Microsoft has been pushing Windows 10 very hard to the consumers, going so far as to provide free upgrades to Windows 7 and 8 users during its first year. Soon, the company will be taking a more drastic step which could accelerate the demise of Windows 8.
Well, that description might come out rather strong but it is what it is. This is due to the fact that starting this November, Microsoft will no longer be accepting new apps for Windows 8.x or Windows Phone 8.x into the Microsoft Store.
Developers can still update these apps, but not for long either – Microsoft will also stop delivering updates to Windows Phone apps starting 1 July 2019 while Windows 8 apps will no longer be able to be updated after 1 July 2023.
On the consumer side of things, this likely isn’t an issue, unless you’re one of the very few who are still using Windows 8.x or Windows Phone. If you’re a developer, it will also only affect the select few who are hanging onto the Windows 8.x and Windows Phone platforms.
Either way, some might see this as Microsoft’s way of strong-arming you into using the latest version of Windows operating system. Then again, both operating systems no longer have much users these days after all.
