[H] PCWORLD Want to keep using Windows 10 safely? Microsoft wants $61

[_ Winterlight]

Microsoft's Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 past its support date now 
have a price, and it's more than $400 to keep your PC patched until 2027.

Windows 11 had a rocky start, but it’s been getting better lately — good enough 
that PCWorld’s March Hachman can finally bear it, in fact. But there are still 
plenty of good reasons to stay on Windows 10 if you’re comfortable with it. 
Unfortunately, security isn’t one of them. The OS will stop getting updated in 
2025…unless you pay for extended security updates. And pay a lot.

Late last year we learned Microsoft will offer paid security updates past the 
end of full support on October 14th, 2025. But the company didn’t mention any 
prices. Now it has, and you might want to brace yourself. For consumers and 
businesses who want Extended Security Updates (ESU) on Windows 10, they’ll need 
to purchase a license similar to a standard Windows key, which will then unlock 
the updates.

The price: $61. A year. And that’s only for the first year. “The price will 
double every consecutive year, for a maximum of three years,” says Microsoft’s 
information post. That would make year two (starting in October 2026) $122, and 
year three (October 2027) a whopping $244.

What’s more, you can’t just hop on the train later to save some dough. If you 
decide to enroll in the ESU program after October 2026 you’ll be charged for 
the first year, enroll after October 2027 you’ll be charged for the first and 
second year. Whenever you get the update, you’ll be paying a total of $427 for 
security support through the end of the program. Ouch.

Licenses can be redeemed online in a browser, through Windows 365, or with an 
old-fashioned 25-digit code. Businesses can get a 25 percent discount if they 
buy volume ESU licenses through the Windows Autopatch system, bringing the 
per-PC price down to $45 for year one. But it’s still an expensive proposition, 
especially if you want to keep a network of hundreds of PCs ticking over nicely.

Needless to say, Windows 11 users will continue to receive free security 
updates along with the regular maintenance and feature patches they’re used to. 
And Microsoft is really hoping you’ll upgrade if you haven’t already. Though 
previous patch versions of Windows 11 have gone out of support, there’s no 
end-of-life date set for the OS as of yet. Windows 12 (or whatever Microsoft 
calls it) is still on the horizon.

Re: [H] [Letantig_internal] And the Beat Goes On

[Thane K. Sherrington]

Badly.  The Premier of Nova Scotia came down to tell the voters that his 
hands are tied (they aren't) because the municipal councils asked for 
consolidation, and he is honour bound to allow it.  Now in Nova Scotia, 
the municipal governments serve at the pleasure of the province.  The 
province makes all the rules that govern the municipalities, and those 
rules require a study and a plebiscite when municipalities merge.  In 
this case, the two councils (who never ran on the issue in the previous 
election) asked for special legislation to avoid a plebiscite.  
According to the premier, because they asked, he must do it.   He is 
requiring a study by the UARB (Utility and Review Board) to look into 
the financial implications.  The UARB is an appointed board, so that 
isn't sitting well with voters.


It was an interesting meeting - between 500 and 600 people were there, 
and people asked again and again for a vote on the issue, and the 
premier basically said "you voted for the councils, they asked for the 
legislation, we have to do it, it's not my fault, it's yours."


It was sort of a weird meeting, and shows me once again, that the best 
way to deal with politics is to ignore it. :)


And this was about as OT as we ever got back in the 90s. :)

T

On 02-Apr-2024 11:15 p.m., Bino Gopal wrote:

Well, s...how did it go?!  Waiting with bated breath for the next chapter 
in the Antigonish MAGA saga...! ;P


-Original Message-
From: Hardware  On Behalf Of Thane K. 
Sherrington
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 4:10 AM
To: letantig_inter...@letantigonishdecide.ca; hardw...@lists.hardwaregroup.com
Subject: Re: [H] [Letantig_internal] And the Beat Goes On

Let's be clear what the amendments do:
1)They stop the current council members from sitting on the Transition 
Committee.  Since the vast majority of the population don't trust the Laurie, 
Owen and their cronies, this is table stakes.   This gains Tim nothing in terms 
of votes or trust, and he's spending EVEN MORE money on the process.
2)Even though we told them we don't trust our current Councillors to make this 
decision for us, they responded by saying, ok, we'll have some non-elected 
officials make the decision.  In what what world is this better?  They appear 
to be sticking with the idea that voters are too stupid, too poorly educated, 
and too emotional to vote on this, and that we should be quiet and let our 
betters decided for us.

I was in a meeting yesterday with John Hannaford, the clerk of the Privy 
Council and he repeated over and over that integrity, ethics and respect for 
democracy were the hallmarks of good government. We've seen very little of 
those from the Laurie, Owen and their cronies, and Houston isn't looking much 
better right now.

Where is the UARB going to get financial information for their study? I'm betting they'll 
be given a sunshine and rainbow stories from Laurie, Owen and the CAOs and will decide 
"the finances look good".  This study is meaningless eyewash as far as I can 
tell.

Thane K. Sherrington

Computer Connection, Ltd. ...taking the mystery out of computers since 1982.
Winner of the 2012 Ian Spencer - Excellence in Business Award *Thanks for 
making us the Reader's Choice Best Computer Store in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019!*
95 College St., Antigonish,
NS B2G 1X6
902-863-3361 (phone)
902-863-2580 (fax)
th...@computerconnectionltd.com
On 25-Mar-2024 5:23 p.m., Bruce MacLean wrote:

Lohr, this afternoon, ".ordered a new analysis on whether
consolidating Antigonish town and county is the right move, after
months of public opposition." Note that his main rationale for
reconsidering the consolidation was the "major" concern "that many
residents didn't feel they had enough information about the financial
impact of consolidation on their tax rate ." *No mention of the
plebiscite.*

**

He has defined the problem so that it can be resolved in their chosen
domain. "If the UARB does not find consolidation to be in the best
interest of residents, it will not go forward" Lohr orates.

For more recent detail on the MAGA (Make Antigonish Great Again)
movement (local) see below:

N.S. hits pause on Antigonish consolidation | CBC News


Bruce