Windows 7 2020 Edition: How Would the OS Look With an Updated Aesthetic?

Microsoft ended its extended support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020, but there's often a big gap between Redmond's wishes and users' will. In fact, Windows 7 still holds 20 percent of the market, and there seems to be no reason for its users to replace it. However, nothing stops us from imagining an updated Windows 7, mainly from an aesthetic standpoint. That's where Avdan comes in with his concepts, and this time he offers us "Windows 7 2020 Edition".

Installing a Windows 7 SP1 image without additional patches brings two problems right away: the lack of official support (though Redmond has already made two exceptions this year) and Windows Update errors (which you can fix by using this). Apart from that, the OS should work without major issues, especially if key programs (browsers first) keep their compatibility.

But the real point of conflict lies in the phrase "operating system". Now, Microsoft sees Windows as a service, and Windows 7 became orphaned by that strategy, as did Windows 8.x (which ends its extended support in 2023). So... what if we travel to a parallel world? A world in which Microsoft didn't give the thumbs down to Windows 7 after eleven years, but instead decided to update it, both technically and aesthetically, for a relaunch under the name "Windows 7 2020 Edition":

A Parallel World Where Windows 7 Lives On

Obviously, it couldn't be anyone else but Avdan the author of this concept. The taskbar brings back certain 3D effects with shadows in the right places, but the most important thing is the 'updated' Start menu, modernized yet restrained. Transparencies and tabbed windows, a cleaner menu to choose accent colors, a whole section dedicated to gadgets (maybe they deserve a second chance?), virtual desktops, and a notification menu like Windows 10 (only better).

In summary, it's not bad... but we must return to the real world. In Microsoft's mind, Windows 7 is a closed topic (except for some exceptions that will survive until 2024), and unless you prefer extreme measures like replacing the shell, you have to work with what we have...