I feel like it's the end of some kind of era. I know it's a cliche, used way too often, but I really do. It feels kind of bittersweet for me.
I don't even remember the first time I used Windows 10. It was probably on a business computer in about 2020 or 2021. Yes, I know what you're thinking: Windows 10 was released in 2015. I know. I was four when it was released, so I didn't exactly care about Windows versions then.
I know what I said earlier, but Windows 10 is most definitely NOT dead. It is dead in the most "pure" form of the word. (Oh great, now I'm contradicting myself.)
But in the context where dead means unused and abandoned, no. It's not "dead". Right off the bat, I can count at least three people I know still use Windows 10, and I'm sure I could come up with more if I tried. In fact, I would bet some readers of this article are running 10. (The commments form is down below...)
Windows 10 was huge. It introduced Cortana, Microsoft's, let's put it mildly, broken competitor to Amazon, Google, and Samsung's offerings. It introduced a signigificantly better Narrator.
Oh, and speaking of Narrator, I think it's the best it's ever been. Well, that statement was completely useless. But I think it's had SO much progress even since I first used Windows 11. Granted, it's still too sluggish and doesn't have the features I'd need in a screen reader to use as a daily driver, but just for installing Chrome and NVDA (sorry Satya), it's fine! In fact, once you get the voice and rate down, that's half the battle—it feels so similar to NVDA, except for, as I mentioned, the lack of performance.
My first experience with Windows was on a chunky laptop with APH Talking Typer. I don't know what Windows version that was running, but I'm guessing Windows 7 or 8. At that point, I didn't know about a screen reader, I was never told about a screen reader—I thought I couldn't live without a numpad, for Pete's sake.
But I jumped from that straight to Windows 11, as I recall, when I got my first laptop. I remember being so excited as my dad and I downloaded this thing I had found online called "NVDA" together. I also remember I had no clue how to use it. All I knew were the arrow keys and enter, and honestly, I'm surprised at how far that got me! I did get some files downloaded from Mystic Access Downloads, and I believe I had my BrailleNote connected via USB. But then I wanted to play them, and I had pressed Enter on Downloads on my Desktop, and it wouldn't focus on the Items View list. I had to get my brother to touch it for me with the touchpad so I could choose my file.
It's quite funny to think now about how I chose my laptop. But then again, I'm not sure it's much different from the average consumer.
We went to Walmart, the Electronics aisle, and immediately went for the cheap laptops. At that point, it was for a Braille embossing company we had bought, but I think we all knew it was mostly for personal use. Actually, it's now primarily a personal device, and very occasionally do I use it to emboss anything.
Anyhow, I digress. We were looking at the laptops, I was trying the keyboards, and finally we concluded that the laptop with the number pad was the way to go. (I never use it.) It was an HP Pavillion, and my dad had a desktop by that name, so I think that's also why he chose it. Brand recgognition, man, brand recgognition!
We brought it home, set it up, and I still remember the first I learnt what the tab key did! I had just finished embossing something, and I was trying to figure out how to access NVDA settings. But when I pressed enter on a category, it would just... disappear. I had heard some rumblings somewhere about the tab key, so I pressed it. Voila. I then had to change the voice, obviously...
I realize this post has gone all over the place, and it was more about my "computer history" than I intended. Oh well, so goes blogging.
I would think, in business and industry especially, there is even a surprising amount of Windows 7 around.