Darvond: Word had recently slipped that while Windows 7 is still getting the firm boot, there is yet another extended support option. in which you pony up cash to keep it going. This may not extend to the consumer versions, as the fine print implies.

Gersen: Yes and ? I mean you mention that like if it was something new or unusual.

That's something pretty common that has happened for years, and it's something most professional software publishers do, not just Microsoft. Once the official suport ends, usually long after the end of life of the software, some companies gives you the option to pay to have said support extended even further.

vidsgame: I was looking into Linux Mint and although it has come far in gaming it has a ways to go but being stuck with Windows for gaming really sucks, indeed. So I agree.

I use Windows 10 and maybe I do use it by choice but I feel like I have no other option. I have seen no other operating system that could run my old and new games without problems.

Gekko_Dekko:

johnnygoging: as someone who moved to Vista after SP1, I always found that OS to be rock fucking solid and easily the best version of Windows I had seen up to that point.

UAC was sensible, people just didn't like the nagging.

Aero looked good, hardware vendors just always gouged so people didn't have the hardware to run aero well.

Vista majorly improved sound capabilities.

and while we hate Microsoft for good reasons, Microsoft has always produced quality work and it's 100% true what sweet, sweet mighty Gaben said about them. he said there was a lot of pride in their work, that there was a lot of craft knowledge built and accumulated. even when you factor the disorganization and the lack of any consistently persistent powerful motivation of free software, it still is somewhat surprising that given the share of people working on that that Microsoft is still as prevalent as it is. I don't think that was a fluke or all down to shady business practices. those definitely helped, but there was a great bunch of engineers fueling that beast.

Darvond: Wine has made many strides, but Mint is actually the last distro I'd use for trying to game. Due to it often being several versions out of step with upstream, unless you're insane and use a PPA.

hmcpretender: My games are probably even older and Mint feels very familiar for someone coming from Windows.
Out of curiosity: which distro would be the first you'd use for gaming?

nightcraw1er.488: You have just opened up the one reason why I don't really use Linux here. Ask 100 people what the best kernel is and you will get 150 different answers, and then 600 different ui answers. Windows may not be great but at least it's "does this game run on windows version x" rather than does it run on "kernel x, ui y, using z, version v". It's just so huge and diverse and not two users seem to have the same opinion.

Darvond: A lot of people are making a bit of a fuss.
Darvond: Wine has made many strides, but Mint is actually the last distro I'd use for trying to game. Due to it often being several versions out of step with upstream, unless you're insane and use a PPA.

HereForTheBeer: So then they figure, "Hey - let's put internet access on the refrigerator! Because the capability is in this chip!" And now someone can potentially hack into your IOT refrigerator and turn the temperature up so your food goes bad. Or run a bot net. Or whatever other nefarious crap they can think of.

vidsgame: I do hope though, that Linux does get way better and more stable because Microsoft seems to be headed in the opposite direction and they of course, have no concern for their users.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place or at least that seems imminent to be the case soon.