In way of pushing Windows 10 upgrades Microsoft announces Windows 7 or 8.1 will not run on PCs based on upcoming Intel and AMD CPUs-- essentially ending the company's longstanding support policy.
Historically Microsoft offered 10 years of support for each Windows release. However the policy change dictates "new silicon generations [...] require the latest Windows platform at that time for support." These include the upcoming Intel "Kaby Lake," Qualcomm "8996" and AMD "Bristol Ridge" chipsets.
In the future Microsoft will specify a number of 6th generation Skylake CPUs able to run Windows 7 and 8.1-- a strategy the company claims "ensures customers can upgrade now to new devices their employees will love while preparing for a Windows 10 upgrade." Such systems get guaranteed Windows 7 and 8.1 support through 17 July 2017, providing customers an 18-month grace period to upgrade to modern hardware.
Microsoft also promises Windows 7 will receive critical security, reliability and compatibility support through 14 January 2020. Machines running Windows 8.1 on previous generation silicon should receive the same support until 10 January 2023.
Such policy changes are sure to please OEMs wanting to sell new hardware, while Microsoft will be on the way to complete the transformation of Windows into an "as a service" product. But will customers be just as happy to move to the latest (and supposedly greatest) Windows version?