aren't allowed to boot it, unless you know some tricks.
Well, there's a few options you can go with:
You could always just bite the bullet. Nothing stopping you. Most normal people will probably go this way, since Microsoft has and will keep nagging you about updating. You could improve your experience by installing things made by some random hobbyist, but that runs the risk of being removed every time you update, which you can't even consent to anymore!
Well, Linux is always there to save the da- ah shit i accidentally broke my install. Okay I'm just kidding, Linux has come a long way. I'm honestly partly consdering jumping myself, since my only barrier at this point is VR games and NVIDIA, where one of those can be fixed with time and the other can be fixed by ripping out my GPU.
There are obviously some downsides. No Valorant (a blessing) or any other games with kernel anticheat, a pretty steep learning curve in general and especially if you're used to Windows. It's good, but I wouldn't recommend it for a lot of people as their daily driver.
Okay, I just put this here to pad out the page. App support sucks and the only thing good about MacBooks are their battery life.
This is probably the best option, honestly. You get Windows 10, with 1-3 years more of security updates. No feature updates, but that's what you're looking for, right?
Selecting it is quite easy, since Microsoft is giving out free ESU updates for 1 year as long as you sign into your Microsoft account and sync some settings.
It is only for one year though. If you want more, there's a commercial program that gives 3 more years. It's just too bad that no consumer can access this. Yup, none at all.
LTSC is supposed to be for systems that literally cannot run anything other than Windows 10. However, you can get it installed if you REALLY don't want 11. It allows for 10 years of updates, until 2032!
What's the catch? You lose the Microsoft Store, and most apps will probably not support 10 by the time normal ESU updates end. So, you may as well just.. not use it.
You could also do nothing. Your PC isn't gonna explode after October 14th. Just be a little more cautious over security updates, and count the days until app support ends.
So, turns out that when Windows 10 started being phased out.. Windows 7 returned. It's at around 10% market share, apparently.
I guess if you're forced to go to an unsupported OS, it's better going to an OS you like. Can't fault anyone for doing so, if only more apps still supported 7.
go back
also what the fuck i haven't done a blog post in 1 year oh god