What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

**************

You have my curiosity —>

How do you setup a computer system so you are not exposed to hackers and like and still surf the internet on one computer

How do you setup a computer system so you can get and read your email and go to there web page to view there products or is this asking to much

What operating system would you use
What programs would you use to keep you safe from predators

I have gotten away from using a computer to surf the internet and just use an iPad for this purpose

I personally do not like Windows 8 or Windows 10 for different reasons

I can tolerate Windows 7 for the most part

I like Windows XP for the reason that you pointed out and some other reason that you did not mention

But I do not think that you can surf the internet with this os very well anymore

[Curious.George]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

My Win7 HTPC's can run indefinitely for the tasks they do. They aren't patched at all, no connection to the outside world.... Someone explain to me why they'd ever have to be updated/upgraded.

If some new media container/format was released/upgraded and you started encountering media encoded with that. E.g., an XP box would likely gag on some of the newer AVI and MKV CODECs.

There are a small number of W7 "bugs" that I would genuinely appreciate having *fixed* ad would consider an update *if* I knew they would be fixed in that update.

E.g., desktop icons "growing legs" and moving to new locations (or, not being remembered in their *current* position).

CIFS also has performance issues if you hammer on it really hard (e.g., transfer a few hundred thousand files occupying a few TB in one DnD operation and it will end up running at "floppy disk" speed...)

And, I am *so* tired of USB devices that refuse to eject even when you KNOW there is nothing "still open"!

[dmill89]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

I use Office 2019 (365) at work a lot... for what I do, it works well. Being able to share stuff via the cloud (onedrive) is nice, especially when nobody's SMB drivel letters seem to match (and idiots insist on using letters, not server names in local file email links).

Then again, I work for a medium sized employer (~1,000 employees across several plants in North America), so my (and my employer's) needs are very different than most of the people in this thread. Then again, we're also dumb enough to embrace a new PLM (product life management) system based on an effectively obsolete runtime (Silverlight, @#$%!) whose express intent was to improve the security of our proprietary information (and more importantly, our customers' proprietary information)...

At the end of the day, the job gets done... more than one way to skin a cat. Just some ways are better than others.

Comparatively I work for an employer with over 50K employees, and the newest version of office we have is 2016 and many (including me) are still on office 2010 (they're doing Office upgrades along with Windows upgrades so those on Windows 10 are on office 2016 and those still on Windows 7 are on Office 2010).

We're also now paying Microsoft for extended support on Windows 7 due to some software (from IBM no less) still not being compatible with windows 10.

[Topcat]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

I use Office 2019 (365) at work a lot... for what I do, it works well. Being able to share stuff via the cloud (onedrive) is nice, especially when nobody's SMB drivel letters seem to match (and idiots insist on using letters, not server names in local file email links).

Then again, I work for a medium sized employer (~1,000 employees across several plants in North America), so my (and my employer's) needs are very different than most of the people in this thread. Then again, we're also dumb enough to embrace a new PLM (product life management) system based on an effectively obsolete runtime (Silverlight, @#$%!) whose express intent was to improve the security of our proprietary information (and more importantly, our customers' proprietary information)...

At the end of the day, the job gets done... more than one way to skin a cat. Just some ways are better than others.

As I said on several occasions, this thread applies to the consumer market, not the corporate. Their needs are far different, as you verified for me.

Speaking of which, I hope the new job is going well, I havent heard much from you lately...

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

Sadly Flash has not died, it lingers around like a bad smell. I shall be glad when it's gone for good.

Reminds me of still not being able to pick up a 1440p monitor for $150-ish!
They often still act like 1080p is the best!

[diif]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

No, they aren't. It's just that new functions would not be available. And sooner or later you will need the next version and will switch to it one way or the other.
For example, Flash has died. Now you use HTML5. They cut the support of Flash from all the major streaming websites.
One example - I used Office 2003 for many years. Switched to 2007 only to have decent support for the new formats. But now I use 2016 because it makes my life simpler with the new graph wizards that make building graphs simpler. And some other stuff...

Sadly Flash has not died, it lingers around like a bad smell. I shall be glad when it's gone for good.

[ratdude747]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

MSO for spreadsheets? LOL...I don't need the latest version of anything to type a letter for frack's sakes... office365 is as evil (counter-productive, bloated, spying) as win10 itself. Plenty of other office type programs out there (for linux or windows) that will do the same damn thing....

I use Office 2019 (365) at work a lot... for what I do, it works well. Being able to share stuff via the cloud (onedrive) is nice, especially when nobody's SMB drivel letters seem to match (and idiots insist on using letters, not server names in local file email links).

Then again, I work for a medium sized employer (~1,000 employees across several plants in North America), so my (and my employer's) needs are very different than most of the people in this thread. Then again, we're also dumb enough to embrace a new PLM (product life management) system based on an effectively obsolete runtime (Silverlight, @#$%!) whose express intent was to improve the security of our proprietary information (and more importantly, our customers' proprietary information)...

