Microsoft ends Windows 7 consumer pre-installation sales!
As I reported late last year, Microsoft terminated Windows 7 retail sales forcing users to get Windows 8.
And now after today, per Microsoft's guidelines with predecessor operating systems, computer manufacturers such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and Lenovo will no longer be permitted to pre-load Windows 7 Home Basic (emerging markets only), Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Ultimate on new computers. This means that you will not even be allowed to even buy a brand new computer with Windows 7 anymore. Sorry.
Additionally, Microsoft will no longer provide OEM System Builders such as AVA Direct with copies of Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Ultimate to pre-install on new computers. According to CNET, this means that after today, OEM System Builders will be able to continue to sell existing unused OEM copies of Windows 7 to install on new computers...as long as their stock lasts. This means that OEM System Builders will not be allowed to replenish their supply. So once the supply runs out, consumers are clearly out of luck.
Furthermore, notable computer manufacturers may have or already dropped Windows 7 driver support on new desktop and laptop computers, this means that it will even be impossible to downgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 7 on new units.
The only exception will be computers running Windows 7 Professional which will continue to be sold for at least another year (until 31 October 2015). At this case, if you still want a Windows 7 computer for whatever reason, you're going to expect to be paying more for an OEM version of Windows 7 Professional. As inventory runs out, you may even be charged a premium as OEMs clearly know that they can get away with it.
Today is also the day that Microsoft terminates retail sales of the Windows 8 operating system (retail upgrade only). This means that consumers will have to purchase retail copies of Windows 8.1 or Windows 8.1 Pro in stores. Windows 8 support ends on 12 January 2016. Mainstream Support for Windows 8.1 ends on 9 January 2018 and Extended Support ends on 10 January 2023.
Net Applications has reported that at the time Windows 7 was being phased out, marketshare was 53.05%. That will unfortunately be the peak marketshare. And now that Windows 7 is no longer legally sold, you can expect the value to gradually decline going into the second half of this decade.
As for purchasing Windows 7 online, even Newegg is also affected by the termination of OEM licenses.
Would it be illegal to purchase Windows 7 elsewhere? Microsoft's EULA make selling on second hand copies of operating systems that are no longer legally sold after the cut-off date void.
As such, Microsoft is blatantly telling consumers to not purchase the OS from websites such as eBay and Amazon regardless of the fact that there is an abundance of counterfeit, pirates software being sold by unscrupulous sellers who may prey on ridiculous low price buyers?
Read more on the reason why: [1] [2]
Discuss.
And now after today, per Microsoft's guidelines with predecessor operating systems, computer manufacturers such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and Lenovo will no longer be permitted to pre-load Windows 7 Home Basic (emerging markets only), Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Ultimate on new computers. This means that you will not even be allowed to even buy a brand new computer with Windows 7 anymore. Sorry.
Additionally, Microsoft will no longer provide OEM System Builders such as AVA Direct with copies of Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Ultimate to pre-install on new computers. According to CNET, this means that after today, OEM System Builders will be able to continue to sell existing unused OEM copies of Windows 7 to install on new computers...as long as their stock lasts. This means that OEM System Builders will not be allowed to replenish their supply. So once the supply runs out, consumers are clearly out of luck.
Furthermore, notable computer manufacturers may have or already dropped Windows 7 driver support on new desktop and laptop computers, this means that it will even be impossible to downgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 7 on new units.
The only exception will be computers running Windows 7 Professional which will continue to be sold for at least another year (until 31 October 2015). At this case, if you still want a Windows 7 computer for whatever reason, you're going to expect to be paying more for an OEM version of Windows 7 Professional. As inventory runs out, you may even be charged a premium as OEMs clearly know that they can get away with it.
Today is also the day that Microsoft terminates retail sales of the Windows 8 operating system (retail upgrade only). This means that consumers will have to purchase retail copies of Windows 8.1 or Windows 8.1 Pro in stores. Windows 8 support ends on 12 January 2016. Mainstream Support for Windows 8.1 ends on 9 January 2018 and Extended Support ends on 10 January 2023.
