Cue on target, another version of Windows has reached end of support. Though this one is less critical than the Window XP affair, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 mainstream support has officially ended today.
Microsoft had marked January 13, 2015 as the date for this milestone — a vital deadline both for consumers and companies.
Extended support, however, is unaffected, and will continue to be offered until January 14, 2020.
The end of mainstream support does not mean that people will be required to upgrade their computers right now. It’s just that in the extended support phase users cannot request Microsoft to change product design and features of the operating system.
Additionally, they are not eligible for complimentary support via license, licensing programs and other such no-charge support initiatives.
This handy chart explains where things stand:
Businesses and enterprises are the most affected by this end of mainstream support, as Windows 7 will not be getting any new features. However, Redmond will still be patching the operating system for any flaws and vulnerabilities for another five years from now.
By that time the company hopes, the user base will have moved to Windows 10, or whatever current version of the operating system that is available.
Windows 7 currently remains the most popular version of the OS, with a desktop market share that well exceeds the 50 percent mark, meaning every other PC is powered by it.
