Microsoft has announced that from 31 October 2016, PC manufacturers won’t be able to sell new computers sporting the ageing Windows 7 or 8.1 operating systems. Instead, they will have to come pre-installed with Windows 10.
Microsoft usually puts such restrictions in place, but, as ZDNet points out, it typically leaves two years of breathing room between launching a new OS and ending sales of PCs with the old one. In fact, with Windows 7, Microsoft even extended the period of sales which saw the like of HP flog the OS to within an inch of its life, citing “popular demand.” Clearly Microsoft is taking a more aggressive tack with Windows 10, which will make some work for the likes of Dell, HP, and Lenovo.
[Microsoft via ZDNet via Verge]
Image by Cliff Johnson under Creative Commons licence