Windows XP Anyone?

In early April of this year Microsoft will be ceasing to support, the now four generations old operating system, Windows XP.  Given that many consider Windows XP to be the pinnacle of Microsoft’s home computer software, and as a result still run it; this move has been postponed a couple times.  According to Microsoft, the postponing is over!

(Click here for official announcement)

For those of you running Windows XP (and there are still quite a few of you) this means that, simply, you will receive no more upgrades from Microsoft for your system.  On the surface this may not seem like a very big deal to you.  The truth is quite different.  Updates are what keep your systems running properly and securely.  It is what keeps your computer able to interface with new things.  Although seemingly a bit of a pain sometimes, without upgrades regularly your system will cease to run properly.  This will happen quickly!

The solutions are simple:  You can either continue running Windows XP until your machine becomes non-functional, you can upgrade your system by buying a new machine, you can upgrade your current machine, or you can move to a different system all together.

(Click here for a great article on the security risks or running XP unsupported)

Continuing to run Windows XP after it has ceased to be supported is the cheapest and easiest option.  The reality is however that you simply won’t be able to keep it up for long.  Many companies already have ceased to support Windows XP and it won’t be long until your machine becomes at best insecure and buggy, at worst completely non functional.  I do not recommend this!

If you are running Windows XP, you might want to consider purchasing a new machine.  This is the most expensive option.  Also you will be required to learn a new operating system (most machines ship with Windows 8 or 8.1).  This may seem daunting, but really the core of the Microsoft operating system hasn’t changed since 1999.  There will be some stuff in different places and some new features, but really it won’t take you long to figure it out.  With the purchase of a new machine you will also be significantly improving your computing power over your XP machine.  Definitely worth consideration if you have the money.

Upgrading your current system can be a fun project.  It can also be a frustrating nightmare.  Your XP machine will likely not be powerful enough to support modern incarnations of Windows.  This leaves you with little choice but to move away from Microsoft and into the world of Linux.  The up side is that most Linux operating systems are free, they support most hardware right out of the box, you need not worry about malware, and they are very lightweight for the most part and will run on anything.  The downsides are all centered on you having to learn a whole new and very different system.  My first experience with Linux (about 10 years ago now) had me ready to throw my machine through a window (no pun intended).  It takes time and patience to learn new things and if you have the time and the patience I say give it a try.  One thing about Linux is that there is a massive community of Linux people who are very patient and willing to assist you.  Despite my negative first exposure to Linux I learned the system quickly and now enjoy a happy relationship with it.   

In the upcoming future I will be releasing a multi-part introduction and “how to” on moving to Linux.

One of the more popular upgrade options today is to simply move to a different system altogether.  Many users are giving up their desktop and laptop machines in favor of tablets and smartphones (see my blog on selecting a first smartphone here).  This really seems to be the way things are going and really, if you are not really attached to your desktop/laptop it is well worth the consideration. 

You have until the early part of April to make your decision.

See you out there!