Support for the Windows 7 operating system ends tomorrow, and in anticipation of this event, Microsoft has released a message recommending that users purchase new PCs instead of upgrading to Windows 10. Notably, Microsoft is not just recommending new PCs, but is advising the purchase of branded Surface devices, whose advantages are detailed in the aforementioned publication.
"Many Windows 7 users are advised to switch to a new device with Windows 10 Pro. Surface devices are faster, lighter, more powerful, and more secure. Moreover, the average price of Surface devices is significantly lower than that of standard PCs eight years ago," the Microsoft publication states.
The message mentions that upgrading older computers to Windows 10 is not recommended since some components and drivers may not function properly after the upgrade. Given that Windows 10 comes with a basic set of drivers, there is a chance it may operate on older PCs, but users may not have access to certain exclusive features of the hardware, such as fingerprint scanners or memory card readers, because drivers for them may not be available. Updating drivers for such devices is the responsibility of OEM manufacturers, who are unlikely to release them for old computers running Windows 7.
"We recommend not installing Windows 10 on older devices as some components that work on Windows 7 may be incompatible with Windows 10 or may lose some functionality. You can continue using Windows 7, but after support ends, your computer will become more vulnerable to viruses and other security threats. Windows will continue to boot and operate, but you will no longer receive software updates, including security patches," Microsoft states in its message.
According to available data, approximately 400 million devices worldwide are currently running Windows 7. This means that all these users are advised to either purchase a new PC with Windows 10 or upgrade from Windows 7, official support for which ends on January 14.
Source: 3dnews.ru
