Don’t abandon your Windows 7 PC
By: Richard Edwards
Tags: Google, Windows 7, Windows 10, Cloudready, Pc Hardware

Are you, your family, or your friends still running Windows 7? If so, then you need to know that the end of extended support for this operating system is now only one year away — January 14, 2020. What does this mean? Well, it means no more security patches or updates for your Windows 7 PC after this date unless, that is, you’re an enterprise and willing to pay for them.

Source: Microsoft

This announcement isn’t fresh news, but it’s an important checkpoint. According to Statcounter, 35% of Windows PCs are still running Windows 7. That’s around 600 million computers, which is a huge number by any market measure. So, what are your options?

Source: Statcounter

The full version of the Windows 10 software is available for purchase if you’d like to upgrade your Windows 7 computer to Windows 10. However, if your PC is more than three years old, Microsoft thinks it may be time to upgrade your device to one that’s faster, safer, and comes with Windows 10 pre-installed.

600 million Windows 7 PCs up for grabs!

Some percentage of that 600 million installed base will probably do as Microsoft suggests, but many more could ditch the PC altogether if they see no reasonable path forward. Is that really what Microsoft and its partners want? And is dumping perfectly good hardware a smart thing to do, either financially or environmentally? Of course not.

Source: Statcounter

There are other options to the Windows 10 upgrade. If your PC is running well and doing the job, you could disconnect it from the internet and keep on trucking. If you’re ultra careful with your web hygiene, and have up-to-date PC security software installed, then you could keep your computer connected to the net and use it as you do today. However, you might want to give online banking and online shopping a miss. Indeed, we could see banks and merchants blocking customers with unsupported, out-of-date tech.

It really is time to consider your options

If you intend to keep your computer (and why shouldn’t you if its in good working order) and don’t fancy the Windows 10 path, my advice would be to consider installing an alternative operating system on your PC, one that’s actively supported and regularly updated. Some flavour of Linux is the obvious choice for hobbyists and enthusiasts, but if you’re a non-technical user, I’d take a look at CloudReady from Neverware.

Source: Neverware

CloudReady shares its roots with Google Chrome OS, the operating system that powers Chromebooks. CloudReady is a mature operating system that’s easy to install and easy to use, and it’s compatible with almost all mainstream laptop and desktop computers. I’ve successfully installed CloudReady on more than a dozen different computers, including a 1998 Dell Inspiron 6400 and a 2017 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

Neverware maintains a list of certified PCs, offering a support lifetime of 13 years after their OEM release date, but you can take CloudReady for a spin on just about any Windows PC (or Apple iMac and Macbook) without touching the existing operating system. Simply download the CloudReady USB Maker to your Windows 7 PC and use it to create the CloudReady USB installer. Boot your computer from this device and off you go. This should take no more than 30 minutes from start to finish.

Windows 10 Lite maybe?

CloudReady is based on Chromium OS, an open source project that aims to build an operating system that provides a fast, simple, and more secure computing experience for people who spend most of their time on the web. Google has added support for Android apps to its commercial Chrome OS product, and Neverware has decided to add support for Linux apps. So, there’s clearly plenty of scope for value-add and differentiation.

With Microsoft about to switch to the Chromium browser, I’m wondering if the much rumoured Windows 10 Lite could present Windows 7 users with a similar option. There’s nothing to stop Microsoft from doing it’s own Chromium OS project, adding support for Office 365 and Microsoft Store apps as it does so. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.