It looks like more lean times are about to arrive for Windows XP and Vista users, as Google has just announced that the Chrome browser updates will be discontinued in due time. Of course, this does not mean that the browser will no longer work – it will still, although those who are adamant on running these unsupported operating systems will not be on the receiving end of any updates.
As we all know, updates such as these are important when it comes to keeping a particular machine secure as far as possible, so to hear that support or updates for these will no longer be available is expected, although the news is still hard hitting. Machines that run on Windows XP and Windows Vista can continue to use Chrome after April 2016, although there will no longer be any more updates for its browser after that – and this will include security-focused patches.
Mac users, laugh not – the same will apply for those who are chugging along to OS 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8. Chrome Director of Engineering Mark Pawliger shared, “Such older platforms are missing critical security updates and have a greater potential to be infected by viruses and malware.” It was only a matter of time, and now that the time is nigh, perhaps it would be prudent to pull the curtain down on those venerable OSes and upgrade one’s machine.