Windows Weekly 604

Windows 7: The one-year support cutoff countdown begins

• One year from January 14, Microsoft will no longer support Windows 7 for free. (Only for pay). 
• Is there any chance of an XP-like extension?
• Don't expect a huge upgrade wave. But Microsoft has a way around this…
• Microsoft is pushing Microsoft 365 (not simply Windows 10) as the upgrade path for Windows 7. Will folks bite?
• Free support for lots of other products expires on January 14, 2020, too: Office 2010, Windows Server 2008/R2, Exchange Server 2010, SharePoint Server 2010 and more.
• Related: Desktop App Assure is generally available. Will it convince Win7 users that their apps will likely work on Win 10?
• Related: PC sales have now fallen for seven years. But there is some good news too.

Folding Windows, Dual-Screen Style

• A leaked build of Windows 10 19H1 indicates Microsoft is adding support for foldable (aka, dual screen) devices to Windows.
• What does this really mean? Is Andromeda in the wings? (NOPE).
• Meanwhile: Speculation mounts that Microsoft could show off the new HoloLens at MWC in February.

Windows 10

• Microsoft pushed a bunch of Cumulative Updates with loads of bug fixes for WIn 10 1703, 1709, 1803.
• It also (interestingly) pushed a small Cumulative Update with fixes for Win 10 19H1 Fast Ring build 18312.

Microsoft's latest customer wins: Some patterns emerge

• Microsoft is having luck courting retailers who are scared of Amazon (See Kroger, Walmart and most recently, Walgreens). Good news for Azure, M365.
• Cortana was MIA at CES, but its "Virtual Assistant Accelerator" wasn't. MS gets its virtual assistant tech into BMW, UEI, LG Electronics.
• The $10 billion JEDI jackpot's coming up in April. Looking like an Amazon-Microsoft dogfight. MS keeps adding more govt. certifications leading up to it (Outlook Mobile is latest).

Tips and picks

• Tip of the Week: How to Switch to Chronological Timeline on Twitter. 
• App pick of the week: DuckDuckGo.
• Enterprise pick of the week: Where's Windows Server 2019?
• Codename of the week: Sydney (Hololens 2)
• Beer pick of the week: Grimm Double Negative

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