[nhlblues]

Hello:

Do any of the Pentax DSLR cameras require a certain "minimum" Microsoft Windows OS in order to be able to install drivers and be able to receive updates?

I noticed that certain Canon EOS cameras, such as EOS 80D, etc., require Windows 7 as the minimum OS. As I have Windows Vista (32 Bit) as my current OS, I would not be able to download the information for EOS 80D. Earlier Canon DSLR cameras, such as EOS 70D, 6D, etc. would not create any problems with Windows Vista.

I am wondering if Pentax has any restrictions as to their DSLR line of cameras, whereby Windows Vista would prevent me from downloading any pertinent information (new/used) for a particular Pentax DSLR? If so, are there any Pentax DSLR cameras that would allow me to use with Windows Vista (32 Bit)?

As I do not want to have to pay to update to Windows 7, I may then have to look at purchasing a Pentax DSLR that would be compatible with VISTA (32 Bit). The new/used Pentax DSLR would have to have all the necessary updates already installed so that it would be "up to date", so to speak.

Thank you.

[Adam]

Hello:

Do any of the Pentax DSLR cameras require a certain "minimum" Microsoft Windows OS in order to be able to install drivers and be able to receive updates?

I noticed that certain Canon EOS cameras, such as EOS 80D, etc., require Windows 7 as the minimum OS. As I have Windows Vista (32 Bit) as my current OS, I would not be able to download the information for EOS 80D. Earlier Canon DSLR cameras, such as EOS 70D, 6D, etc. would not create any problems with Windows Vista.

I am wondering if Pentax has any restrictions as to their DSLR line of cameras, whereby Windows Vista would prevent me from downloading any pertinent information (new/used) for a particular Pentax DSLR? If so, are there any Pentax DSLR cameras that would allow me to use with Windows Vista (32 Bit)?

As I do not want to have to pay to update to Windows 7, I may then have to look at purchasing a Pentax DSLR that would be compatible with VISTA (32 Bit). The new/used Pentax DSLR would have to have all the necessary updates already installed so that it would be "up to date", so to speak.

Thank you.

USB plug and play should work fine on Vista with any Pentax camera, so you'll be able to transfer photos and install firmware updates without any issues.

While the Pentax site says that the DCU desktop utility software requires Windows 7 or higher, I'm sure it will install just fine on Vista. Worst case, you can use an older version.

That said, I would recommend upgrading your OS. You can get Windows 7 licenses for < $20 online, and the upgrade is seamless. Vista support (including security-related updates and new drivers) ended last April. 7 support will end in January, 2020.

If you switch to Windows 10, that will be the last license you'll have to pay for, since Microsoft is offering feature updates on an ongoing basis. However, there is no seamless upgrade option for Vista- you'd have to go from Vista to 7, then from 7 to 10, or just do a fresh installation.

[nhlblues]

Thank you for the information.

[Lord Lucan]

While the Pentax site says that the DCU desktop utility software requires Windows 7 or higher, I'm sure it will install just fine on Vista.

The general view is that Windows 7 was Windows Vista with the worst bugs removed. Vista had a bad reputation and has very few users today - less than one percent and significantly less than the earlier XP (Usage share of operating systems - Wikipedia). OTOH Windows 7 has a good reputation and is still widely used, while Windows 8 went bad again.

You can get Windows 7 licenses for < $20 online, and the upgrade is seamless.

I must admit I did not know that was possible. Have you any links to that and can they be trusted? I'd be surprised if it were from Microsoft themselves as they have thrown everything into getting people to move on from Win 7.

If you switch to Windows 10, that will be the last license you'll have to pay for, since Microsoft is offering feature updates on an ongoing basis.

The expectation is that Win 10 will move onto a rental system, which is what software makers dream of as it gives them a predictable income with relatively little seffort, as they no longer have to produce a spectacular "must have" new version every couple of years, for which they are really running out of ideas. Microsoft already do it with Office 365, as do Adobe with Photoshop, for examples, and it is why Microsoft are so anxious to get people onto Win10 to prepare the ground.

As they are not turning into a charity, and remain firmly against Open Source, the general expectation is that in time Microsoft will require a subsciption for you to get further upgrades, bug fixes and security fixes, or simply be left behind. The situation would not be much different in practice from the old one but with less support (only serious security fixes if at all) for a non-subsribed and hence non-updated copy than before - because the subscription is for the support. I'll bet it will cost the user more in the long run.

[Adam]

I must admit I did not know that was possible. Have you any links to that and can they be trusted? I'd be surprised if it were from Microsoft themselves as they have thrown everything into getting people to move on from Win 7.

Microsoft directly will still charge you full price. But considering that windows 7 will effectively be dead in a year, stores that previously bought license keys (or still have physical copies, or got them in other sketchy ways) are in clearance mode. For the end consumer, it makes no difference as long as the key is genuine.

Windows 7 Professional 32/64BIT

As they are not turning into a charity, and remain firmly against Open Source, the general expectation is that in time Microsoft will require a subsciption for you to get further upgrades, bug fixes and security fixes, or simply be left behind. The situation would not be much different in practice from the old one but with less support (only serious security fixes if at all) for a non-subsribed and hence non-updated copy than before - because the subscription is for the support. I'll bet it will cost the user more in the long run.

I don't agree- and charging money selectively for security fixes is also quite unethical. Anyway, I think they're moving away from the OS as being their flagship product, and instead focusing on cloud-based services. People need more cloud storage and on-demand computing these days, and that's where the money lies.

Personally, I would love it if a solution such as dropbox existed for your whole PC environment. That way, you'd still be running programs on your own hardware and working privately with your own files, but applications and state would be synchronized across all of your computers. If Microsoft pulls something like this off for Windows, it would probably make as big of an impact as Google apps. And people, especially enterprises, would line up to pay for it.

[ABel]

I'm still using Windows XP SP2(!).
No problems with connecting Pentax cameras and transferring the pictures from them.
PDCU installs and runs just fine.

[nhlblues]

Hello:

Thank you for the information.

Some time ago, someone at Pentax sent me two (Silkypix) Pentax/Ricoh discs which I installed in my PC (Vista OS) and I had no problem installing them. At that time I was considering purchasing a Pentax K-70/K-1.
1). Software S-SW99 (Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4
2). Ricoh S-SW162 (Digital Camera Utility 5)

As I presently do not own a Pentax DSLR, I have not used either program.

[Tan68]

There are no minimum requirements to update camera firmware. You do not need to buy a camera already updated and you not need to buy an older camera so it will be compatible with your OS.

There may be OS restrictions with image editing software such as Lightroom (I imagine so) or Pentax' own Digital Camera Utility (from comments seems to be no problem for Vista). However, camera firmware is updated by downloading the appropriate file from Pentax/Ricoh website (possible on Vista) and copying this file to an SD card (possible with Vista but need an SD card reader) and then popping that SD card into your camera...