Will the many of us die-hard Win7 people finally be forced to move on? Initially, it really didn’t bother me that Microsoft will soon shut down support, even though they are still producing updates. Now they have my attention.
From the VST market, the beginnings of dropping Win 7 is starting to show. For example, one of my favorite plugs is Positive Grid Bias. Since recently moving to version 2, requirements are now Win8 and later. I also couldn’t use Cantabile’s Web UI since it requires Win 8 (no fault on Brad’s part as progress moves on ). Luckily, I have a backup laptop with Win8 and can resume on it. Also not a fault of Brad’s, the later versions of C3 35XX will run on Win7, but not Win8 because they require 8.1. I upgraded to 8.1 and it runs very well, many thanks to Brad.
There are still many developers hanging on, but from my view, the hammer will probably fall the day Microsoft ends 7 support. I would also imagine Win8 will follow soon since it is basically Win7 with touchscreen abilities. Quite honestly, just seeing the huge amount of Win10 problems on this forum, and others, makes me want to just stop where I am and be satisfied with the stability I have. Then, there is still my Win XP machine with an E-MU 1616 PCI, running very well.
My thought is really a question of why the reluctance to move on; beyond the “if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it” position (was which is of course eminently sensible whilst things are working)?
I am running Cantabile reliably on WIN10 with no identified issues. That is WIN10 PRO of course which got control of the OS back when it comes to doing things like updates (when I want them to), but you can get PRO OEM licenses for around £20, which will convert any copy of WIN10 Home to a Pro license. I’ve done this on several machines now. So in that respect it is like being back on WIN7.
It is a dichotomy for developers. Time marches on and they need to target the platforms they test on.
The main issue with me is aesthetic. I like OSs to look nice. the WIN10 blocky, minimalist look reminds me of the days of CGA, but that is fashion I guess, and it doesn’t stop things from working, and I guess it keeps processing power where it is needed.
No immediate need to worry about using Win7. Our standard operating procedure with OS sunsets is to continue using that version but only for the legacy apps - Do your email and web browsing elsewhere
That said Win10 is fine - get the Pro version and you can delay the updates enough. You still need to pro-actively restart to make sure an update didn’t sneak through. You don’t know until you restart.
This article about things to do before you allow a Windows 10 “feature” (twice a year) update was posted on one of the managed services provider (MSP) forums I’m on. It’s a pretty good overview of things you can do to minimize issues when doing the big Win10 updates. It was written for a past feature update but is still valid.
). Luckily, I have a backup laptop with Win8 and can resume on it. Also not a fault of Brad’s, the later versions of C3 35XX will run on Win7, but not Win8 because they require 8.1. I upgraded to 8.1 and it runs very well, many thanks to Brad.
