[mherkender]

Open-source Linux is great at updating old software.

Most other OSes (Android, MacOS, iOS, game consoles) rely on versioning, which makes it easier to provide compatibility layers or at least know when a piece of software just isn't supported anymore.

Personally I think Windows should have specialized VMs for old software, so they can be compatible forever even if they have bugs.

[detaro]

So other OSes prevent this by not even trying to run old software? Yeah, not particularly helpful

[mherkender]

Better to have a strategy for software compatibility and evolution vs Microsoft's strategy of doing nothing.

Pretty much every game console ever made still works with every game for that console, but when it's Windows you never know.

[jobigoud]

> Microsoft's strategy of doing nothing.

Microsoft strategy is to maintain backward compatibility as much as possible.

[mherkender]

Don't let old software break, don't use VMs/containers, don't use versioning: Pick two

Microsoft is the only company to pick all three. That's not strategy, that's indifference.