Despite Imminent Retirement, More Users Move to Windows XP

If you’re wondering what’s going to happen with Windows XP in two months, the answer is becoming quite obvious. Plenty of users will still be running it when the end of support comes, as new stats show that Windows XP actually boosted its market share last month.

Read the rest here:Despite Imminent Retirement, More Users Move to Windows XP

 

[Frank1]

Some people don't have the money or the desire to upgrade their computer. I don't see where this makes them idiotic. I haven't found myself at a huge disadvantage because software vendors are holding back because people are way behind me.

I agree--"idiotic" is a harsh word to use about someone that you know nothing about.

 

[Wenda]

I have both XP Home SP3 and Vista Ultimate running on my P4 desktop (2.8Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 256mb GeForce 5700) on separate drives, I just plug the drive I want, and go.

The XP setup is OEM with all necessary drivers etc, and I've the latest(?) versions saved elsewhere. Same with Vista.

They will both be remaining for the foreseeable future. Neither are connected to the internet.

I also have XP Pro SP2 running on this machine in Virtual Box.

It doesn't do any 'serious' work, it's mainly there as a plaything/curiosity, and to run the odd rare program that this Win 81. Pro setup won't.

I see no reason at all to get rid of either. I can deal with any problems that arise, and I'm not too worried about lack of support. My NT4 setup isn't supported either, but still does its job.


Wenda.

 

[whs]

I have a 16 year old car that runs wonderfully. I love it despite the 'old technology'.

I also have a 1 year old car with all the modern gizmos you can think of. I hate it even with the prestigious star in the front. I am on page 257 of the 583 page user manual. I wonder what all the things are I will discover next. And I have not even touched the 262 page user manual for the radio.

 

[Lee]

Some people don't have the money or the desire to upgrade their computer. I don't see where this makes them idiotic. I haven't found myself at a huge disadvantage because software vendors are holding back because people are way behind me.

Oh my, I am so poor that it is just sickin' it is all I can do to put together enough money to buy. . .(fill in the blank.

 

[CountMike]

Some people don't have the money or the desire to upgrade their computer. I don't see where this makes them idiotic. I haven't found myself at a huge disadvantage because software vendors are holding back because people are way behind me.

Oh my, I am so poor that it is just sickin' it is all I can do to put together enough money to buy. . .(fill in the blank.

It might be amusing to somebody from USA or some from "rich" countries but I assure you it's not the case in at least half the world. I have donated dozen of my old computers to people that can't afford ANY computer let alone to buy something new just to get away from Win XP. They are still happy to have ANY computer, even with "dead" XP. Two of them are getting internet connection from me (sharing WiFi bandwith) and I'm not about to stop servicing their machines or helping them either.
I find any discrimination disgusting, including by financial status.

Just a Serb.

 

[Superfly]

It might be amusing to somebody from USA or some from "rich" countries but I assure you it's not the case in at least half the world. I have donated dozen of my old computers to people that can't afford ANY computer let alone to buy something new just to get away from Win XP. They are still happy to have ANY computer, even with "dead" XP. Two of them are getting internet connection from me (sharing WiFi bandwith) and I'm not about to stop servicing their machines or helping them either.
I find any discrimination disgusting, including by financial status.

Just a Serb.

+1 Sir, Very well said. You have my respect.

 

[Lee]

Some people don't have the money or the desire to upgrade their computer. I don't see where this makes them idiotic. I haven't found myself at a huge disadvantage because software vendors are holding back because people are way behind me.

Oh my, I am so poor that it is just sickin' it is all I can do to put together enough money to buy. . .(fill in the blank.

It might be amusing to somebody from USA or some from "rich" countries but I assure you it's not the case in at least half the world. I have donated dozen of my old computers to people that can't afford ANY computer let alone to buy something new just to get away from Win XP. They are still happy to have ANY computer, even with "dead" XP. Two of them are getting internet connection from me (sharing WiFi bandwidth) and I'm not about to stop servicing their machines or helping them either.
I find any discrimination disgusting, including by financial status.

Just a Serb.

Please the old if your not from USA myth is also getting a little long in the tooth.

 

[CountMike]

OK, so I should include Canada too (lived there 25 years), France (3 years), Switzerland (1 year and have brother and his two sons there), I'm sure that there are some poor people there too. I used USA only because everybody is comparing themselves to USA. Nothing against USA (even after severe bombing in 1999), I assure you.
Yes, people in poor countries are comparing their life with the life in USA and Americans should be proud of it but the ones that Have, should not laugh at "have-nots ", you never know what future may bring. Don't know how rich you are but unless you are richest in the world, there is always somebody that can do the same to you. Wish you the best.

