Is Windows 7 the end of the hardware market ready?

　　On January 10, Beijing time, the Windows 7 operating system will end ESU, that is, paid extension support. For enterprise users, even if they want to pay more, Microsoft will not issue security patches anymore.

After 14 years of operation, this classic product of Microsoft bid farewell to the market. As the software is constantly updated and upgraded, is the hardware really ready?

　　The system "goes too fast"

　　According to the data, Windows 7 was released in October 2009, mainstream support ended in 2015, and extended support ended in 2020, and then Microsoft launched ESU, allowing subscriptions to security patches through payment.

It is understood that although Microsoft has officially suspended the maintenance of Windows 7, users who have installed Windows 7 can still continue to use it.

　　Although the countdown to Windows 7 has begun since 2020, and many users have had to upgrade to Windows 10, it is worth noting that many users deleted the system after upgrading and switched back to the factory default system of Windows 8.1 , and the voice of missing Windows 7 began to ferment, and the data also reflected this. As of October 2019, Windows 7's market share was still close to 57%.

　　Mr. Zhu is an employee of a state-owned enterprise. During the epidemic, he often used his laptop to process some forms. He told the reporter of Beijing Business Daily that although he is used to Windows 10 now, he felt a lot of inconvenience at the beginning. The system is too fancy. For example, Windows 10 has two sets of interface styles, Win23 and UWP. The interface style is not uniform, and there are two places to change settings, namely Control Panel and "Settings". These new designs do not enhance the use of experience, but it is easy to confuse users.

　　However, more voices reflect that Windows 10 is slower than the previous version. Beijing Business Daily reporters found on Weibo and other platforms that many users said that Windows 10 does not match the old computer in their hands, the interface crashes, and the computer blue screen And other problems are not uncommon, even the boot time is much longer than the previous Windows 7, and the more fancy Windows 10 naturally has a lot more background processes, which makes some users equipped with i5 processors feel "unable to move". ".

　　Computers "can't sell"

　　Despite this, the pace of Microsoft’s updates is not slow at all. In October 2021, Microsoft launched Windows 11. It is reported that Windows 11 will maintain a yearly update rhythm, go online in the second half of each year, and support for 24 months. for 36 months.

　　In fact, Microsoft is not unaware of the resistance of old computer users to the new system. Microsoft wrote on the official website support page: "Most Windows 7 devices will not meet the hardware requirements for upgrading to Windows 11. As an alternative, compatible Windows 7 PCs can be upgraded to Windows 10 by purchasing and installing the full version of the software."

　　Industry observer Hong Shibin believes that Microsoft, as a major software company, has noticed to a certain extent that the update speed of software and hardware is different, especially in recent years. It is not conducive to the rollout of the new version of the system.

　　The data also proves this. According to data released by the analysis agency Canalys, the demand for personal computers will decline sharply in the third quarter of 2022, and the total shipments of desktops and notebooks in the third quarter will drop by 18% year-on-year to 69.4 million units. Computer shipments were the most affected, down 19% year-on-year to 54.7 million units.

　　Hong Shibin pointed out that from the perspective of the general background, the continuous epidemic in recent years and the impact of high inflation combined with the economic downturn in many countries have shrouded the consumer electronics market in a gloomy cloud. From the perspective of personal PCs, more and more electronic products can now As the entrance to the Internet, it will undoubtedly share a lot of demand for PC computers, and more importantly, although gaming notebooks are still an important category in the market, from the perspective of the overall PC industry, it has not set foot on the current gaming, social networking The outlet for the demand is that the mobile phone has become more and more intelligent at a speed visible to the naked eye, and it has undertaken the above demands.

　　Experts pointed out that in the face of such a situation, machine manufacturers should consider further subdividing the functions of notebooks, and put more energy on office-needed categories such as thin and light notebooks and standalone graphics notebooks. Although gaming notebooks can support high-end product conditions line, but it belongs to improvement consumption after all, and growth may be limited in today’s increasingly cautious personal consumption. While highlighting the attributes of computer production tools, further improving the cost structure and lowering prices may be a more practical strategy at present.