Better get to it folks! The clock is ticking!
Looks like Microsoft is getting a touch more aggressive in making sure consumers stay up to date on OS updates. The Windows 8 support life cycle is scheduled to end in 2023, but to continue receiving support, it looks like Microsoft is going to require people stay on top of updates.
Announced on Microsoft’s site:
Windows 8 customers will have two years to move to Windows 8.1 after the General Availability of the Windows 8.1 update to continue to remain supported under the Windows 8 lifecycle.
Well, “General Availability” started last Thursday, so at the time of this blog post, you have less than 727 days to jump on the Windows 8.1 update to continue receiving support.
It would appear Microsoft is trying to be a bit more proactive in communicating with consumers when products hit End Of Life. There’s still a substantial base of users still on Windows XP, which could create a nightmare scenario for many when support officially ends April of 2014. The fear being that those who create malware for Windows could be waiting for support to end before unleashing new attacks on the XP platform.
So now, Microsoft is not only communicating what the total support time is, they’re stipulating more consumer participation in keeping the Windows ecosystem a bit more up to date. As for those of us on Windows 7 and Windows 8, we’ve got PLENTY of support time left, so long as we keep up with our updates…