PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Microsoft has turned off the Windows 7/8.1 tap and is now only supplying computer manufacturers with Windows 10. This means that all new machines coming onto the market will have the latest Microsoft operating system installed with no option to downgrade to an earlier version.
The company had previously announced that it would no longer be supplying Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 Professional to OEMs as of the end of October 2016 i.e. yesterday. Microsoft kept Windows 7 Pro available due to the negative public reaction to Windows 8. Other versions of Windows 7 were actually shelved back in October 2014.
The positive for PC shoppers who who don’t want the latest version of Windows is that there will still be some remaining stock of computers which have Windows 7 Professional or Windows 8.1 while stocks still last. Some users have been apprehensive towards Windows 10 due to privacy. The Electronic Frontier Foundation had previously claimed that the company "blatantly disregarded" user choice and privacy.
People opposed to Windows 10 should be pleased to hear that if they have a licence for a previous version of Windows, they will be able to downgrade a new machine with Windows 10 preinstalled.
This is the latest step of Microsoft’s attempts to force users into upgrading to Windows 10, following an aggressive pop-up campaign that saw millions of users bombarded with notifications.
Last week Microsoft announced the latest update to Windows 10, dubbed the ‘creators update’ that will see a renewed focus on creativity tools including a redesigned version of Paint called Paint 3D. It is understandable then to see Microsoft doing its utmost to ensure that users are running the most up to date and optimised version of the operating system.
