I'd be interested to know how many die hards will try to hang onto 7 and 8 once support stops.  I wouldn't want to run an OS that isn't getting at least security updates.

XP skins eventually stopped but if anyone still wanted one they are in library.  The same is true for 7 and 8 skins.  Plenty of them in the Library already.

I would drop 7 and 8 support even now.

Windows 7 was really great, so I skipped Vista & 8, but when 10 came out, there were never a question to to get it or not. Loved it ever since, as an operating system that is. Hated the looks though.

In my opinion, I'd leave the sinking ships and skin for 10 only. Less hassle for skinners that way too.

plenty of windows 7 skins available. More and more people are adopting Windows 10, but there will always be those who keep a copy of 7 or 8 or even xp on their computer for whatever reason. but just concentrating on skins for Windows 10 would make your life easier in time saved etc.. but ultimately the decision is yours.

I suppose it's entirely up to you, you're the one that has to deal with it.  8.1 does still have 3 years left on it though.  On the other hand, if I remember right people quit making skins for XP before it expired, I think it was mainly those pesky Explorer icons that made them crazy.

Skinning for an expired version (Win7) does seem like a bit much to me.  As already pointed out, there is a hefty stock of Win7 skins in the gallery.  Heck, you guys are having to tweak your Win10 skins to keep them working.

I guess you really won't know what kind of blowback it would cause until you do it.  I get the impression there are a lot of users that never see the forums.

Microsoft Windows 10 43.7%  and Windows 7 35.61%  on top in terms of desktop/laptop users worldwide. MacOS X 10.14 comes third with only 4.91%

Check this:  https://techstartups.com/2019/10/25/microsoft-windows-10-now-used-popular-operating-system-world-2019/

Well, when support stops for Windows 7, I'll stop skinning for Windows 7, and just concentrate on Windows 8.1 (till support is stopped), and Windows 10, that's my humble opinion.   

bonjour tom

pour ma part je ne passerai pas pour le moment sur win10 ,je suis trè satisfait de win 7 , cela serai dommage de laisser tomber win7 , bon je me contenterais d'ancien skins de win7 , mais quand même, beaucoup resteront sur win7.

à vous de voir

Merci  

don5318

reply 7

Well, when support stops for Windows 7, I'll stop skinning for Windows 7, and just concentrate on Windows 8.1 (till support is stopped), and Windows 10, that's my humble opinion.   

With 8 having about 4% I'd not bother with it...then or now.

The only 2 OS's in use [effectively] are 7 and 10, so that's where the concentration should be....and probably for a few years more yet.

The high percentage of 7 users still probably means it'll be given another reprieve yet again [it has already].

I think I ever used 8 or 8.1 about as long as I did Vista [and we all know that was a dog].

I shan't even mention Win ME ......

.....dang it!

I use a Win 8 laptop and Win 10 skins work on it. Example Retiredmaster's skins work on 7,8 and 10 and he only uses one style. Is there a real difference between 7,8 and 10 skins?

Once support for 7 and 8 are gone it wouldn't make a lot of sense to keep skinning for them.  

Yes, there are some differences between 7, 8 and 10 ALMonty, they are very minor and probably wouldn't be noticed by most people though.

For me Al, the biggest difference between 7, 8, and 10 is the Start Menu text colors, when it comes to skinning in SKS (Skinstudio), for example: if your left panel (Programs List) image is light colored, then you'd want to use a dark text, and if the right panel image (Places List) is dark colored, then you'd use a light colored text, this works fine on Win 8.1, and Win 10, but; it won't work on Win 7, you come up with an opposite results, so I create a sub style for Win 7, then do some tweaking in the settings to get it to match the text colors (for light/dark panels) in Win 8.1, and Win 10. I've wondered how those skinners only get by with one skin (sub style) for all three OSs, just with the example I laid out for you, it's been a mystery to me, I mean you can get it to work, if you never use two colored panels in the Start Menu, then you can get by using one colored text, which I do the majority of my skin. That's been my humble experience.   

Thanks Tom And Don. I did notice that loading some Win 7 skins had a messed up start menu on 10. 

Now I know why.

As an end user, I switched to 10 almost immediately after seeing it. Sure, I miss things like Object Dock and other customizing apps, but I think that it's the best Windows version since XP.

Any further comments from users?

I will make my decision the end of this month. As of right now, and sadly, I will probably be designing for Windows 10 only.