Creators Update will not support Atom processors

[Diggs]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned that the Creators Update is not supporting Atom processors.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3209...t-off-devices-with-older-cpus.html#tk.rss_all

The author makes a big deal about it but to me it's a non-issue. Atoms are supported on the Anniversary Update until 2023. If someone is running Windows 10 on an Atom processor after that it's their fault that they didn't upgrade their handicapped hardware long ago.

 

[LostBit]

I agree, a lot. That's handicapped hardware all those machines with Atom processors.

 

[Blues]

I'm curious if there is a more complete list out there of what won't be supported because the article certainly indicates it won't just be the Atom CPUs.

 

[G8racingfool]

Soooo MS debuts Windows 10 as the solution to their fragmented platform, only to fragment it far further by taking the stack of cards that are 'feature updates' and throwing them all over the room.

So in the future when a PC comes into the shop and we ask "what version of Windows are you running", when a customer says "uuhhhhhh 10 I think" we get to ask them "what version of 10?" and watch them be completely dumbfounded.

 

[HankArnold]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned that the Creators Update is not supporting Atom processors.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3209...t-off-devices-with-older-cpus.html#tk.rss_all

The author makes a big deal about it but to me it's a non-issue. Atoms are supported on the Anniversary Update until 2023. If someone is running Windows 10 on an Atom processor after that it's their fault that they didn't upgrade their handicapped hardware long ago.

I think that the issue here is not that they don't support certain hardware as much as the fact that we are told one thing and then suddenly, it changes. What MS needs is a consistent, stable road map for their technology, both hardware and software.

 

[trevm999]

Wait, isn't there a Surface 3 that has an Atom processor?

 

[NviGate Systems]

Yes. It has a Cherry Trail Z Series if memory serves.

If MS is on the ball they will no doubt have some sort of lovely full screen message like they do currently on Windows 7/8 that says you are out of date, only no option for updates.

Computers don't just have to deal with hardware failures, now they have an expiry date!

Still rocking my Surface RT, so it's not like it won't work but like XP, it will be in no man's land.

Interesting how this will affect the cheap Chinese PCs that ship with Atoms. There will still be Atoms in the supply chain for a while, although many suppliers are going Celeron or Pentium.

It seems Intel's lineup is just as fragmented as Microsoft's.

 

[trevm999]

I was a big fan of the later Atoms, it was amazing what work horses they could be be while being so low powered

With mainstream support of x86 architecture being reconsidered for many Linux OS, the older x86 only Atoms are going to be left to spinoff distros

 

[TechLady]

Soooo MS debuts Windows 10 as the solution to their fragmented platform, only to fragment it far further by taking the stack of cards that are 'feature updates' and throwing them all over the room.

So in the future when a PC comes into the shop and we ask "what version of Windows are you running", when a customer says "uuhhhhhh 10 I think" we get to ask them "what version of 10?" and watch them be completely dumbfounded.

Right. I hate Microsoft so much right now.

I think that the issue here is not that they don't support certain hardware as much as the fact that we are told one thing and then suddenly, it changes. What MS needs is a consistent, stable road map for their technology, both hardware and software.

YES...I hate to say it, but they remind me greatly of a certain country's administration with the constant zig-zagging and lying. It's hard to answer client questions about what MS's rules/policies are at any given moment.

 

[sapphirescales]

I'm really worried about this. "Tighter integration." WTF is that supposed to mean? You mean they want to make computers more like smartphones? Integrated hardware and software, and you'll only get an update if the corporations allow it? With this they could make computers completely obsolete every 2 years. The whole point of Windows (and a computer in general) is the openness and ability to upgrade it and separate the hardware from the software. Sounds like a MASSIVE cash grab and collusion between Microsoft and OEM's to sell more computers.

 

[trevm999]

Trying to be completely dispassionate about this, it doesn't sound like such an awful thing.

The Windows 10 that you buy with your new computer will be supported for the reasonable life of that computer. During that period you might be allowed (or forced) to upgrade to one or more later versions of Windows 10 which will also be supported for the reasonable life of that computer. Not too bad so far...

At some point your computer will no longer be eligible for newer versions of Windows 10. At that point you can either decide to stick with the version of Windows 10 you currently have for the remaining life of the computer, migrate to a new computer which supports the newer version of Windows 10, or switch to an alternative operating system such as Linux. Still not too bad, and older computers make great Linux machines.

If you buy a computer with the intention of downgrading it from Windows 10 to Windows 8 or Windows 7 you might not be able to do that. OK, this is pretty bad for people who actually need Windows 7 or 8 but as long as you check the specification of the computer carefully before purchase it's not that big a deal. And really, not many people actually need older versions of Windows at all.

And all of this is true for macOS or your favourite Linux distribution as well - at some point new versions will not be supported on your existing hardware, or you won't be able to install an old OS on your new hardware, and you'll have to decide what to do about that.

At no point in any of this is your computer any worse off than on the day it was bought. So what's the problem? And why is Microsoft being vilified for doing exactly the same as everyone else?

This is a good way to objectively look at it, however if we look at the numbers, Microsoft is certainly being subpar compared to others. Google. provides OS updates to Chromebooks for 5 years. For Apple the computers are probably like 7-8 years and the phone/tablets like 4 years? Compared to the Surface 3 with Atom which looks like it is just 2 years old, meaning support for Microsoft products OS updates could be compared to cheap Android phones. And often with cheap Android phones, no one has bother to make a custom ROM, so the factory OS is the only OS. One day Microsoft products might to be harder to install other OSes on too. At least with a Chromebook you know you have 5 years, you could be rolling the dice with Microsoft

 

[trevm999]

As I understand it Microsoft will still be providing security updates for Anniversary Update until the end of extended support in 2023 - that's more than five years of support, even if you do have one of the affected Atom processors. You might not get any new software upgrades but the machine will still be secure, functional, and supported by Microsoft long after it's supported by Intel.

That doesn't sound unreasonable to me.

Yes, the certainly sounds reasonable. Major OS version update support for it is subpar compared to Apple and Google, though traditionally, no one actually WANTS to do major Windows updates anyway. And an 8 year lifespan is definitely better than Google's 5 year. And the Android update ecosystem is just a mess.

 

[NviGate Systems]

I think the only reason they went with 2023 is because they had flagship products that used the now defunct Atom. If they hadn't, it would have been dropped much quicker. They may have actually learned a lesson from the terrible mess that was Windows RT, and as a result, they extended RT support to April of this year.

Microsoft's hardware and software is very fragmented resulting in a maze of support policies. They are averaging 4-5 years depending on product type. So it's no surprise that this stuff happens. It's like Microsoft suffers from ADD and can't focus longer than a year or so on products.

 

[Diggs]

Hmm... Just put 1709 on a Z8300 Atom processor. (Please don't ask why.) I didn't realize it is a very small subset of Atom processors that are not supported.