MS Extends the Vista and Windows 7 Lifecycles on the Sly

Ed Tittel — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:23:57 +0000

My eyes literally bugged out when I read this item from Ed Bott’s Report last week (February 20): “Microsoft quietly extends consumer support for Windows 7, Vista.” Here’s a snapshot for Windows 7 from MS’s “Support Lifecycle” Web page that shows what’s up (I include just a snippet: for each screencap, all dates are the same):

Lookit those extended support dates!

A similar pattern, but with earlier expirations, also applies to Windows Vista:

Vista also gets a new lease on life

Under Microsoft’s original guidelines mainstream support for Vista is set to end in two months, and this hasn’t changed. What has changed is that consumer as well as business versions now qualify for extended support, too. That means everybody gets to keep using Vista (if they want to, that is) until April 2017. Same thing goes for Windows 7, upon which the sun won’t finally set until January, 2020. It used to be that extended support was for business customers with support contracts only, but that is no longer the case!

I can only speculate that Microsoft is signaling that it’s OK to stay with Vista or Windows 7 for the near term, and that there will be no massive shakedown or pulling the rug out from under the feet of business or consumer users to push them into Windows 8. Interestingly, Windows 8 purchases will also confer downgrade rights to Vista and Windows 7, but NOT Windows XP. Could it be the real target of this change? You bet!

Windows Enterprise Desktop » Windows Vista stays live until 4/2017

MS Extends the Vista and Windows 7 Lifecycles on the Sly