Windows 7 was first available for consumers to purchase in October of 2009, and nearly more a decade later, its time is finally coming to end. Today, January 14, officially marks the end of support for the Windows 7 operating system, meaning Microsoft will no longer provide free security updates.
Even so, Windows 7 is still much-loved and is still quite popular, falling second only to Windows 10. According to data from NetMarketShare, Windows 7 holds a 32.75% share of the operating system market, behind Windows 10’s 47.65%. That’s also larger than MacOS Mojave’s 10.14% share, and way ahead of the Chrome OS share of 0.39%.
Despite the small share, the competing operating systems powering those devices — Chrome OS and MacOS — have also evolved, but it all apparently has nothing on Windows 7. Chrome OS is compatible with Android apps, and Apple is allowing developers to port iPad apps to the Mac. Microsoft is also updating Windows 10 twice a year with new features.
In the larger picture, all desktop versions of Windows are also ahead of all other operating systems combined. Data from StatCounter shows that Windows holds a 77.64% Marketshare, followed by MacOS with 16.46%, and Chrome OS with 1.45%.
The successor to Windows 7 was launched 2012, with a striking new design that did away with the most familiar elements of Windows, such as the taskbar and the Start menu. Windows 8 was meant to be a new era for the operating system, built from the ground up with touch controls and tablets in mind.
It wasn’t meant to last, though. In the ruin of Windows 8, Windows 7 became a haven for those seeking stability and familiarity. Even with the mass adoption of Windows 10 in new PCs, plenty of enterprise users stayed behind and never updated.
Despite how popular Windows 7 still is, it’s now time for an upgrade. By staying with Windows 7, consumers risk putting their PCs at risk to viruses and other security issues. It’s best to upgrade to Windows 10 or buy a new PC.
We’ve got a guide to buying new laptops which can help out. We also have a weekly updated collection of the best deals on laptops, MacBooks, and also Chromebooks which will help you save money.
Did you think hitting delete on your AI chatbot conversation actually makes it disappear? Georgia Tech researchers just proved that's not entirely true. They have built a forensic tool called ORISA that can dig deleted conversations from your phone and even rebuild them into a working chatbot session you can keep talking to.
How can ORISA bring deleted AI conversations back?
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).
Two residents of Chicago have filed a lawsuit in the US over claims that robots run by Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics captured their facial and hand measurements without consent, bringing renewed attention to the food delivery robots. The cases raise a troubling question: If a robot delivers food to your door, can it also be gathering sensitive information about you?
According to a report by The Associated Press, the proposed class-action lawsuits were filed in Cook County on Oct. 9 and allege violations of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. The complaints claim that the robots’ cameras and LiDAR sensors captured information on customers’ faces and hands as they approached the machines to pick up their orders. Both have denied the allegations.