Goodbye, Windows 7

It’s been a good run, but the old dog is now 9 YEARS OLD. Time to retire… out to pasture… in with the new!

Of course I’m not talking about your boss, I’m referring to Windows 7. As of the end of this year, Microsoft will no longer provide support for Windows 7, nor will Quo Vadis. We’ve been talking about upgrading those older workstations for many years now. So let’s look at the options ahead.

Windows 10 has been out since 2015. In the past three years there have been several major upgrades, and right now I find it quite stable, once the latest major update has been installed. Should you upgrade to Windows 10? Generally, I’d say, “probably not.” There are two reasons for this position. First of all, it’s probable that your Windows 7 computer is older than three years – and you’ve missed out on the free upgrade to Windows 10. So you’ll lose $100 for the software upgrade, not including any helpful labor. Second, there’s a good chance that a new workstation, which comes with Windows 10, will be far superior to your existing hardware.

As you’re shopping for a new computer, please remember that we support small businesses, not homes. Your operating system must be Windows 10 Professional, not Windows 10. If you purchase a home OS, you’ll need to upgrade it to Professional, which is another $99, plus labor. Any maintenance done after the fact on a computer upgraded in this fashion will need to be upgraded all over again. If you haven’t saved the upgrade receipt, you’ll end up paying a second time, too. Ouch.