Microsoft's Windows 7 is officially dead: Here's what you must do next

Starting Wednesday, a full-screen notification will appear for Windows 7 users, warning them about the end of support.

Technology News : Microsoft officially ends support to Windows 7 after a decade. After the debut in 2009, Microsoft is finally ending support for Windows 7, the popular OS that continues to run on millions of devices globally.

Microsoft had been notifying users since last year and starting Wednesday, a full-screen notification will appear for Windows 7 users, warning them about the end of support, The Verge notes.

Microsoft has also urged Windows 7 users to make an upgrade to Windows 10 to enjoy new features and continued support.

"Today marks the end of support for Windows 7. Ten years ago, when we first announced Windows 7 and Office 2010, we focused on delivering the best productivity experience of the time. But since then, thanks to breakthrough advancements in technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), we've been able to build tools to help you take advantage of new forms of productivity. With Windows 10, the power of the cloud makes you and your organization more productive and secure than ever. " the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

To encourage users to upgrade to the newer Windows 10 platform, Microsoft is offering a free year of post-retirement updates to Windows 7 customers with active Windows 10 subscriptions.

What does this mean?

Microsoft will no longer provide updates or security patches for the 11-year-old operating system, and the hundreds of millions of PCs still using it are vulnerable to attack. One-third of PCs around the world run Windows 7, according to NetMarketShare.

So, what must you do next?

1. Upgrade your existing equipment to Windows 10: To check if your computer will be able to run Windows 10, Microsoft has published a compatibility guide that will help you determine whether your specifications meet the minimums for the latest version of Windows. For example, your PC needs at least 32 GB of hard drive storage space, 1 GB of RAM and a processor with a clock speed of at least 1 GHz.

2. Buy a new computer/laptop: If your system does not support Windows 10, buy a new one.

Samsung Galaxy Book S launched, harnesses smartphone mobility and PC power

Developed in collaboration with Microsoft, Galaxy Book S will be available in two shades -- Earthy Gold and Mercury Gray -- beginning this fall in select markets.

Business Standard : Heralding a new 5G era of mobile computing, Samsung has launched Galaxy Book S for $999 that harnesses the mobility and connectivity of a smartphone and the powerful productivity of a PC, thanks to Microsoft.

Developed in collaboration with Microsoft and Qualcomm, the 13.3-inch device offers Gigabit LTE connectivity, Windows 10 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx compute platform.

Galaxy Book S will be available in two shades -- Earthy Gold and Mercury Gray -- beginning this fall in select markets.

According to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, the aim was to empower people when it comes to multi-device productivity and "Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Book S are such devices of the future".

"This is just the beginning. We are very excited about this partnership to bring mobile computing to the users," Nadella told a packed house at the Samsung event here late Wednesday.

The partnership brings Microsoft's best-in-class productivity apps and services to the new Samsung Galaxy Note10 phones.

Natively integrated with OneDrive and Outlook, and with access to phone, Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps, the Galaxy Note10 phones will help users get more done right out of the box.

Galaxy Book S features touch-to-wake capabilities for instant access. The display comes with a 10-point multi-touch, allowing you to scroll, zoom and control the device, with a touch of a finger.

"Galaxy Book S combines the best mobility features Samsung has to offer with Microsoft's leading productivity solutions and Qualcomm Technologies' performance capabilities to deliver the best mobile productivity experience," said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT and Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics.

Built with a premium anodized aluminum frame on the top and base, Galaxy Book S is protected against hazards that can typically damage a laptop and strengthened by the anodization process on the outer layer.

The device has Snapdragon 8cx -- world's first 7 nanometer PC platform created for mobile computing by Qualcomm.