Net Applications has reported that at the time Windows 7 was being phased out, marketshare was 53.05%. That will unfortunately be the peak marketshare. And now that Windows 7 is no longer legally sold, you can expect the value to gradually decline going into the second half of this decade.
As for purchasing Windows 7 online, even Newegg is also affected by the termination of OEM licenses.
Would it be illegal to purchase Windows 7 elsewhere? Microsoft's EULA make selling on second hand copies of operating systems that are no longer legally sold after the cut-off date void.
As such, Microsoft is blatantly telling consumers to not purchase the OS from websites such as eBay and Amazon regardless of the fact that there is an abundance of counterfeit, pirates software being sold by unscrupulous sellers who may prey on ridiculous low price buyers?
Read more on the reason why: [1] [2]
Discuss.
Comments17
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That's just Microsoft being Microsoft. They want you to buy their latest tripe.
I switched to GNU-Linux long ago, and it's way more stable, professional, and doesn't have any planned obsolescence built into it. Way more efficient and my workflow is so much easier.
I switched to GNU-Linux long ago, and it's way more stable, professional, and doesn't have any planned obsolescence built into it. Way more efficient and my workflow is so much easier.
Linux based distros have a shorter life span than MacOS and Windows-based operating systems combined. The reasons why Microsoft is phasing out Windows 7 support is that it is more than five years old now and it will lose Mainstream Support at the beginning of next year in which Windows 8.1 will be the only fully supported operating system.
First: that's a massive generalisation since there a vast numbers of distributions with varying release cycles, some are even infinitely supported and don't have release cycles at all. Second: GNU-Linux distributions iterate instead of re-invent like Microsoft does. Microsoft re-invents their operating systems whether their users want it or not in the name of planned obsolescence. It's incredibly annoying.
That's something that operating system distributors can't be blamed on.
Nooooooooooooooooooooo 
I love Window 7!!! soon I'll have to get Windows 8...there won't be any exit 
I love Window 7!!! soon I'll have to get Windows 8...there won't be any exit That has gotta suck that Microsoft has stopped allowing Windows 7 to be pre-installed on new computers.
It's a terrible news!! I'll probably get used to W8 but I tried it on a laptop and I had to install something to make it look like W7 lol!!
Microsoft also terminated retail sales of the original Windows 8 operating system. Consumers will have to go for Windows 8.1 now.
I hope it will be successful!!
I hope so to. 
I will use Windows 7 until 10 is released. Version 8.1 is a dog on PCs, though quite nice on mobile devices.
I don't even use Windows 7. I'm on Windows Vista. I expect the system requirements of Windows 10 to be much bigger than Windows Vista, 7 and 8/8.1.
Actually, the system required to run 10 is about the same as for 7. Windows 8 uses less because of its flat Metro shell. if you like Vista (and I know you do,) Windows 10 is really going be nice for you. I am a beta tester for 10, and so far, it is an awesome OS. Folks are going to love the new shell. It is the best of everything Microsoft has learned in the past 20 years. IT's are going to enjoy the kernel, the most stable ever written for x86 architecture.
Windows Vista requires around 15 GB to 20 GB of disk space and the requirements remain the same for later versions of Windows.
I haven't heard any word regarding direct upgrade paths from Windows XP or Windows Vista to Windows 10, but I'm suspecting that Microssoft may drop upgrade paths due to Windows XP being out of support. If that's the case, users of Windows XP/Vista will have to purchase a full Windows 10 license.
I haven't heard any word regarding direct upgrade paths from Windows XP or Windows Vista to Windows 10, but I'm suspecting that Microssoft may drop upgrade paths due to Windows XP being out of support. If that's the case, users of Windows XP/Vista will have to purchase a full Windows 10 license.
This is true. 
It sure is.