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Win7 EOL... And now what?
Thread poster: carrick16
carrick16
carrick16  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 14:42
English to Italian
+ ...
Jan 10, 2020

Dear colleagues,

As the end of technical support for Windows7 looms large, those of us who are still relying on this OS to run their business are faced with challenges/choices (or challenging choices, if you will).
As I'm in two minds over which direction to go next, I thought it would be good to have an idea of what other freelancers in the same situation are doing (or have already done).

I can't decide whether to embrace Windows10 or change direction completel
... See more
Dear colleagues,

As the end of technical support for Windows7 looms large, those of us who are still relying on this OS to run their business are faced with challenges/choices (or challenging choices, if you will).
As I'm in two minds over which direction to go next, I thought it would be good to have an idea of what other freelancers in the same situation are doing (or have already done).

I can't decide whether to embrace Windows10 or change direction completely and migrate all (or part of) my work desktop to Linux.
I have Win10 on a laptop that I only use for stuff other than work, and I can't say I'm happy with it (maybe because the switch was "forced", maybe because upgrades take eons and/or get often stuck in a rut, maybe because it takes up so much space and is incredibly intrusive - possibly for all of these reasons)... I can't really see myself working in such environment.
As for Linux, apart from the fact I'll have to spend plenty of precious hours on research (the beauty of Linux for some, but you need to be a pure geek to love it - I'm not), I'm afraid I won't be able to use Studio anymore (one of my two main CATs) and I'm not sure about compatibility issues with the MS Office suite on which most of my work relies on (Excel and Track Changes, specifically).

Those of you who are still running Win7 on their machines (or have been until recently), what option are you taking (or have you taken)?

- Did you move on to Win10? If so, how was the transition for you? Do you find it a bit annoying, as some people say it is (myself included), or do you find it runs smoothly for translation work? Have you experienced any clashes with CAT tools or other relevant software?
- Did you change to Linux? If so, which distribution did you find suitable? And what about compatibility with MS Office or Trados Studio files?
- Did you opt instead for a virtual machine? If so, would you recommend this as a valid alternative?
- Did you find an entirely different solution?

Many thanks in advance for sharing your perspective, opinions and thoughts.

Els
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Peter Kovacik
Peter Kovacik  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:42
Arabic to English
Windows 10 is easier Jan 11, 2020

One issue is that Microsoft Office, SDL Trados Studio, and Adobe DTP software do not run natively on Linux. Although there are some workarounds, it would be easier to upgrade to Windows10. Also, you should spend some time learning the command line if you decide to use Linux.

At any rate, if you are interested in trying out Ubuntu, for example, you can either install it for free or run it from a bootable USB stick without installing it, which does not change the configuration on your
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One issue is that Microsoft Office, SDL Trados Studio, and Adobe DTP software do not run natively on Linux. Although there are some workarounds, it would be easier to upgrade to Windows10. Also, you should spend some time learning the command line if you decide to use Linux.

At any rate, if you are interested in trying out Ubuntu, for example, you can either install it for free or run it from a bootable USB stick without installing it, which does not change the configuration on your computer. You can read the instructions on how to try Ubuntu before installing it here.

Best,
Peter

[Edited at 2020-01-11 04:18 GMT]

[Edited at 2020-01-11 04:19 GMT]
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Vadim Kadyrov
 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:42
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
No regrets Jan 11, 2020

carrick16 wrote:
- Did you move on to Win10? If so, how was the transition for you? Do you find it a bit annoying, as some people say it is (myself included), or do you find it runs smoothly for translation work? Have you experienced any clashes with CAT tools or other relevant software?

I moved from Windows 7 to Window 10 several years ago. I don't regret the change in any way. I had no problems with the initial upgrade on my primary system at the time, if I remember correctly. Shortly afterward I bought a new Windows 10 system, which of course involved a good deal more hassle (installing all my software, etc.). My own experience is that Windows 10 is fast, reliable, and highly customisable. I prefer it to Windows 7 and I don't regret upgrading at all (and I did like Windows 7 back then).

I have installed 2-3 Linux distros (Mint, Ubuntu, I think also Debian) on various unused systems, mostly out of curiosity. They are interesting, but definitely a good deal more work than Windows 10. The problem I found was that digging below the surface required a decent knowledge of Linux systems, and necessitated a lot of command-line incantation.

My impression was that if you want to get the best out of these systems you need to have a certain mindset and be prepared to roll your sleeves up and tinker. Enjoyable in its own way, but not immediately productive from a work perspective. I was also keenly aware that adding virtual machines or emulators to run Windows software would involve additional complexity that I just didn't want. For me the purported benefits were nowhere near enough to offset the disadvantages.

The safest way to proceed would be to acquire a new Windows 10 system and run your current Windows 7 machine side by side for a while, just so that you can be sure of having a backup PC in case of hiccups.

Regards,
Dan


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 14:42
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Els Jan 11, 2020

carrick16 wrote:
I can't decide whether to embrace Windows10 or change direction completely and migrate all (or part of) my work desktop to Linux.


