Windows 10: Future version of Windows?

The biggest problem I see with hardware and newer versions of Operating Systems is that once a product is discontinued there is no more money coming in to keep the programmers of the software/drivers working. It's a simple matter of economics, can't take money from new products to pay for supporting old products. Some call it 'planned obsolescence' but there's too many contributing factors involved that not everyone has control of. And it's not only consumers' computers involved, a fact of life with always-evolving technology.

 

But it is Microsoft's changes to support policy which means a machine can unexpectedly go out of support with less than 2 years life (based on 1507 which is less than 2 years old but already out of support).

With say Windows 7, you pretty much knew that if a machine worked with Windows 7, it would keep working until Windows 7 went out of support. Now, with every update, your machine could be made obsolete and only supported for a short period.

I agree Microsoft shouldn't support old hardware for ever where the hardware manufacturers have stopped updating the drivers, but less than 2 years is too short a period to suddenly drop hardware out of support - 5 years would be more reasonable.

 

I disagree with this. Drivers are part of the OS and you get them via the Microsoft website (they are auto-downloaded). If Microsoft says that its OS is supported until 2025; you can expect it to work on the same hardware until 2025 and receive security updates. Who in the end write the drivers is not relevant to the end user. It is well the responsibility of Microsoft to support it's full OS (including the drivers) up to the end of the support date they announce. I expect a hardware "made for Windows 10" or compatible with "Windows 10" to works with it as long as it is Windows 10.

 

The drivers delivered via Windows update are supplied to Microsoft by the OEM's. Microsoft offers them via Windows update as a curtesy. Microsoft is in no way obligated to update those drivers or ensure newer updated drivers are available via Windows update. It's the OEM's responsibility to submit newer drivers to Microsoft for delivery via Windows Update. The only exception is drivers for actual Microsoft branded hardware. And even then, they are not obligated to ensure that model X is supported indefinitely just because it works with this build of Windows 10.

 

With the current version of Windows, they get installed when you install Windows and downloaded via the Microsoft website; this is even done without further notice. I think it is reasonable to consider that anything that gets installed when you install Windows is part of Windows and part of what you have purchased. Microsoft is responsible for what it sells, not what it writes.

 

Not true, your buying a license to use the software, your not buying the software. Plus, the onus is on you to ensure your hardware is compatible with the software, not the other way around. Do a clean install of any build and if the hardware isn't supported, no drivers for that hardware will be installed. Same thing happens with an upgrade. If its no longer supported its disabled and or becomes non functional. In that case the onus is on you to go to the manufacturer of that hardware for a compatible driver.

 

You may also want to look at this, http://www.intowindows.com/download-...grade-advisor/

 

I agree that Windows doesn't have to be compatible with all possible devices; on the other hand, if they say that it is supported until 2025, we can reasonably expect that it will be supported until that date without breaking. When I install Windows 10; it is reasonable to consider that everything that gets installed is part of Windows 10, and that include the drivers, at least the ones that are auto-downloaded from the Microsoft website. Just because Microsoft doesn't have written the drivers doesn't mean it is not part of the purchased Windows 10. Just like when you buy a car, it may well be that some part of it is made by third party manufacturers. But when the main manufacturer announces a warranty or some other things, it concerns the car as a whole.

 

Windows is supported until "X" date "on compatible hardware". Compatible now does not mean compatible forever. It just doesn't work that way no matter what you "reasonably expect". << Not meant as a flame or insult etc. It's just that, that's not the reality we live in. Support, as far as Windows goes, does not include drivers. They do update some of them, but they are not obligated to do so. Support is primarily bug fixes and security updates.
A car is a poor analogy in this case. In the PC world there is software and hardware, and they each have their own separate warranty. Buy a premade PC and the OEM will support you with warranty as long as you don't alter it. They won't help you if you upgrade the OS or change it to a different OS. Some will but don't count on it. They will just tell you to do the factory recovery. Microsoft won't give you support either if its OEM. You'll get patches etc like everybody else but they won't give you phone or online support etc. They will tell you to contact the manufacturer of the PC.
Build your own PC and your warranty will be with X number of manufacturers. Each piece of hardware you buy will have its own warranty with its manufacturer. And there is no way Microsoft is going to guaranty that that combination of parts will be compatible with Windows for the entire support cycle of Windows. And why should they? They just can't. They don't write the drivers, the OEM's do. It's the OEM's intellectual property so even if Microsoft wanted to update and or change them they can't legally do so. And Microsoft isn't going to hold off a new release because every pieces of hardware on the planet doesn't have a compatible driver. If they did we would still be running something like Windows 3.1. Actually they would be out of business so god knows what we would be running.

 

This was the case up to Windows 8.1. They might not update the drivers but they were careful that Windows X will always be compatible with the same drivers as long as it is Windows X; which solved the problem. Windows X wasn't supported forever, but the end of support was clearly announced. I do not claim Windows 10, or 7 should be compatible with Windows 3.1 hardware. What I claim is that they should give a clear communication. Once they claim a particular version will be supported until a specific date, we can indeed reasonably expect updates to this particular version won't break anything. They didn't claim Windows 3.1 will be supported until 2017; but if they did, they would have to stand to their promise.

 

I think most here will agree with me that a new build is in effect a new OS. They just keep calling it Windows 10. Which I wish they wouldn't. but that's a whole other topic. So, if you for instance don't upgrade to the next build every time ones released, you will get what you want. Replace the "X" we're referring to with the build number, not 10. Just because all your hardware works with the AU doesn't mean it will work with the CU. If you upgrade to the CU and something doesn't or stops working, its not Microsoft's responsibility to make it work, its yours. I'll say this one last time and be done with it. Microsoft is in no way responsible for other manufacturers drivers. Never have been and never will be. They also have little to no influence on how fast those manufacturers update their drivers. Microsoft submits the new version of Windows to those manufacturers so they can develop working drivers long before the public release happens.

 

Please, it's Windows 10, not Windows X. Probably due to the thinking that X and 10 are the same it appears to be part of the reason Apple dropped Mac OS X in favor of macOS with their latest to eliminate some of the confusion. Then there's the X association with Christ which contrary to some thinking Microsoft is not the same.

 

The "X" was used to denote any version of Windows, a wild card if you will. Substitute "X" for Windows 7 or windows 8 etc. Sorry for the confusion. It wasn't meant to denote Windows 10 specifically.

 

Since this is a Windows 10 forum that's the logical way to think that Windows 10 is meant.

 

Yep, I see why it was taken that way. I'm done with that particular discussion anyway, its fruitless to continue it.