As many of you know, Bootstrap Studio is built upon the Electron framework. Recently Electron 23 was released and it drops support for older windows versions like Windows 7, 8 and 8.1.
This means that we will too have to drop these versions of Windows. Our next major update - Bootstrap Studio 6.4 - will be the last to support Windows 7, 8 and 8.1. Bootstrap Studio 6.5 and above will be Windows 10 and 11 only.
We have made changes to our update system so that devices using Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 will not update past Bootstrap Studio 6.4. This means that those of you who stick to an old versions of Windows can install Bootstrap Studio 6.4 and keep using it indefinitely.
To reiterate, this change will affect only our future releases - Bootstrap Studio 6.4 and below will continue working on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 indefinitely.
I will NEVER update past Windows 7 - in fact, I would still use XP if third-party software permitted. Speaking as an IT professional since 1979, Windows 10 & 11 are abominations & I will not be dictated to - I would go back to Linux if I did not need to help others with their Windows installations. So, although I understand it, I am hugely disappointed in this move with BS, which is also happening with Chromium-based software. I blame the huge corporations behind the moves attempting to dictate to we end-users at every turn for their own (probably avaricious) purposes. It makes me MAD!
I may have a solution — since you have a Linux version, I’ll try a Linux emulator.for my favourite non-supported apps (I can’t be doing with a dual-boot system again).
THANK YOU! I thought I was the only one who felt this way.
I, too, have been in the IT game since the early 80’s… the days of timeshares, dial up BBS’s, and online services like Compuserve, Prodigy and GEnie. I started with a TRS-80 and Apple II, and then moved to an Amiga (which I still have.) I only switched to the PC/Microsoft platform out of necessity. I’ve DESPISED Windows since the very first time I used it (3.1 I believe.) I’ve watched this craptastically mediocre O.S. evolve like a cancer to take over the world.
Microsoft has essentially strong-armed us into installing its spyware… err… excuse me… Windows 10 operating system, under the guise of “security.” They could have easily continued providing security updates to Windows 7, but they wanted to have total control over our computers, which they basically do once you install 10.
Guys I understand your pain, but seriously you need to look at the facts. Windows 7 was published in 2009, that’s 14 years ago and you’ve used it without having to update for that long now. That’s literally unheard of in “most” software. Usually a software tends to reinvent itself (and usually with a nice little upgrade fee to do it) every 4 years give or take. Windows has done so at least every couple years from day one so you’ve had a good run I believe.
I’m on a Mac, so yeah I can gloat, but it has it’s restrictions as well. The biggest one being that about every 7 years, you have no choice but to upgrade because 25% of the apps you use are Apple apps and even if they aren’t the developers of the others update accordingly so their apps don’t work in the older versions anymore. I’ve had a good handful of them just up and stop working when updates come along on the apps themselves, and many don’t bother to tell you that they are updating to the newer operating systems, they just do it and now you’re out of luck.
So … you’ve had a good run, Windows 11 is not all that bad. I don’t use it much, just for gaming on my Mac with Parallels, but it functions pretty good and for me I like the way it’s set up now better than before too. Not only that, if you already have I think 8.1 and higher you can upgrade to it for free. Get another PC, they are cheap enough, leave that one with your Windows 7 and move on with a new one. This way you can always go back and forth if you need too.
The ethos of Windows has changed from one of empowering the user, to controlling the user. I’m not sure if Apple is like this, but Microsoft definitely is. They have always tried to “steer” Windows users in the directions they desired, but before Windows 10, there was always a way to disable or “opt-out” of their agenda.
Not so with Windows 10/11. Now, if Microsoft wants to update your O.S. they do it, and you become a spectator. Then there’s the whole “data harvesting” aspect which reached a whole new level of egregiousness with Windows 10. There’s a reason we now call Windows “spyware.”
I just spent a load of $$ to build a brand new box that has Windows 10 installed on it. I didn’t want to do it, but I had no choice once Google announced that the newest version of Chrome would no longer run under Windows 7. As a web developer, I obviously have to be able to run the most current versions of browsers.
So the fact that future releases of BSS won’t run under 7 is largely academic. But it still annoys me.
With Apple Mac, one is FORCED to have an account with Apple, so yes, they definitely track everything one does. Not only that, but I resent that the OS is originally a clone of Ubuntu (i.e. original Linux), which was & is FREE, but they charge a fortune for the installations included with their hardware - although I appreciate that the chassis builds are beautifully constructed; but I would not have a Mac if they paid me (unless I just used the chassis & installed a Linux distribution or Windows 7), because I don’t want to be tracked & dictated to by anyone!
@printninja is perfectly correct about Windows 10, although when installing it I did manage to prevent all spyware & work offline, setting it up in custom mode to emulate Windows 7 with a conventional desktop instead of those stupid “charms”, but I got sick of system restore not working properly on the version I had, & I didn’t want to upgrade to a more vicious version. So, I happily reverted to Windows 7 & do not propose to upgrade again.
Unfortunately, if you want to build a new box with the latest hardware, you’re basically forced to use 10. New motherboards just won’t run Windows 7. Another downside is none of Adobe’s software will run under 7 (and I actually like and use Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.) I even use Premier now and then. The Creative Suite 6 versions of Adobe’s software are really long in the tooth, and lack some of the really cool features available in the newest Creative Cloud versions.