Unless you've used Linux before and you are comfortable with it, I strongly recommend that you choose the lesser of two evils, and go for Windows 10. By "evil" I don't mean Linux or Windows -- I mean the ordeal of having to familiarise yourself with a completely new system.

I have Win10 on a laptop that I only use for stuff other than work, and I can't say I'm happy with it...


There's gonna be stuff in Linux that you're not happy about either.

As for Linux, I'm afraid I won't be able to use Studio anymore (one of my two main CATs) and I'm not sure about compatibility issues with the MS Office suite...


You can run those programs in a virtual machine (I'm not sure about Trados), and simply give the virtual machine no access to the internet (from where it would download viruses, etc.).

- Did you move on to Win10? If so, how was the transition for you?


It was terrible, but you get used to most of it. Some things are always annoying and you never get used to it. For example, Windows 10 is slower than Windows 7, even though I got a brand new much faster computer when I upgraded to Windows 10. For some things, you'll just have to learn to wait for the computer to respond, and not go too fast for the computer.


Endre Both
Jorge Payan
 
Rolf Keller
Rolf Keller
Germany
Local time: 14:42
English to German
Windows 10 is slow? Jan 11, 2020

Samuel Murray wrote:

Windows 10 is slower than Windows 7, even though I got a brand new much faster computer when I upgraded to Windows 10.

So you don't compare two Windows versions, but you compare two computers. BIOS & Windows settings may differ in many aspects, and used drivers may differ as well. Additionally, there may be hardware issues, e. g. the SSD or the RAM is slow, or the SSD should be plugged into a different socket, or the cpu is throttling in order to save power, or ... Or certain applications are installed differently (32 bits vs. 64 bits).

There are a lot of things that can cause slowness. Windows 10 is only one of these.


Jorge Payan
 
Rolf Keller
Rolf Keller
Germany
Local time: 14:42
English to German
Windows 10 vs. Windows 7 Jan 11, 2020

[quote]Rolf Keller wrote:

Just a halfway objective speed test:
https://www.techspot.com/review/1042-windows-10-vs-windows-8-vs-windows-7/page2.html and following pages


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:42
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Same here, for different reasons Jan 11, 2020

carrick16 wrote:

I can't decide whether to embrace Windows10 or change direction completely and migrate all (or part of) my work desktop to Linux.


Same here, but in my case it's getting away from the evil Apple and moving to Linux.


 
Endre Both
Endre Both  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 14:42
English to German
Switch to Linux – if you have no regular need for Windows applications Jan 11, 2020

carrick16 wrote:
I'm afraid I won't be able to use Studio anymore (one of my two main CATs) and I'm not sure about compatibility issues with the MS Office suite on which most of my work relies on (Excel and Track Changes


As someone who would love to switch to Linux and has pondered the switch several times (including running both in parallel for some time), my perspective would be that the two reasons above (Trados and MS Office) are absolutely sufficient to keep you on Windows. Which one is your other main CAT by the way? Is it a cross-platform one?

Unless you have an IT department behind you, virtualizing stuff that you use daily just so you can run a different OS seems more trouble than sticking with the required OS in the first place.

So unless you can switch to native Linux applications for your everyday work (e.g. OmegaT for CAT, LibreOffice for office apps), it seems a no-brainer to me (unfortunately) that Windows is the choice that will cost you less time and effort.


Jean Dimitriadis
 
Jean Dimitriadis
Jean Dimitriadis  Identity Verified
English to French
+ ...
Suggestion Jan 11, 2020

Hello,

GNU/Linux user here.

I suggest you download a free Windows 10 trial and install it on a Virtual Machine (Virtualbox, etc.) to experience it first hand.

If you don't like what you see or wish to compare, you can do the same with a well thought-out, beginner-friendly distribution, such as Linux Mint.

Update your post when you have decided which route you wish to pursue.

If you plan to work on SDL Trados and MS Office on a dail
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Hello,

GNU/Linux user here.

I suggest you download a free Windows 10 trial and install it on a Virtual Machine (Virtualbox, etc.) to experience it first hand.

If you don't like what you see or wish to compare, you can do the same with a well thought-out, beginner-friendly distribution, such as Linux Mint.

Update your post when you have decided which route you wish to pursue.

If you plan to work on SDL Trados and MS Office on a daily basis instead of using software that runs natively on Linux (see https://translateonlinux.org/ for ideas), it is probably better to stick with Windows.

Migrating from Windows to GNU/Linux is a bigger transition than moving from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

[Edited at 2020-01-11 10:52 GMT]
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Luca Tutino
Luca Tutino  Identity Verified
Italy
Member (2002)
English to Italian
+ ...
I will eventually replace my 8 years old pc Jan 11, 2020

After the upgrades made many years ago (1TB SSD and additional RAM and usb backup HDs), my old win7 notebook with 2nd exernal monitor is still working practically better than another newer (also RAM upgraded) win10 notebook at home with HD only.

I hope I can manage to wait until after the rush of the EOL deadline, and eventually buy a new WIN10 machine with SSD, plenty of fast RAM - probably a notebook.

