Microsoft Windows 10 Product Life Cycle Set For Support Through October 2025

As we inch ever-closer to the July 29th launch of Windows 10, we're starting to learn more and more about the operating system. Yesterday, we talked about an important change to Windows Update in the Home version - one that forces updates on people - and today, we get a glimpse at the support cycle for the OS.

At the official support site for Windows, we're told that Windows 10 is going to have mainstream support until October 13, 2020 - just over five years. Extended support, which represents security patches, will last until October 14, 2025.

It's important to note that such long-term support isn't unusual. Windows Vista, which was released in 2007, has its extended support run out in 2017, and Windows 7, which was released in late 2009, has its support last until 2020. Windows XP was the oddball here, as its support resulted in a lifespan of 13 years.

Because Microsoft has claimed that Windows 10 will be the "last version" of Windows, and that the OS is migrating to become a "service", it's hard to tell at this point what's in store for the future. It's just a little odd to call Windows 10 the last version and then put a hard cap on its support cycle. Regardless, the future of Windows is going to be mighty interesting.