I just stumbled on an article on
www.fossybytes.com claiming that Microsoft would
soon stop further support for the dreaded and
mostly user-unfriendly Windows 8. Below is an
excerpt from the website.
" Short Bytes: Microsoft is ending Windows 8
support on January 12th. These odd state of
affairs are a result of Microsoft’s treatment of
Windows 8.1 as a service pack to Windows 8.
Well, if you are running Windows 8 on your
PC, there are 3 options for you — upgrade to
Windows 8.1, upgrade to Windows 10, or
downgrade to Windows 7.
Windows 8 was released just three years ago. One
might easily assume that their not-so-great OS
came with Microsoft’s regular 10-year support
policy. However, there’s a twist in Windows 8
support cycle — as a result, it runs out on
January 12th. So, if you are running Windows 8,
it’s time to upgrade.
But, how did this happen? Over the past years, we
have learned that Windows Vista will continue
getting security updates until April 11, 2017, and
Windows 7 users will get the same until January
14, 2020. So, how is Microsoft treating Windows 8
differently? "
But Why Is Microsoft Ending Windows 8 Support
Next
Week?
"Further excerpts from the site says:
On January 12, Microsoft will be rolling out its
first Patch Tuesday of 2016 that will be the last
batch of Windows 8 updates.
The reason? Well, Microsoft is treating Windows
8.1 just as a service pack for Windows 8 users.
According to the rules, you can hold off installing
a service pack just for two years. If you want to
read the exact words said by Redmond, here they
are:
Windows 8, support ends 24 months after the
next service pack releases or at the end of the
product’s support lifecycle, whichever comes
first. If you are using software without the
latest service pack you won’t be offered any
new security or non-security updates,
although preexisting updates will continue to
be offered.
With Windows 8.1, Microsoft promised tons of bug
fixes, new features, and enhancements. While
Windows 8.1 reaches its end of support on
January 10, 2023, the end of Windows 8 has finally
arrived."
Here comes The Big Question – What Should I Do
Now?
If you choose to ignore this news, your Windows 8
PC will be exposed to unpatched security risks. So,
to avoid those, fossBytes advises you to consider
these options:
Upgrade to Windows 8.1: >>>
If you love Windows 8 and want something familiar,
go for it as Windows 8.1 is a free upgrade for
Windows 8 users. Windows 8.1 comes with support
until January 10, 2023.
Upgrade to Windows 10:>>>
There’s also an option to upgrade your PC to the
latest Windows iteration i.e. Windows 10. Again, it’s
free of charge and a few clicks away. Windows 10
comes with support until October 14, 2025.
Downgrade to Windows 7: >>>
The support for Windows 7 lasts until January 14,
2020. If you are in love with the world’s most
popular OS, go for it.
While Microsoft could justify this step by calling it
straight from the rulebook, it could also be seen as
a strategy to lure users into upgrading to
Windows 10.
So, which path are you going to follow? Let us
know in the comments below.

Source: http://kamalsbase.com/viewmessage.php?tpcid=18&forumid=11&subj=Is-Microsoft-really-killing-Windows-8-support-next-week%3F-If-so%2C-Here%27s-what-we-can-do

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