For better or worse, I’m being forced into 10. But I’ll still keep my 7 box going until it dies.
Editor’s note: I love this community and this software for the record and just wanted to add my two cents.
MacOS is really an adult version of NextOS built on BSD. FWIW I used a Linux for a number of years after being unimpressed with Apple hardware for awhile then came the M1 (and a Mac is the only way you can develop for the OS and iOS), but I digress. Zorin (used for about a year), Ubuntu (used the longest and still use it for my servers), and Pop_OS (last daily driver for two years) have all been slowly, but surely trying to mimic MacOS over the years. Arch is $exy, but I always struggled using it in production and WindowsNT is never coming back so here I am.
The lesson I learned about the “OS Wars” was just reinforced on my latest trip to Home Depot and Lowes this past weekend. I prefer HD because of my experience as a professional carpenter - they always had the tools I wanted (especially DeWalt) and Lowes just missed the mark too many times. Well there was something specific I needed and only Lowes had it and I had to go there to buy one thing and then I went to HD.
It’s the same with computers or any tool. Our preference informs our bias, but we still have a choice in the end.
Now someone do Java vs Python,R vs Python, or Wordpress vs anything.
I stick to Open Source as much as possible, & never seem to run out of alternatives to proprietary software, but perhaps my needs are not as great as yours. Having said everything I have, if I do have to upgrade my hardware in due course, I shall be heartbroken if that means those giant corporations force my hand, & I might go back to Arch or another Linux distro, but hopefully that will be a way into the future, & perhaps I won’t live that long!!!
BTW, I too love this community, & especially the software, the upgrades to which is where this convo started & I shall stick to 6.4 on Windows 7 when it arrives.
I make my living using all these programs, so I really can’t afford to not upgrade to the latest versions. It becomes especially problematic when people send me files made by later versions of software that are no longer compatible with older versions. As much as I like Windows 7, I can’t stick with it to the point that I can’t open a file created in the newest version of Adobe Illustrator, or some future version of BSS that uses a newer version of Bootstrap.
Since I started using computers, software has always dictated the hardware requirements. More powerful features demanded more robust processors, more memory, etc… it used to be mostly restricted to gaming, but then image editing and video editing software started to require very powerful hardware.
But until recently, hardware never required a specific version of an O.S. But this is where we are. I’ve read some articles where people have shoehorned Windows 7 onto new machines, but the methods are very “hacky.” It’s actually easier to just run a virtual Windows 7 machine inside Windows 10, but you’re still stuck having Windows 10 as your main O.S.
Of course, Linux is an option, but then you run into software issues. It’s quite frustrating (though not as bad as the old days when the Apple, PC and Commodore worlds were all proprietary. I used to go through some serious contortions to get files from one platform to work on another one.)
I hate w10, w7 is the best windows ever to me, but due to many softs moving away I knew I will have to move to w10 earlier or later. You guys have to know that world moves on and we cant stay behind. Ppl dont like changes, but we need them and some of them arent the best, but in the end if we will look back not everything is as bad as we think in first place.
I understand Martin as a Developer. If they want new features and possibilities for BSS they have to upgrade Electron, which forces them to drop support for some platforms, but you wont use bss till our end of life, you will one day move to different platform, software or whatever. You have to be more open-minded. I know some changes are not that nice when we re used to something and have our “methodology” or habits, but as a creative ppl we all have to be more open for changes cause otherwise we will never improve ourselves and adaptiveness is one of the most needed soft skills as a devs/creative ppl tools are changing all the time in the ecosystem and we wont use one till our grave, we need to follow to keep up with others and you have to understand that being too much sentimental and accustomed wont help us at all cause we’re locking ourselves in one place without any improvements and new opportiunities. We can get good at something, but its cool to expand horizons aswell and try new stuff and things.
I hear you and agree that we can’t stay stuck behind. I actually don’t mind the idea of change, getting used to methods, or even learning an entirely new operating system. I’ve done it many times… started on a TRS-80, then went to an Apple II, then to a Commodore 64, then to a Commodore Amiga (man do I miss that machine!) then I went to Windows PCs, then back to Apple Macs, and back again to Windows.
What bothers me about Windows 10 specifically is how much it has appropriated control over the user’s machine, and how much it “phones home” to Microsoft. It feels too much like they own your computer. I despise cloud-based applications and surrendering control to a faceless entity.
I fully agree with you… This is one of the reasons why do I hate w10. Forced updates, not being able to install drivers cause windows is locking it… you’re trying to get access= youre getting a headache cause of that and many more.
Like many in this thread, I’ve been in contact with the software field for a very long time (60 years old and interested in development since my adolescence, before the domestic PC era). I have a lot of OS’s versions on virtual machines (Windows, macOS, Linux), but my dev station is on Windows 7 Pro with 900+ pieces of software installed; and many configurations, adjustments… Being forced to upgrade to Windows 10 just for BSS. I say oops!
Of course, I know that you rely on Electron and that you therefore have no choice, but this post so that you can measure the laughable nature of a market which constantly gives in to the fashion of wasting resources (since, we’re agree, Windows 10+ is just that).
