Microsoft drops support for the Surface Pro 7 and the convertible's not even 5 years old

Date:
Wed, 28 Feb 2024 17:43:06 +0000

Description:
Microsoft will no longer support the Surface Pro 7 - just shy of its 5th birthday.

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The Surface Pro 7 is just shy of five years old, and today (February 28)
marks the end of support for Microsofts once-flagship 2-in-1 computer. So, if youre still holding onto your model, be warned: there will be no more
firmware updates, no new fixes, maintenance improvements, and performance updates from now on.

When the Surface Pro 7 launched back in October 2019, it received pretty okay review scores. While many appreciated the fun colors and the addition of USB-C, it had few design changes that warranted jumping from the Surface Pro
6 .

Our review of the Surface Pro 7 gave it three and a half stars, highlighting an overall loss of battery life and thick screen bezels (especially for a device launched in 2019) as some of the reasons why it was given a rather mediocre score. In contrast, the Surface Pro 6 scored a slightly higher rating, earning four stars - not a very good look for the successor thats supposed to be an upgrade. Where is the love?

While the Surface Pro 7 wasnt a critical hit, theres no clear reason why Microsoft would ditch the Surface Pro 7 support. If you look at Microsofts lifecycle table , you can see several other laptop models released around the same time that have longer cut-off points. For example, the Surface Pro X SQ1 launched in November 2019, a month after the Surface Pro 7, and has an end-of-service date of August 2025. Microsoft might argue that the Surface
Pro X has a unique chip designed in part by the company, so its easier to continue issuing updates and fixes for that device, but there are plenty of older Windows 10 laptops that remain supported.

Also, Microsofts competitor, Apple, has a better track record when it comes
to continuing support for its older hardware. The first generation iPad Pro was launched six years ago in 2017, and while the model is discontinued, its still listed as being able to run iPadOS 17 , the latest operating system.
The oldest iPadOS 17-supported model goes back to the first iPad Pro, way
back in 2015. These are expensive products, so youd like to think they would be supported for a decent amount of time - so its a shame that Microsoft isnt doing that, especially when compared to Apple (and Apple isnt perfect in this regard anyway).

So, what should you do if youre still using a Surface Pro 7? A lack of software support doesnt render your device completely useless. In fact, it will probably work just as well as it always has. It does however leave you vulnerable since youll no longer be receiving security updates or bug fixes. Youll also likely miss out on cooler, more useful new features since the Surface Pro 7 wont be getting firmware updates either. So, if youve got any outstanding updates youve been putting off, now is the time to download and install them.

We may not know exactly why Microsoft has decided to cut software support for the Surface Pro 7 so early on, but we can say it hints at a lack of love for the 2-in-1 lineup which used to be so important to the company. After the Surface Pros biggest cheerleader at Microsoft, Panos Panay, left the company last year, it feels like the company is losing interest in the devices. By cutting off support for older models relatively quickly, and showing no sign of releasing the much-anticipated Surface Pro 10, Microsoft hasnt done much
to prove that feeling wrong. You might also like... Intel upgrades Bluetooth for Windows 11 and its great news for people with the PS5 DualSense controller Sticking with Windows 11 22H2? If you can dodge forced upgrades, youll still get new features... for a little while New Apple leak suggests M3 MacBook Air and iPad Pro models are landing very soon



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/microsoft-drops-support-for-the-surface-pr o-7-and-the-convertibles-not-even-5-years-old


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