windows 7
 

I've just learned that Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 7 next January. So, do I buy a new machine or upgrade my old HP lap top. I've had my lap top long enough to have to replace some worn out keys. I like it a lot but... Any suggestions from the computer guys? If I upgrade my old lap top, what do I upgrade to? Windows 10? Something else?

It depends on what apps you want to run but Linux Mint is a great option for older laptops and I'd bet your laptop would run better than it ever has. I've been running it for years and I'd never go back to Microsoft for anything personal.

And it's a lot easier to install than you might think.

Here's a good place to start: https://linuxmint.com

If you search, you can still get Windows 10 for free. Give it a try first. I recently did 2 laptops. I still prefer and use Linux for my first choice. Most people resist because they do not like learning a different OS. Its not that complicated, really.

I recently fought with one HP laptop switching to 10. I've had good luck with other systems but this one fought me. I ended up putting chromium on it.

Ive only gotten the BSOD a few times on Win10, but there are a lot of shall we say 'insecure' settings by default.
You'll have to go through every menu to turn everything off that wants to 'share' to 'the cloud'.
(MS is probably following Apple and Google.)
(Or AOL/Facebook brand limited internet world surrounded by a corporate fence)

*Microsoft also keeps defaulting later on to worthless Edge browser even after changes are made.
Cough.
(Did they forget to add even a basic options pull down menu or even a save function? Yes they did.)

*Even then, CCleaner finds the IE and Edge files full of data even when they have not been used. Odd.

*The Cortana voice assistant seems to be co-joined with the Windows OS search function.
So if you turn off the microphone/camera with Cortana, you turn off basic OS search.
Those need to be turned off through a series of other menus.
Oh yeah, adding desktop shortcuts to things like the settings menu is now confusing or sometimes not available.

*Crass advertisements and/or notifications to sign up to XBox will remain mandatory and pop up unexpectedly everywhere like a cheap bazaar.
Low class.
[/rant]


TLDR:
More stability. More support. Forced good/bad upgrades. Less privacy. Less customization.
Windows 8 (i.e. Simple Simon game) big colorful buttons "for kids 8-and-up" are still carried over in the start menu.
Even when everything else has become totally confusing for young and old.

(edit: Windoz still seems to be the least-worst of the bunch for now...besides linux....as hard as they try.)

Ugh. My PC running Win 7 Home Premium runs well, and has for years (purchased Oct 2011). I rarely reboot it. M$ wankers are going to stop supporting it. I don't want to upgrade.

I want my next PC to be an iMAC, but I'm not ready to spend the money. I guess I need to start getting ready.

I tried Win 10 when it first came out. I hated it so badly, I orderd a new laptop and desktop with win 7........Both Dell.

If you shop carefully, you can still find Win 7 out there..........I'll use it as along as I can......

I'm still running Windows 7 on my desktop gaming pc, Windows 10 on my work laptop with as much of the telemetry, Cortana, and Bits services stripped back or disabled as possible. You turn off Cortana and the OS will not function correctly. Not to mention no group policy services on the home edition. You have very little control over how/when updates are forced onto your system. It's an IT nightmare for most orgs.

If Win 7 is anything like Win XP, there will still be support, it'll just be PRIVATE support. Did you know there is a Service Pack 4 for Windows XP? Neither does Microsoft! But it's there, because computer nerds made it and support it.

True. Also, just because MS stops support, that does not mean it will no longer work. Eventually things may stop working but it could take years. For instance, I have an XP computer that still works. Avast has a browser that will still get it on line and work well.
If you are open to linux, you can load it onto a flash drive and boot it from it. I test drove several versions this way before I picked a favorite. It is so easy to do and free. I can post some details if you would like.

Nope, you'll still be getting those... lol

Get a mac. Seriously. Yes they’re overpriced and you’re paying for the Apple name but they work and work well.

If you really want / need windows or Linux to tinker on, get parallels and run it that way. I keep a version of Windows 10 on mine to run apps like Revit I need and that are inexplicably not written for the macOS. Works great.

And used macs are really not all that expensive. Not as cheap as PCs but not horrible.

Just get a new laptop with windows 10, they are cheap now. An OK one can be had for under $500. A good one for under $1000. Both will run better than your old W7 laptop upgraded to W10.

What is your primary use? Windows 10 on my newer system is pretty quick. My daughter's mac is pretty quick. Neither one is as fast as my son's old laptop with upgraded ram, 500 GD SSD and chromium.

So much of it comes down to your intended use. For me, I use several very expensive commercial Photogrammetry and mapping programs. They only run on Win 10 Pro with lots of RAM.

If you only surf the web and do email, Mint may be your best bet.

Just bought a new HP lapper with 10. Still playing with it before I leave this old boy with 7. Lots of stuff to back up and transfer. Probably send this Toshiba to HRC's people to clean before I get rid of it:)
Old dog hates new tricks.........

Windows 7 is now a 10 year old operating system.

How many Macs are running a OS from 10 years ago?

Yea, I know of people that still run an Amiga from 34 years ago, so what, is is simply outdated, slow and a toy.

I still have my original Windows 2.0 floppy disks. I don't have a computer with a 5.25 inch floppy, but I still have them just because.

Don't do anything...
End of support means no more patching. That's a blessing in disguise ;-) These days MS patching does 10x more damage than actual viruses or hackers. Keep using your old laptop until it's dead, use a decent antivirus and common sense, you'll be fine... and then your next PC will come with a new OS anyway.

I deploy software/patching/do sysadmin stuff for hospitals for a living, and let me tell you Microsoft's testing on their patches is *abysmal*, and has been so for about 2 years. We skip more than we apply because otherwise we'd blue screen tons of machines and kill patients (apparently doctors cannot practice medicine without a computer anymore ;-) !

We have to go to Win10 Enterprise to use the GPOs that we currently use with Win 7 Pro. There are still some in Win 10 Pro, but a limited set. We also use software to suppress Windows Update and test the patched before they are deployed.

On a side note, I really hate Windows 10, but there are some places where it performs better than 7 and it comes with DX12.