Legacy OS support timetable?

[Vladimyr]

Just noticed this (attached) note on the System Requirements page.

Looks like another year before I'll have to go "nude" with 95OSR2! 

[alanrf]

As I suggested here.

I doubt that this can be a complete surprise. 

How can I put this without being vulgar (as I described precisely this issue to the senior executives of the very large bank I was working for 10 years ago)?  No organic system (and software development/support companies are organic) can continue to take in stuff at one end without excreting stuff at the other and not experience profound problems in coping with the consequences.

The same is true for avast and its ability to support operating environments.  Its future is with the folks who are using supported operating systems and the new versions of operating systems that are to come.  Its vitality depends on avast discarding the dead weight of the old unsupported operating systems used by a rapidly diminishing group of users who make a vanishingly small contribution to avast's economic future. 

[Vladimyr]

Hi Alan

Neither a surprise nor a deep disappointment - for all the reasons you've mentioned.

Just the first time I've seen anything resembling a cut-off date.

[alanrf]

Vladimyr ,

first time this comment has been drawn to my attention and I appreciate you doing so.

I have to believe that this is a necessary and clear direction the Alwil team needs to take.  I am sorry for the concern that this will cause for the users of unsupported operating systems (and I am certain that the avast team is sad to have have to make this choice) but I am convinced it will be for the continuing good of the avast product line and the overwhelming majority of users of avast.   

[YoKenny]

Hi Alan

Neither a surprise nor a deep disappointment - for all the reasons you've mentioned.

Just the first time I've seen anything resembling a cut-off date.

I like your signature
“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.” - Henry Ford 

I'm sure glad Henry Ford stopped making the Model T as there might be many people suffering "kick back" injuries these days.

[alanrf]

As with most historic quotes there is always the "but" ...

I'm sure glad Henry Ford stopped making the Model T

Which is your introduction to this post (rather tha Vladimyr's signature). Probably part of your follow on attempt at a smart comment ... that was sad to say the least - perhaps I am being over critical but it appeared, at least, flippant.

The real living truth is he did not ... for a long time  ... he continued to exploit his workers for his profit.  There are some other interesting quotes from Henry Ford apposite to capitalistic endeavors; but we should discuss those in the General forum rather than here and tying these old quotes to today's realities. 

Sorry if my comments seem over harsh but many are suffering considerably in today's economic downturn and I believe we should respect those who are suffering through no fault of their own.

[igor]

Well, I didn't know about this plan either...
But the fact is that we'd like to update the development tools (i.e. build avast! using a newer versions of C compilers, producing [slightly] better code and making it easier to build 64bit modules) - but the output of the new compilers doesn't really run on Windows 95, and the required runtime libraries would need a lot of hacking to make them run on Windows 98/ME...

[Lisandro]

Well, now we have a dead line...
I've used one computer with Windows 98 some days ago... it's really disappearing, even in poor countries like mine...

[Vlk]

Yes, we wanted to give you guys an early notice that this is coming. Note that we're not saying that after 12/31/09 we'll cut off the support for these OS's immediately. It's just that we cannot guarantee we will support these OS's after this date.

Thanks
Vlk

[normishmael]

Well, a year is a very long time.
Who can say if in a year we will still be using the same machines/operating systems we are now?
That, to say nothing of our own mortality.
Certainly XP freaks like myself should be in the "Ask not for whom the bell tolls,"
mode.
Perhaps the situation for us is even worse,as for now, we really can not view any
extant Windows OS as a "upgrade".

[Dwarden]

Well, I didn't know about this plan either...
But the fact is that we'd like to update the development tools (i.e. build avast! using a newer versions of C compilers, producing [slightly] better code and making it easier to build 64bit modules) - but the output of the new compilers doesn't really run on Windows 95, and the required runtime libraries would need a lot of hacking to make them run on Windows 98/ME...

this mean that binaries for newer OSes could be even better than now if newer compilers were used? or they already in use ?

[Vladimyr]

I know it's off-topic but to quickly round off the sig quote comments.

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.” - Henry Ford

I chose it because it provokes and promotes thought, on its own, regardless of the purpose of the speaker or the original context in which it was said. The attribution to Mr Ford is just plain courtesy and implies neither support nor derision toward the man himself, as well as indicating clearly that the statement is not original.

[igor]

Well, I didn't know about this plan either...
But the fact is that we'd like to update the development tools (i.e. build avast! using a newer versions of C compilers, producing [slightly] better code and making it easier to build 64bit modules) - but the output of the new compilers doesn't really run on Windows 95, and the required runtime libraries would need a lot of hacking to make them run on Windows 98/ME...

this mean that binaries for newer OSes could be even better than now if newer compilers were used? or they already in use ?

Well, I said "slightly" better, as the improvements in the code generation are not that significant. There are other improvements in the development environment itself though.
No, they are not used right now - maintaining the projects for multiple development versions would be an extra work - and besides, right now the executables are identical for all platforms, and they probably will be in the future too (the size of the installers would grow, should it contain multiple copies of the executables - one for Win95, second for Win98, third for WinXP...)