According to Microsoft marketing chief Chris Capossela, users who continue to run Windows 7 on their computers should do so at their own risk, but the company is concerned about the future hardware and software compatibility and security for the operating system.
This would be bad news for a significant number of users, as 55 percent of all computers are still running on Windows 7.
"We do worry when people are running an operating system that's 10 years old that the next printer they buy isn't going to work well, or they buy a new game, they buy Fallout 4, a very popular game, and it doesn't work on a bunch of older machines," said Capossela to Twit.tv netcast Windows Weekly, adding that to counter this, the company is pushing its independent software vendor and hardware partners to take advantage of Windows 10.
Capossela also said it's important for Microsoft to end Windows fragmentation, and to increase the security for all Windows users.
Forbes writer Gordon Kelly, however, believes that the statements made by Capossela at the netcast are "complete rubbish."
Kelly notes that the security of Windows 7 is no less than that of Windows 10, as the older operating system will be supported by Microsoft through 2020. The operating system is also no less compatible with new software and hardware, and the significant market share of Windows 7 over Windows 10 means that developers would actually prioritize compatibility for Windows 7. If, for example, a game such as Fallout 4 does not run on a Windows 7 computer, the solution is not to upgrade to Windows 10 but rather to upgrade the components of Windows 7.
As for the issue of fragmentation, this is only a problem for Microsoft as it has previously stated that the company is targeting to have 1 billion devices powered by Windows 10 within two to three years after the operating system's release.
Microsoft has recently been increasing the pressure for users with Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers to make the upgrade to Windows 10, with reports of mandatory downloads and automatic upgrades to Windows 10.
While Windows 10 is a very capable operating system, it is very controlling, with a significant percentage of users opting not to upgrade to the new operating system despite the nagging prompts that Microsoft is releasing into Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers.
For users who are willing to ignore Capossela's statements and would instead want Microsoft to stop harassing them for the Windows 10 upgrade, here's how to stop it.