 

[DavidY]

OK, so I should include Canada too (lived there 25 years), France (3 years), Switzerland (1 year and have brother and his two sons there), I'm sure that there are some poor people there too.

I'm fortunate that I live in a relatively rich country, but even here there are people who can't afford to just go out and buy a new computer. However companies and the Government make it increasingly hard to live without a computer, as more and more services are moved online. For instance it's quite hard to find the cheapest supplier of electricity without a web browser, which means people without computers can lose out even more.

That said, I have some sympathy for Microsoft. They've given people a lot of notice that support for XP will be withdrawn and I can see why they won't want to support it for ever, when the underpinnings are harder to make secure.

I think the nearest to car analogy is that although that 16 year old car may still drive well, it is probably easier to steal than a new one. Sadly there are a lot of people in the online world who are happy to use weaknesses in insecure operating systems and steal from the likes of me or you. Where I am, online theft or fraud is probably more common than car theft these days.

The trouble is that people who have older computers don't have an easy alternative if they want to keep running that old copy of Office or other Windows software.

 

[whs]

It is not only the question whether I do have the money to upgrade my 6 PCs, the question is whether I like to upgrade. My systems are on Windows 7 and Vista and I have 1 Windows 8.1 in virtual and 1 Windows 8.1 on a tablet. Whilst 8.1 is a fine system on the tablet, I would never install it on a desktop. The annoyances outweigh the advantages by far when compared to Windows 7.

And for people that have been on XP for 10 years it is even tougher. The learning curve to 7 ot 8.1 is quite significant and I can understand why they don't want to move. If it works, why move. I think this malware scenario is highly exaggerated - probably pushed by MS to sponsor new business.

 

[ainteinstein]

Unfortunately, there are those who don't think with their heart. Believe me, there are many in American who would absolutely love to have a hand me down XP computer. Be it a small business, a chartible organization, or a student, that old computer has helped many to excel in this world. The unfortunate part is that those old working computers can not handle the Microsoft's Newer OS. One Pa school has switched to Linux...savings on licences, $360,000.00. That sum is not small potatoes...computers are not cheap to have and maintain even in America.

But what is interesting, how many more are going to go back to XP because now 8 is now the most vulnerable OS. Reason? Flash.

 

[Tepid]

But that is not a reason, in my opinion. Don't use flash.
I know, easier said than done cause the whole world uses it.
But if us techie's in general did stop,t hat would be significant enough to warrant something new.
Or get Adobe off their butts to take notice.
You can not blame Windows or MS in general for what a 3rd party unaffiliated company does with their software.

That is like suggesting that Windows is no longer secure because someone installed Scamware on their system, don't get Windows.
That's a pretty far out claim, don't ya think.
Or, hey, it's too easy to find instructions on how to run as Root in Linux, don't run Linux, it is not secure.

As for hand me downs and what not. that is one thing, but that is not what the original article is talking about.
They are suggesting that, people hate Win8 so much they would rather run XP.
I say, be weary of those that suggest such a thing.

 

[ainteinstein]

Um, it was Microsoft's decision to use Flash for the Metro Desktop and it is intertwined in IE. Sorry. Their choice to use a known insecure product.

It is not a question of hating 8 so much, it is the simple fact that quite a few old programs do not run on 8, not to mention the hardware 8 does not support. Aka...update to 8 and it necessitates updating other items. Hence it can be a costly. And I am not going to mention the learning curve etc, these points have well been covered before.

Actually my post was in response to Lee's and others on the previous page. I do apologize for the confusion it might have caused. And I also am not too fond of multiple quoting, sometimes the meaning gets lost.

 

[whs]

Unfortunately, there are those who don't think with their heart. Believe me, there are many in American who would absolutely love to have a hand me down XP computer. Be it a small business, a chartible organization, or a student, that old computer has helped many to excel in this world. The unfortunate part is that those old working computers can not handle the Microsoft's Newer OS. One Pa school has switched to Linux...savings on licences, $360,000.00. That sum is not small potatoes...computers are not cheap to have and maintain even in America.

But what is interesting, how many more are going to go back to XP because now 8 is now the most vulnerable OS. Reason? Flash.