As I have helped in configurating and upgrading the win10 pc I
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After the upgrades made many years ago (1TB SSD and additional RAM and usb backup HDs), my old win7 notebook with 2nd exernal monitor is still working practically better than another newer (also RAM upgraded) win10 notebook at home with HD only.

I hope I can manage to wait until after the rush of the EOL deadline, and eventually buy a new WIN10 machine with SSD, plenty of fast RAM - probably a notebook.

As I have helped in configurating and upgrading the win10 pc I am not really much afraid og the new OS version.
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Philippe Etienne
Philippe Etienne  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 14:42
Member
English to French
Underway Jan 11, 2020

carrick16 wrote:
- Did you move on to Win10?

The idea is to replace my 8 year-old desktop computer (besides RAM upgrades, fresh reinstalls every 2 years do wonders) with a new Win10 computer I'm assembling. The choice of OS was obvious: I am too dependent on Windows programs and don't want to spend time adapting to something entirely new and unknown to me.
Spending a day or two on building and installing is already a lot.

Philippe


Luca Tutino
 
Multiverse Solutions s.r.o. (X)
Multiverse Solutions s.r.o. (X)
Local time: 14:42
Polish to English
+ ...
There is some truth in old sayings Jan 12, 2020

If something works great, why change?

Moving to another OS means investing time in system customisation, setting up the work space, transferring files, transferring (and possibly re-licensing) software. And testing. If you can do it all in parallel to your existing environment, without disrupting ongoing work, just do it with the idea of 'backing up' the current system.

The drawback of the new Win is in shutting down backward hardware compatibility. Or the other way rou
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If something works great, why change?

Moving to another OS means investing time in system customisation, setting up the work space, transferring files, transferring (and possibly re-licensing) software. And testing. If you can do it all in parallel to your existing environment, without disrupting ongoing work, just do it with the idea of 'backing up' the current system.

The drawback of the new Win is in shutting down backward hardware compatibility. Or the other way round. New hardware, including nice processors, may not work with Win 7.

On the other hand, Office and CATs are not demanding on computing power. A well-organised, customised Win XP will probably be faster than the newest, latest, most expensive machine with the latest Win OS.

I guess that most of our typical tasks are relatively free of upgradism. Personally, I prefer focusing on translating than moving to novelties.

The non-CAT software that is crucial for reliable operation of the translation environment is practically independent of the operating system.

I do care about performance and ergonomics. But this is related to keyboard, mouse, the largest possible reasonable monitor (or two, or three, if you have space), SSDs, and backup HDDs. OS counts very little in this respect.
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Viesturs Lacis
Viesturs Lacis  Identity Verified
Latvia
Local time: 15:42
English to Latvian
Staying on Win7 may also be a viable solution Jan 13, 2020

Unless there exists a mandate - by a contract, by your own principles or otherwise - to not use unsupported software, the general consensus among tech writers and other people "in the know" about computer security landscape is that existing Win7 users will likely be able to safely continue using it for the foreseeable future as long as they exercise basic due diligence in their PC usage habits and employ other reliable means of protection (such as a router/firewall, up-to-date antivirus solution... See more
Unless there exists a mandate - by a contract, by your own principles or otherwise - to not use unsupported software, the general consensus among tech writers and other people "in the know" about computer security landscape is that existing Win7 users will likely be able to safely continue using it for the foreseeable future as long as they exercise basic due diligence in their PC usage habits and employ other reliable means of protection (such as a router/firewall, up-to-date antivirus solution, limited user account). In case a particularly nasty malware starts making rounds, I would expect MS to release patches for Win7 as well, in line with their usual practice. IIRC they quite recently released some patches for Windows XP that reached EOL years ago (though it continues to have about 40% market share in Armenia for some reason).Collapse


 
Platary (X)
Platary (X)
Local time: 14:42
German to French
+ ...
Challenges? Jan 13, 2020

carrick16 wrote:

As the end of technical support for Windows7 looms large, those of us who are still relying on this OS to run their business are faced with challenges/choices (or challenging choices, if you will).



What kind of challenges? I don't see any right now and for a long time to come. As commented here by Viesturs, "the general consensus among tech writers and other people "in the know" about computer security landscape is that existing Win7 users will likely be able to safely continue using it for the foreseeable future". For sure.



I have Win10 on a laptop that I only use for stuff other than work, and I can't say I'm happy with it



I'm sorry to hear that, but I really don't understand despite your attempts to explain it.



- Did you move on to Win10?



I was a regular user of Win7 and immediately took advantage of the almost "imposed" (but therefore perfectly avoidable) offer of the time and never had the slightest regret. Only advantages, staying at the forefront of technology without having to start from scratch with new tools.

I encourage you to do so, but therefore nothing, absolutely nothing, stands in the way of remaining under Win 7.

Kind regards


 
Eva Gustavsson
Eva Gustavsson  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:42
German to Swedish
+ ...
LInux: 6 weeks and not finished Feb 6, 2020

Linux is nice in some ways, but there are problems satisfying client demands. Just got a message from a favourite client that I often mess up the formatting ...
I have now spent around six weeks trying to get a Linux system running with all components needed for translating. Still a good way to go, I would say...


 
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Win7 EOL... And now what?






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