philo wrote:

The only reason I've ever upgraded or changed operating systems is:

1) Lack of support

2) The new OS will do something better

An additional reason:

3) An application you want or need to use demands a particular OS
version as a minimal requirement.

So far, for me, this means games that require a later version of some
library included in Windows, like supporting technology that provides a
required function to the game. For example, back when I was still using
Windows XP, there were games that I was interested in but demanded a
later version of DirectX. My response: put off those games until
whenever I later moved to Windows 7 (and skipped Vista). Games aren't
critical to my choice of OS (but is critical to avid rabid gamers).

Applications can require specific support from an OS which is only
available on and after some version of that OS. Lack of support would
never be a reason for me to leave an OS. I never get any support from
Microsoft on any of their products. Lack of updates is insufficient
reason to change. Just because a product is no longer support does not
mean it is no longer usable. I'm still using 40tude Dialog to post here
and its author abandoned that back around 2005. On occasion, I still
use SamSpade (instead of Linx) that died back in 2002 to give me a
text-only web browser or to check headers.

The "something better" too often is too little bang-for-the-buck for me
to waste my money. Often the enhancements are available from 3rd party
software developers and many times they are free. What major
functionality or technology was added to Windows 10 that cannot be
accomplished with 3rd party software added to Windows 7 or 8? GUI
changes do not constitute major functionality change, and 3rd party
software exists to allow choices in the GUI. Painting your car a
different color doesn't change what is your car. Do you "really" need
Internet Explorer 12 with its UI changes and further minimalization, or
would using something else (Firefox, Google Chrome, their variants, or
others) provide you with whatever IE12 would add, and more, above IE10
or IE11? I'm still waiting to hear about some big bang gotta have
wowser evolutionary feature in Windows 10. Changed GUI and enhanced
search engine, is that it? What happened to the databased file system
(WinFS)? NTFS can't be the end-all be-all file system. Oh wow, a new
Task View button, big deal. Oooh, they added multiple virtual desktops
to reduce clutter on any one of them; however, I've been using Dexpot
(and for free) for a long time now in Windows 7. What new features
Microsoft adds is often already available and often for quite some time
from other software vendors. Does Win10 have something like Infinite
Screen where the display is a viewer into a larger screen (for those
that want all windows on one desktop)? I was hoping Microsoft would
come up with something that isn't already available from 3rd party
software much of which is free. Oh look, an enhanced Snap mode. Yawn.
Nope, just belated fizz. Where's that big gotta-have thing in Win10?
Where's that "something better" that hasn't already been around before?
I'm still waiting to be wowed.

Nope, only a program that I really want or am required to use that
demands a minimal version of Windows is the only reason for me (and lots
of others) to upgrade. If it weren't that I got Windows 7 Home Edition
for free (as an OEM license on a broke computer that I got for free and
fixed), I'd still be back on Windows XP along with all those other
enduring XP users. Now that I'm on Windows7, I won't even bother
considering leaving it until sometime - and probably long after -
extended support ends (2022) UNLESS there some program I really want or
must use that demands a later version of Windows (and then I'll get the
latest at that time and skip the intervening versions - so Microsoft
might have Windows 11 or 12 out by then).

I don't choose an OS and then go looking for apps that provide solutions
to my tasks. I see what apps will meet my criteria and then see what OS
they will run on. I choose the content before deciding on the player.
For some apps, Linux is the smarter choice. For others, Windows is the
smarter (and perhaps only) choice.

Unlike Microsoft using Windows 7 to cover their debacle with Vista, I
don't think Windows 10 is going to erase the Windows 8 debacle.