Some versions of Microsoft’s Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems are officially off the shelves as of today, BBC reports. The date was set quite some time ago. This move will help Microsoft shepherd some of its customers toward the newer releases of its operating systems.
Starting October 31st, customers will not be able to purchase Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium and Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate, along with Microsoft Windows 8. The decision affects both OEM (pre-installed) versions of the operating systems, and retail ones that are sold separately. The default version of Windows offered with new computers – laptops and desktops alike – will be Windows 8.1. The change will not be felt immediately, as it will take some time to trickle down the retail channels. PC manufacturers with large stocks will continue to sell PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed on them for some time. There is an option to “downgrade” to Windows 7 from Windows 8.1, but there are just a few PC sellers that offer this option.
The original version of Windows 8 was not popular at all, no wonder Microsoft has suspended its sales just two years after its initial release. One of the reasons for which it was not as well received as expected was its phasing out of some of the most popular desktop elements present in many previous Windows versions. Windows 7 has been around for much longer – since its launch in 2009, it has become one of the most popular Windows operating systems ever. Even now, when there are two newer versions available, 53% of Windows users run Windows 7 on their computers. Comparatively, Windows 8 has a market share of 6% only, already surpassed by Windows 8.1.
Microsoft prepares the market for the arrival of its latest operating system, Windows 10. The new version of the OS will be released sometime in the final quarter of 2015. It will have a series of familiar elements return, including a combination of the classic Start Menu and the live tiles used in Windows 8.