At the end of the day, the job gets done... more than one way to skin a cat. Just some ways are better than others.

[Topcat]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

...and at the risk of sounding redundant, loss of browser support is what will do-in an OS @ consumer level...

My Win7 HTPC's can run indefinitely for the tasks they do. They aren't patched at all, no connection to the outside world.... Someone explain to me why they'd ever have to be updated/upgraded. Same with my NAS, for its tasks, it can run until the hardware fails beyond repair... The only reason its not running windows 2000 is it needs 64 bit support. XP didn't truly die off until browser support ended by all the 'big dogs' (chrome/chromium, Mozilla, Opera, etc). Win7 still has a few years to go before death. I'll run my mainstream win7 machines until that time. After that, I do have a non w10 backup plan.

MSO for spreadsheets? LOL...I don't need the latest version of anything to type a letter for frack's sakes... office365 is as evil (counter-productive, bloated, spying) as win10 itself. Plenty of other office type programs out there (for linux or windows) that will do the same damn thing....

[televizora]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

/Offtopic/
I also don't like Windows 8, 8.1, 10...

[R_J]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

That message about support being ended, is actually downloaded from Windows Update and thus you don't have to worry about that.
It's like the XP EOL reminder.

At least with windows XP you could choose not to install and hide the EOL update. With windows 7 it comes bundled with the Security monthly (pms) quality rollup, so if you want the other updates you get the eol nag, But I understand it pops up once and you can check "do not show again".

[televizora]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

The underlying assumption, here, is that the old "framework" (or applications) are somehow broken just by the existence of the "new".

No, they aren't. It's just that new functions would not be available. And sooner or later you will need the next version and will switch to it one way or the other.
For example, Flash has died. Now you use HTML5. They cut the support of Flash from all the major streaming websites.
One example - I used Office 2003 for many years. Switched to 2007 only to have decent support for the new formats. But now I use 2016 because it makes my life simpler with the new graph wizards that make building graphs simpler. And some other stuff...

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

With the exception of this machine, none of my machines have ever talked to the outside world, run an AV product, been "updated" after initial build, etc. "Never had any issues"...

[E.g., none of the W7 machines complain about "lack of W7 support" after Jan 14...]

That message about support being ended, is actually downloaded from Windows Update and thus you don't have to worry about that.
It's like the XP EOL reminder.

[Curious.George]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

I also have some 5+yrs running Win7 systems (mainly HTPC's) that are completely isolated from the outside world.....never had any issues.

With the exception of this machine, none of my machines have ever talked to the outside world, run an AV product, been "updated" after initial build, etc. "Never had any issues"...

[E.g., none of the W7 machines complain about "lack of W7 support" after Jan 14...]

[Curious.George]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

Old frameworks aren't coping well with new technologies. Sometimes it's better to rewrite something than to reinvent the wheel and trying to add new features to old stuff, while keeping compatibility with older hardware.

The underlying assumption, here, is that the old "framework" (or applications) are somehow broken just by the existence of the "new". Or, that the new "framework" (or applications) are more desirable than the old. That's often not the case -- esp wrt software (do all of your spreadsheets suddenly stop working if a new/incompatible version of the application is made available IF YOU DON'T CHOOSE TO USE IT?)

[televizora]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

Old frameworks aren't coping well with new technologies. Sometimes it's better to rewrite something than to reinvent the wheel and trying to add new features to old stuff, while keeping compatibility with older hardware. While I agree that many times some stuff is forcibly made obsolete, in other cases it's too difficult and expensive to keep it running. Like trying to keep a steam engine running, while it's no more effective and there are better alternatives. In other cases they make something obsolete only to sell new stuff and make more money.
I will put it this way - If you have a jacket, in which you have more holes than fabric left, you replace it, not trying to patch all the holes. Neither the result would be something decent, nor the effort put in this worth it. We have a saying of ours - "To have a button and looking for a coat to stitch it to "

[Topcat]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

I have a customer with a Windows 7 PC that has been offline since it was bought a few years ago, it's not disabled.

I also have some 5+yrs running Win7 systems (mainly HTPC's) that are completely isolated from the outside world.....never had any issues.

[diif]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

I have a customer with a Windows 7 PC that has been offline since it was bought a few years ago, it's not disabled.

[Topcat]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

Some people also suspect the world is flat. They are both wrong.

I'm inclined to agree on that one.....

[diif]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

Some people suspect Windows Vista and later, has a secret timebomb that makes Windows disable itself if it can't connect to a specific Microsoft server, after a certain amount of months, even when activated already!

Some people also suspect the world is flat. They are both wrong.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: What TRULY Renders an Operating System Obsolete?

Some people suspect Windows Vista and later, has a secret timebomb that makes Windows disable itself if it can't connect to a specific Microsoft server, after a certain amount of months, even when activated already!