GuernseyMan: That's because most companies, quite rightly, don't want to support you when something goes wrong and you're running an operating system that hasn't had an update in two and half years.
Everyone's gotta draw a line in the sand at some point.
sadface: That's because some users, quite rightly, don't want to support evil companies who make spyware (Win 10, among others), unrepairable products or planned obsolescence ones.
Everyone's gotta draw a line in the sand at some point, right?
Absolutely
When Windows 7 went out of extended support in January 2020 all users needed to make a choice:
1. "Upgrade" to Windows 10 and accept the "robust telemetry" which Microsoft included in this release. About 80% of users chose to do this and most, that I know, took steps to reduce the amount of data going to Microsoft. Mine is behind a hardware firewall which blocks Microsoft IP addresses along with known malware/spyware/tracking urls and IPs.
2. Switch to Linux. No telemetry but there are the issues of software compatibility. Most people actually want to use software for Windows and not all will run through wine. About 60% of my time is spent on Zorin OS at the moment.
3. Continue to use WIndows 7 knowing that their operating system will become less secure over time as unpatched security flaws are discovered. Two and a half years later there is quite a list of vulnerabilities!
Whatever choice you or I made at that time was for good reason.
I'm 100% with you on irreparable products and planned obsolescence.
And, by the way, minimum specs aren't lies or deception. That is the minimum which the company is prepared to support. I've got lot's of games/software which run on lower specs than the minimum and I'm quite conscious of the fact that I have no support should it not work.