allheart55 (Cindy E)
Administrator
The Windows 10 free upgrade period has now closed, so how will Microsoft MSFT +0.00% get more Windows 7 and Windows 8 users to adopt it? Now we know: take away user control and make both operating systems behave like Windows 10…
In a new blog post entitled ‘Further simplifying servicing models for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1’, Microsoft’s Senior Product Marketing Manager Nathan Mercer explained:
“From October 2016 onwards, Windows will release a single Monthly Rollup that addresses both security issues and reliability issues in a single update. The Monthly Rollup will be published to Windows Update (WU), WSUS, SCCM, and the Microsoft Update Catalog. Each month’s rollup will supersede the previous month’s rollup, so there will always be only one update required for your Windows PCs to get current.”
Windows 7 and Windows 8 Home users will soon get no choice over what updates Microsoft installs, just like Windows 10. Image credit: Microsoft
Spelling this out to one commenter who asked: “Does this mean the individual patches will still be available and one can opt to either do individual patches or the Rollup model?”, Mercer replied: “Individual patches will no longer be available after October 2016.”
This is much like the controversial system which has been criticized in Windows 10. Windows 7 and Windows 8 users will now only have two choices: stop updating completely and leave your computers vulnerable to security holes or accept everything single thing Microsoft sends you whether you want it or not.
Windows 10 avoidance now looks pointless for Windows 7 and Windows 8 owners. Image credit: Microsoft
Administrators for Window 7 and Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise editions attached to an update server will get a few more options as they can independently manage whether security or feature-based rollups are installed, but Home users are out of luck.
As Woody Leonhard at InfoWorld neatly surmises: “In this brave new world, one has to wonder if it’s worth the effort to fight Windows 10. Microsoft is removing two of the great distinguishing features of Win7/8.1 — granularity of updates and the ability to control them — while opening Win7 and 8.1 to the same snooping features that are in Win10. Is resistance futile?”
It’s a very good point. Especially given those users (more than one billion at last count) who made the effort to resist the continual and often sneaky attempts by Microsoft to push them to Windows 10, presumably did so because they preferred how their OSes operated.
Well not anymore. From October Windows 7 and Windows 8 will operate just like Windows 10 with the added downside that they are older. So users might as well upgrade…except when they try to do so they will find Windows 10 is no longer free.
Yes, as devilishly clever plans go this has to be one of Microsoft’s best.
Source: Forbes
In a new blog post entitled ‘Further simplifying servicing models for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1’, Microsoft’s Senior Product Marketing Manager Nathan Mercer explained:
“From October 2016 onwards, Windows will release a single Monthly Rollup that addresses both security issues and reliability issues in a single update. The Monthly Rollup will be published to Windows Update (WU), WSUS, SCCM, and the Microsoft Update Catalog. Each month’s rollup will supersede the previous month’s rollup, so there will always be only one update required for your Windows PCs to get current.”
Windows 7 and Windows 8 Home users will soon get no choice over what updates Microsoft installs, just like Windows 10. Image credit: Microsoft
Spelling this out to one commenter who asked: “Does this mean the individual patches will still be available and one can opt to either do individual patches or the Rollup model?”, Mercer replied: “Individual patches will no longer be available after October 2016.”
This is much like the controversial system which has been criticized in Windows 10. Windows 7 and Windows 8 users will now only have two choices: stop updating completely and leave your computers vulnerable to security holes or accept everything single thing Microsoft sends you whether you want it or not.
Windows 10 avoidance now looks pointless for Windows 7 and Windows 8 owners. Image credit: Microsoft
Administrators for Window 7 and Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise editions attached to an update server will get a few more options as they can independently manage whether security or feature-based rollups are installed, but Home users are out of luck.
As Woody Leonhard at InfoWorld neatly surmises: “In this brave new world, one has to wonder if it’s worth the effort to fight Windows 10. Microsoft is removing two of the great distinguishing features of Win7/8.1 — granularity of updates and the ability to control them — while opening Win7 and 8.1 to the same snooping features that are in Win10. Is resistance futile?”
It’s a very good point. Especially given those users (more than one billion at last count) who made the effort to resist the continual and often sneaky attempts by Microsoft to push them to Windows 10, presumably did so because they preferred how their OSes operated.
Well not anymore. From October Windows 7 and Windows 8 will operate just like Windows 10 with the added downside that they are older. So users might as well upgrade…except when they try to do so they will find Windows 10 is no longer free.
Yes, as devilishly clever plans go this has to be one of Microsoft’s best.
Source: Forbes
