Windows Version Compatibilty Matrix?

[fixit9660]

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere, I have looked.
Is there a "sticky" somewhere that lists the compatibilty of versions of Calibre against compatible versions of Windows, Android, IOS, etc, please?
I run Windows 7 and will not be migrating further along the MS route. I've already been caught by a couple of "unintelligent" auto-updating products that have left me with incompatible upgrades, and I'm anxious to avoid this with Calibre.

[kovidgoyal]

calibre doesnt run on android or ios and the calibre windows download page lists the last version of calibre compatible with every version of windows.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by fixit9660

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere, I have looked.
Is there a "sticky" somewhere that lists the compatibilty of versions of Calibre against compatible versions of Windows, Android, IOS, etc, please?
I run Windows 7 and will not be migrating further along the MS route. I've already been caught by a couple of "unintelligent" auto-updating products that have left me with incompatible upgrades, and I'm anxious to avoid this with Calibre.

Then you are going to find a lot of software will no longer be able to be updated. This is a bad idea to stay with Windows 7. You won't get any more updated features in Calibre. You really should upgrade if your computer is compatible.

[fixit9660]

Gentlemen, I apologise for not seeing it for myself on the download page; I just didn't read far/thoroughly enough. It clearly says "If you are using Windows 7 or Vista, please use calibre 3.48, which works with all Windows 7/Vista machines, from here."

JSWolf I agree with you I will stop seeing updates. Once, 50 years ago when I started out in IT, updates were the "to be had" thing. Now, with a lifetime spent in the industry, I know differently. Some would say I'm just getting old, but when you get here, let me know how you feel about it. Thank you both for your rapid and helpful responses, much appreciated.

[chaley]

(somewhat)

Originally Posted by fixit9660

Now, with a lifetime spent in the industry, I know differently. Some would say I'm just getting old, but when you get here, let me know how you feel about it.

FWIW: I am there, also with 50+ years in IT. I still update. Not bleeding edge updates, but I get there. Some reasons: security (a big one); new software functionality that I really want (e.g., calibre); support for new hardware, multi-device syncing, stuff like the 'intelligent' heating controller for my house; etc.

The above notwithstanding, I do understand your position. I hope you can maintain it. It annoys me a lot that vendors change things simply because they want to make the interface look "modern". To this day I curse Microsoft for introducing the ribbon.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by chaley

The above notwithstanding, I do understand your position. I hope you can maintain it. It annoys me a lot that vendors change things simply because they want to make the interface look "modern". To this day I curse Microsoft for introducing the ribbon.

I will be very happy if the flat design UX trend ever dies out.

[theducks]

Another with 50+ years in IT.
There are 2 kinds of updates. Necessary (security, HW compatibility) and Feature improvement.

Personally, I hate the mostly Cosmetic change Updates (Just had some screen time on W11, helping set up a new laptop. Could not find anything .
They keep moving/hiding stuff.

To Me: W7 was a great step forward, improving Security that XP lacked (the stuff before that was a disaster).

[kovidgoyal]

I solved this issue for myself by using only software that is extremely stable and doesn't change cosmetics. Have been using the exact same UI for all my daily use software for a decade plus. The only UI changes I see are a few icons and some colors occasionally, and these are almost always instigated by me not a software update. It's really liberating to be able to update software without fear. Of course, I went to the rather extreme length of writing a lot of that daily use software for myself, but if you look hard there is software out there that values being stable and avoiding pointless churn and runs screaming from anybody calling themselves a UX anything.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by chaley

To this day I curse Microsoft for introducing the ribbon.

Then there are those of us who bless Microsoft for the Ribbon.

For me at least the old fixed menus were an incoherent shambles and the click-a-button bars were almost incomprehensible. I can now drive Word with ONE finger. And, in the first few months of using Office 2007 I discovered more about Excel and especially Word than I had learnt in decades of previous use.

Those who don't like the Office Ribbon have the option of installing add-ons like Classic Menu, or using something like Open Office and its derivatives - for free.

OTOH Vista's barely announced deprecation of Column Handlers in favour Property Handlers was a first-order tragedy. Most of the existing Column Handler dependent tools were never redeveloped for Property Handlers - and there's little evidence of their use in MS tools. Ranks with Mozilla's decision to kill-off a vast library of extensions with Quantum. Many of which have not, and cannot, be replaced in any mainstream browser I know.

Note: MS Property Handler APIs are orders of magnitude more complex (richer ?) than the old APIs, whilst the Mozilla WebExtension APIs are a much reduced (some say pathetic) subset of what they replaced.

BR

[chaley]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Then there are those of us who bless Microsoft for the Ribbon.

De gustibus non est disputandum.

[JSWolf]

I curse Microsoft for changing Windows 11. The UI is well, meh. Bring back the Windows 10 UI.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I curse Microsoft for changing Windows 11. The UI is well, meh. Bring back the Windows 10 UI.

I just imagine some Microsoft executive looking over a massive list of Windows bugs, and then going "Well, you know what we really need? To move the start menu to the middle!"

[Joliet Jake]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I curse Microsoft for changing Windows 11. The UI is well, meh. Bring back the Windows 10 UI.

Windows offered me an update to 11 (I meet the pre-requisites). They should have learned from Windows 8.

I put a lot of effort into making Windows 10 look right (the interface is what I use, so it's important) but I suspect I will be forced to update to Windows 11 in a few years. Thanks for the heads up!

[ownedbycats]

Thankfully, my system doesn't meet the requirements for an 11 upgrade - something to do with my BIOS settings or the boot drive partition or I can't quite remember. Easily fixed -- I remember poking around at some settings -- but since I'm in no hurry to upgrade might as well leave it. A bit of insurance, if you will, against an unwanted upgrade.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I just imagine some Microsoft executive looking over a massive list of Windows bugs, and then going "Well, you know what we really need? To move the start menu to the middle!"

I hate the centered icons on the task bar. I have lost count of the number of times that I have gone to click on one just as they all recenter themselves resulting in the wrong program being opened.