After keeping us all in suspense over Windows 10’s support lifecycle, Microsoft has finally (and without fanfare) updated its Windows Lifecycle Fact Sheet to reveal that, after all the conjecture, nothing has changed at all:
So, in the end, Windows 10 support remains squarely within the traditional lifecycle – 5 years mainstream followed by another 5 years extended, equaling 10 years total.
While I’m happy to know this, it does beg the question: if Windows 10 is the “last Windows operating system”, what happens in ten years time? Will Windows 10 users then be required to purchase a license to run.. erm.. well, Windows 10? Under the circumstances, it seems likely that some sort of “renewal” system will be put in place – maybe even including an annual subscription option?
Based on Microsoft’s performance regarding Windows 10 so far, chances are we won’t know how that will all pan out until some time just prior to October 14th, 2025.<tongue in cheek>
*At the time when I posted my original article (on 17th July): 3 Burning Questions Microsoft Needs to Clarify about Windows 10, the Windows Lifecycle Fact Sheet was still missing any details regarding windows 10. So, Microsoft has obviously updated the fact sheet at some time between then and now.
Things move so quickly nowadays and business is so opportunistic that I’m always skeptical when it comes to believing a company would have a strategy when I notice rather a suite of tactics which have the advantage of toning down incoherence as well as inconsistency.
Therefor when Microsoft states that Windows 10 is the last “numbered” version of Windows, I have no reasonable argument in my possession to believe them. Not that they’re not sincere, they are. As well as they could be tomorrow (2025 when it comes to Windows 10) in an effort to explain that things have changed since… 2015.
Time will tell. Here, I’ll wait to see how Win10 deploys, consider the one-year free offer without hysteria (Win7 support ends 2020, right?!) and most likely will move to the former with a new computer I’m most likely to consider before 2020.
What I read, see of Windows 10 (Microsoft upon System as Stratford upon Avon) simply doesn’t excite me. Seems very, very, more than ever a proprietary OS.
Windows knows that most hardware will more than likely be replaced long before 10 years is up. Then you pay for a pre installed version of 10…gotcha…