Windows 7 boost could stop you upgrading to Windows 10 for now

Windows 10 numbers continue to grow with millions of users now switching over to this latest operating system.

Recent figures from Thurrot.com, suggest there’s now over 825 million devices that are running Windows 10 and that means Microsoft is closing in on its impressive one billion target.

Meanwhile, data from NetMarketShare shows how Windows 7 has seen a fall of almost two per cent of its users between February and March this year.

This surge in people making the switch to Windows 10 has a good reason as Microsoft has announced that it will no longer offer support for Windows 7 from early next year.

However, in a slightly bizarre twist, it now seems that the US firm is offering fans of this older operating system a huge boost which may keep them from rushing to install Windows 10.

In a post on its website, Microsoft has confirmed that it’s allowing Windows 7 and Windows 8 users to have access to the latest preview builds from the Microsoft Edge Canary channel.This means that the firm’s new web browser will be available to try and test on every major desktop platform.

Microsoft has revealed that users will find the experience and feature set on previous versions of Windows to be largely the same as on Windows 10, including forthcoming support for Internet Explorer mode for our enterprise customers.

Speaking about the update the Microsoft Edge Team said: “Delivering the next version of Microsoft Edge to all supported versions of Windows is part of our goal to improve the web browsing experience for our customers on every device, and to empower developers to build great experiences with less fragmentation.

“Microsoft Edge will have the same always up-to-date platform and the same developer tools on all supported versions of Windows.

“This will reduce developer pain on the web, while ensuring all Windows customers have the latest browsing options.

“We hope you’ll try the preview out today, and share your feedback in the Microsoft Edge Insider community. We look forward to hearing what you think!”

The news of this update comes as Microsoft has also revealed that its Edge browser is coming to Apple’s Mac.

Along with the new software release on the MacBook and iMac, Microsoft is also working on Mac shortcuts, Touch Bar and trackpad support which may all launch in the coming months.

Credit: David Snelling, express.co.uk