We say one final farewell to these products and services Microsoft shut down in 2022

Source: Windows Central

This year Microsoft released the Surface Duo, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and plenty of other products and services, just it also said farewell to quite a flake. Streaming platforms, old operating systems, physical stores, and more all shut down in 2022. Some things that ended were quite expected, like Windows seven back up, while Mixer and others came equally a surprise. 2022 has been an incredibly dissimilar year, so some shutdowns, like the closing of physical Microsoft Stores, may not accept happened in different circumstances.

Windows 7 support

Windows 7 update prompt Source: Windows Cardinal

Windows 7 is an operating system dear by many, simply all good things come up to an end. Official support for Windows 7 concluded in January 2022. With its end, PCs running the former operating system no longer get official security updates. This end of support was known for years, but several organizations haven't migrated abroad from Windows seven yet.

Windows 10X on dual-screen devices (at to the lowest degree for now)

Surface Neo Twopane Source: Microsoft

At one point in fourth dimension, Windows 10X seemed destined to simply grace the likes of folding devices such as the Surface Neo. Simply in May of this year, Microsoft chief production office, Panos Panay, announced that Microsoft shifted its strategy for Windows 10X. Instead of beingness an Os that shipped exclusively to folding devices, Windows 10X will arrive starting time on unmarried-screen devices.

Luckily for those who love folding tech, Windows 10X will still come to them at some point. Panay said, "These single-screen devices will be the first expression of Windows 10X that we deliver to our customers, and we volition proceed to expect for the correct moment, in conjunction with our OEM partners, to bring dual-screen devices to market place."

Unfortunately, that ways that the ThinkPad X1 Fold started rolling out with Windows x Pro, which isn't built for big folding screens. On the bright side, we'll likely see Windows 10X on more upkeep-friendly devices in the future.

Mixer

Mixer @ E3 Source: Windows Central

Mixer shutting down was 1 of the biggest surprises of the twelvemonth. Not only did the news pop up quickly for the public, it broke to partners and streamers through a tweet. BobDuckNWeave streamed for years on Mixer and said, "[It was] worse than a breakdown via text from your other one-half of five years," adding that "The delivery of the announcement shows the complete lack of empathy you'd await from a corporation like Microsoft."

While Microsoft shut downwards Mixer this yr, the platform'due south ultra-low latency video streaming technology lives on in other Microsoft services. Microsoft Teams leverages the former service'due south streaming applied science.

Matt Brown took a deep dive into what went wrong with Mixer shortly afterwards Microsoft announced that it was shutting down, while later speaking to some of the tiptop personalities from the platform.

Cortana skills on Windows 10

Source: Windows Central

Cortana shifted towards productivity and away from full general consumer usage this twelvemonth. Microsoft announced a new Cortana feel that tin find data across Microsoft 365, help manage your schedule with insight, and do other tasks that improve productivity. Microsoft dropped back up for Cortana skills on Windows x with the new experience. That ways that skills for Xbox, Spotify, SmartThings, and more stopped working on Cortana on Windows x.

More than devices are set to lose admission to Cortana soon. Starting in Jan 2022, Microsoft will end Cortana integration with the Harman Kardon Invoke speaker.

Physical Microsoft Stores

Microsoft Store London Source: Windows Central

This by June, Microsoft announced that all concrete Microsoft Stores would close as function of a "strategic change." Microsoft stated at the fourth dimension that it would put more money and effort into digital storefronts.

Physical Microsoft Stores airtight simply a few months after they shut their doors due to the global pandemic. Team members moved to remote jobs, and Microsoft shifted its efforts to deliver an feel non anchored to physical stores. But Microsoft Stores weren't but almost shopping. They provided a place for people to bring in faulty devices to get help, a location for training, and a identify to bank check out the latest tech from Microsoft in person.

Microsoft will repurpose iv stores to "experience centers," but those locations are only available to a small-scale grouping of people due to geography. Our senior editor Zac Bowden discussed the negative impact of physical Microsoft Stores shutting down earlier this year.

Honorable mention- Skype

Ok, then Skype isn't actually dead. In fact, hundreds of millions of people have Skype accounts, and I bet a few people still use them. That beingness said, in a yr when more people shifted to video calls than e'er, Skype savage fifty-fifty further behind competing services. Zoom became the verb of choice for video calling and Skype ... didn't. The Late Tardily Prove with James Corden did a great sketch that summarizes Skype in 2022.

While Skype didn't do well in 2022, Microsoft Teams utilise skyrocketed. Teams appears to exist Microsoft'south pride and joy. The service gained new features, regularly received updates, and over 115 million people use it daily. More importantly for Microsoft, Teams gained traction among businesses, in enterprise, and in the eyes of the general public.

A last farewell

As 2022 comes to a close, we large a final farewell to these Microsoft products and services. While it's sad to see some of them get, there'south a lot to await frontwards to in 2022. Next year is fix to be a big year for Windows and new Surface hardware is just effectually the corner.

Which production or service will you miss the nearly? Is there ane that you lot're happy Microsoft moved on from? Permit us know in the comments below.