Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Microsoft ends Windows 7 retail sales, directs consumers to Windows 8

Mike Flacy
By
Windows-7-retail-copies
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Looking for a way to push more people to the latest version of Windows, Microsoft announced that the company discontinued the distribution of retail copies of Windows 7 at the end of October 2013. While retailers like Amazon still have an existing stock of retail copies to sell to customers, Microsoft will no longer package and supply the official retail version of the software. However, consumers will still be able to purchase the OEM version of Windows 7 for the foreseeable future.

windows-7-ulitmateIn addition, this doesn’t mean that PC manufacturers will be forced to stop selling computers that offer Windows 7. According to the Windows lifecycle fact sheet, the date for halting all sales of PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed on the device is currently undetermined. Microsoft had previously listed that date as October 31, 2014, but removed that information earlier today.

Recommended Videos

Releasing a statement to The Next Web about the date change, a Microsoft representative said “We apologize for any confusion this may have caused our customers. We’ll have more details to share about the Windows 7 lifecycle once they become available. Additionally, we are confirming that the Retail software end of sales date for Windows 7 did happen on October 30, 2013.” Interestingly, Windows Vista was available in retail form nearly as long as the four-year retail life span of Windows 7.

Related

While customers are still interested in Windows 7, Microsoft is likely looking for ways to boost the adoption rate of Windows 8. According to the latest data from NetMarketShare, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 collectively have about a 9.3 percent market share versus Windows 7 at approximately 46 percent and Windows XP still holding strong at 31 percent.

In addition, Windows 7 had a faster growth rate than Windows 8 during a four month span earlier in the year. Of course, the slow adoption of Windows 8 has hurt Microsoft’s ability to capture a stronger foothold in the tablet market, an area that’s currently dominated by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android software.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mike Flacy
Mike Flacy
Contributing Editor
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
PC gamers — Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 are officially dead
Windows 10 running on the Steam Deck.

We all knew it was coming, but it's still sad to see Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 go. Valve announced that it ended support for the three operating systems on January 1, 2024, essentially ending the life of the storied operating systems for the small batch of PC gamers still using them. We had a great run.

Before we cry foul that Valve is shuttering Steam support for potential users, understand that Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 only make up a total of 0.89% of all Steam users. That's not an insignificant number of users -- there are 31 million online users on Steam at the time of writing, nearly 10 million of which are playing games -- but I'd wager a large number of those users either have other, newer PCs, or aren't active on Steam most days.

Read more
Microsoft plans to charge for Windows 10 updates in the future
Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating system logos are displayed on laptop screens.

Microsoft has confirmed it will offer security updates for Windows 10 after the end-of-life date for the operating system for consumer users but for a fee.

The brand recently announced plans to charge regular users for Extended Security Updates (ESU) who intend to continue using Windows 10 beyond the October 14, 2025 support date.

Read more
Surface Laptop Go 3 vs. Surface Pro 7+: is it an upgrade?
Microsoft Surface Pro 7

The Surface Laptop Go 3 is Microsoft's new affordable Surface laptop, with upgraded hardware and long battery life making it a compelling option for budget laptop buyers in 2023. But for anyone considering an upgrade to a Surface device at around that $800 price, the Surface Pro 7+ still presents an attractive purchase, and it can flip into a tablet when you need it.

That brings to mind the age-old question, of whether newer is automatically better. In this case, it might not be. Let's take a look at the Surface Laptop Go 3 versus Surface Pro 7+, to find out.

Read more