This is very true. In my computer club (800 members) we collect about 10 systems each month which we refurbish and hand them out to needy families, safe houses for women, schools, etc. There is a great need for cheap access to the internet and many people cannot afford the gear. Maybe some of the cheap tablets will help in the future, but doing any serious work on a 7" screen without a keyboard is not obvious.

 

[SIW2]

But what is interesting, how many more are going to go back to XP because now 8 is now the most vulnerable OS. Reason? Flash.

Plenty of people on win 7 and earlier using flash. Yet they are less vulnerable, apparently.

 

[Tepid]

From everything I have read, Flash has been fixed. So, it's a moot point.

Windows 8 actually runs very well on older hardware, this is a known fact.
Runs better than 7 on that same hardware.
I have old PC's here, and Win8 runs extremely well on them.

As for Software that may not run, that, no one can help with other than the developers of said software.
Yes, it can be costly to some degree, depending. But, I haven't (personally) bought any new software that I run, in a very long time
Stuff I run that worked in XP, works just fine in Win8.
There isn't a large majority of people that run into these issues though.
(i.e. yes there may be quite a few, but it's not an overwhelming number)
Yes, we can argue those people that are affected, but,
I think it's wrong to site that as a reason for everyone to stay away from Win8. It's a bit extreme.

I am not saying there are not draw backs to upgrading, there always will be, no matter what. There is no way around that.
But, that doesn't make, nor explain away what the original article attempts to claim.

Granted there are those that can not afford to upgrade. I think that is neither here nor there.
They weren't necessarily going to upgrade anytime soon anyway.

Hand me down PC's for kids and stuff, I think it's great.
Let them break it and fix it, it's what I did to learn in DOS, Win95, etc. etc.

Be a good steward and explain the age and vulnerabilities and precautions to take.
Maybe that is what is missing from this conversation.
People taking personal responsibility for what they advise, and advise properly, not on personal feelings, but on real educated information. not just from what they read in some article either. But actually knowing and using, and real research.

Advise on the reason they should upgrade, or save to upgrade, and the problems of not doing so.
Not just cause they don't like the new OS.

Win8 is a great OS over all.

BTW: Every OS on the planet has vulnerabilities. There will never, ever, ever, ever,ever,ever,ever,ever be one that doesn't.
Getting those vulnerabilities patched is what should count the most.
But, if you are a target, and someone wants in your PC, (Linux, Mac, Windows, doesn't matter)
if they are good at it and know what they are doing..... they are getting in........ unless you unplug from the net.

 

[whs]

I have to say, although I am not a Windows 8 fan for the desktop, it is an efficient system. I have 8.1 on this little device with 2GB of RAM, a modest Atom processor and a 30GB SSD and it works extremely well. I was really amazed.

Boot time is 26 seconds (Event 100 in Event Viewer) and I still have 13GB free of the total 30GB after installing Office 2013 and a dozen programs. My user data and the images go on the 64GB MicroSD card - access to that card is a snap too.

 

[ainteinstein]

Tepid... There is another thread in this forum, "New Windows 8.1 requirements..." that tends to point out that 8.1. because the core has changed, does not play well with older hardware even when they have been updated to 8.

My Flash is still the same version as it has been for how long? And yes, I am up to date. But, then again, I do not use IE and wish I could remove it from my system. My one big issue with Windows, "No Tweaking Allowed".

I did not mean that old computers should be "toys" to be broken. No, not at all. Whs's post explained it better than me. Thank-you, whs.

And yes, I am more than aware that no system is "perfect" even PC-DOS had it's moments. However, to call Wim 8 great? No...very far from it.

 

[whs]

Tepid... There is another thread in this forum, "New Windows 8.1 requirements..." that tends to point out that 8.1. because the core has changed, does not play well with older hardware even when they have been updated to 8.

My Flash is still the same version as it has been for how long? And yes, I am up to date. But, then again, I do not use IE and wish I could remove it from my system. My one big issue with Windows, "No Tweaking Allowed".

I did not mean that old computers should be "toys" to be broken. No, not at all. Whs's post explained it better than me. Thank-you, whs.And yes, I am more than aware that no system is "perfect" even PC-DOS had it's moments. However, to call Wim 8 great? No...very far from it.

I think you refer to my post #54, not my last post. And you are welcome. I was just trying to shed some light on the realities of life - and that in the US. There are poor people everywhere.

 

[lehnerus2000]

As for hand me downs and what not. that is one thing, but that is not what the original article is talking about.
They are suggesting that, people hate Win8 so much they would rather run XP.
I say, be weary of those that suggest such a thing.

What are your suggestions for the observations presented by the article?