You cant get away! | Win7, 8.1 to go extinct | New processors will only work with Win10 - Microsoft

Yes, It is true. In 18 months Windows 10 will replace all of his sisters. Microsoft anounced that only Windows 10 will support the next generation procesors. Next generation processors, including Intel's "Kaby Lake", Qualcomm's 8996 (branded as Snapdragon 820), and AMD's "Bristol Ridge" APUs (which will use the company's Excavator architecture, not its brand new Zen arch) will only be supported on Windows 10.

Also, Organization that runs Windows 7 / 8.1 on Intel 6th generation Core processor (SkyLake) are given time until17 July 2017 to upgrade to Windows 10. After July 2017, the most critical Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 security updates will be addressed for these configurations, and will be released if the update does not risk the reliability or compatibility of the Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 platform on other devices.

Read more here
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/skylake-support

 If your organization runs win 7 or 8.1 on Skylake processors, you only have time until July 2017. You sure wanna book mark the above link to frequently check the Skylake systems supported on Win 7 / 8.1, as this page will be frequently upgraded as and when hardware vendors releases new model.

 MIcrosoft is trying to justify this move by providing certain data points and they have re-defined their support policy. Below is a snippet from Microsof's blog post

We are particularly excited about the work we’ve done with Intel on their new 6^th generation Intel Core processors (code named “Skylake”). Compared to Windows 7 PC’s, Skylake when combined with Windows 10, enables up to 30x better graphics and 3x the battery life – with the unmatched security of Credential Guard utilizing silicon supported virtualization. We and our partners are continuing to invest, innovate, and update to drive continued performance improvements across Windows 10 and Skylake devices.
 
With Windows 7 now in extended support, we are focused on our commitment to deliver security, reliability, and compatibility to our installed base on their current systems. Redesigning Windows 7 subsystems to embrace new generations of silicon would introduce churn into the Windows 7 code base, and would break this commitment.

Going forward, as new silicon generations are introduced, they will require the latest Windows platform at that time for support. This enables us to focus on deep integration between Windows and the silicon, while maintaining maximum reliability and compatibility with previous generations of platform and silicon. For example, Windows 10 will be the only supported Windows platform on Intel’s upcoming “Kaby Lake” silicon, Qualcomm’s upcoming “8996” silicon, and AMD’s upcoming “Bristol Ridge” silicon.

Read the entire post here
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/01/15/windows-10-embracing-silicon-innovation/

All that being said, It's time for you to take this up with your organization and start planning the migration of Windows 10.


The redefined policy makes Microsoft's hardware partners happy since they no longer have to develop as many costly software updates for past versions of Windows. It also helps Microsoft push migrating to Windows 10. Microsoft already anounced that WIndows 10 is their final version of Windows. it's now a service, not a product, and this change better reflects that. There's only one current version of Windows, and while Microsoft will fulfill its legacy hardware obligations, it won't be expending resources to help users steer clear of its latest and greatest.

S A Delphin