Two More Years: Microsoft Reminds Windows XP Users That It’s About Time To Upgrade

[Chiefcrowe]

http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/09/tw...ed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Techcrunch+(TechCrunch)

 

[VirtualLarry]

XP is actually a really good OS for older PCs. I had the chance to use it recently on a P4-era machine with less than 1GB of RAM. It perrformed basic tasks admirably.

Win7 would choke on a machine of this calibre.

Then again, the the same performance advantage for older machines is also a hinderance for new machines. No way would I put XP on my hex-core machine with 16GB RAM and an SSD.

 

[Barfo]

I wonder if it'll become difficult to run an XP machine after security patches are no more.

 

[Nothinman]

I wonder if it'll become difficult to run an XP machine after security patches are no more.

I don't think the lack of security patches will be an issue, people still choosing XP over Win7 obviously don't really care about security in the first place. But as software progresses it'll be more and more difficult to get it to work on XP, just like it is now with Win2K. Eventually most people will realize that it's not worth the effort to fight the upgrade.

 

[nemesismk2]

I don't think the lack of security patches will be an issue, people still choosing XP over Win7 obviously don't really care about security in the first place. But as software progresses it'll be more and more difficult to get it to work on XP, just like it is now with Win2K. Eventually most people will realize that it's not worth the effort to fight the upgrade.

I would never choose Windows XP over Windows 7 if I didn't already have Windows XP and have been using it since it was released. If security becomes a problem in the future than I can always get something from Linux instead.

 

[Broheim]

at my workplace we have exactly 1 XP machine we wont be upgrading for many years, it's hooked up to a 2d cutter/printer and the software for it simply will not work with anything other than XP no matter what we do.

 

[zokudu]

at my workplace we have exactly 1 XP machine we wont be upgrading for many years, it's hooked up to a 2d cutter/printer and the software for it simply will not work with anything other than XP no matter what we do.

At some point wouldn't it become more cost effective to hire a programmer to make new drivers for such outdated hardware, or just replace the cutter/printer?

 

[Nothinman]

At some point wouldn't it become more cost effective to hire a programmer to make new drivers for such outdated hardware, or just replace the cutter/printer?

Probably not. I was recently asked to look at a problem with a Win95 PC that ran a metal/glass cutter (can't remember which or if they had both) and was built into the unit. The local IT person said the cost of replacing them was upwards of $20K each and they had 3. Obviously I never saw everything that came with the devices, but I'm sure it didn't include developer resources so in order to upgrade the Win95 machines they would have to void their warranty and reverse engineer the protocol used by the PC to control the cutter, not exactly a great option for a device on which your business is dependent.

I would never choose Windows XP over Windows 7 if I didn't already have Windows XP and have been using it since it was released. If security becomes a problem in the future than I can always get something from Linux instead.

Security already is a problem with XP compared to Vista and Win7, it just might not be so blatantly obvious because you haven't run into any specific issues yet. And lots of people say they'll move to Linux after they're done with their current version of Windows, but very few actually follow through. It usually ends up being simpler for them to bite the bullet and stick with Windows because it's within their comfort zone.

 

[corkyg]

Not a problem. I have three Win 7 systems now, and when the day comes - 2 years hence - I'll replace the XP machine with a new whatever. Could even be a iPad.

 

[Broheim]

At some point wouldn't it become more cost effective to hire a programmer to make new drivers for such outdated hardware, or just replace the cutter/printer?

the thing is huge and absurdly expensive, so replacing it is a quite a few years down the road.

the real problem is that there's only one guy in Denmark who distributes and supports these machines and he's kind of a pain to work with I'm told, they've been trying to find someone in northern germany instead but so far no luck. getting a thirdparty (or myself, I study computer science and work part time in the IT department) to write new software isn't really an option either because it would be too expensive/time consuming to reverse engineer the drivers and then write new ones and test them for it to be worth it.

the thing cuts/prints like a champ, but it's just a little annoying that we have one machine that's locked to XP when we work very hard to keep the rest of the fleet up to date and homogeneous.

 

[ViRGE]

Probably not. I was recently asked to look at a problem with a Win95 PC that ran a metal/glass cutter (can't remember which or if they had both) and was built into the unit. The local IT person said the cost of replacing them was upwards of $20K each and they had 3. Obviously I never saw everything that came with the devices, but I'm sure it didn't include developer resources so in order to upgrade the Win95 machines they would have to void their warranty and reverse engineer the protocol used by the PC to control the cutter, not exactly a great option for a device on which your business is dependent.

For something like that there's really no issue running XP past 2014 as long as you aren't on a network. The immediate problem XP is going to face after retirement are security vulnerabilities that are discovered and go unpatched. So long as XP machines are stand-alone devices that aren't exchanging data with other machines, they aren't going to be facing any significant security threat.

 

[Kathi201]

I am still the user of XP and its work awesome like new upgraded window.
Thanks

 

[Nothinman]

For something like that there's really no issue running XP past 2014 as long as you aren't on a network. The immediate problem XP is going to face after retirement are security vulnerabilities that are discovered and go unpatched. So long as XP machines are stand-alone devices that aren't exchanging data with other machines, they aren't going to be facing any significant security threat.

These Win95 machines were most certainly on the network, they got their stencils from a CIFS share.

 

[Modelworks]

For something like that there's really no issue running XP past 2014 as long as you aren't on a network. The immediate problem XP is going to face after retirement are security vulnerabilities that are discovered and go unpatched. So long as XP machines are stand-alone devices that aren't exchanging data with other machines, they aren't going to be facing any significant security threat.

Very true. People tend to think that because support is dropped for an OS that nobody will continue to use it. There are thousands of computers that will continue to run xp 10 years from now because as long as that pc is performing the tasks it needs to perform and the hardware or applications don't change their is no need to change it.

I still see pc running NT4 because they are dedicated to a specific test, in this case lab test equipment, and nothing more is needed.

 

[nemesismk2]

Very true. People tend to think that because support is dropped for an OS that nobody will continue to use it. There are thousands of computers that will continue to run xp 10 years from now because as long as that pc is performing the tasks it needs to perform and the hardware or applications don't change their is no need to change it.

I still see pc running NT4 because they are dedicated to a specific test, in this case lab test equipment, and nothing more is needed.

I agree 100% because I still see people using Windows 3.xx which I didn't even know had internet access lol. Most of the older Windows users are using Windows 2000 or 98 though.

 

[Genx87]

At some point wouldn't it become more cost effective to hire a programmer to make new drivers for such outdated hardware, or just replace the cutter/printer?

Sadly not. These one offs are real killers in the IT world. Having to support an old machine because the software somebody picked eons ago will never be upgraded.

 

[ViRGE]

These Win95 machines were most certainly on the network, they got their stencils from a CIFS share.

That just makes me sad.

 

[nemesismk2]

Sadly not. These one offs are real killers in the IT world. Having to support an old machine because the software somebody picked eons ago will never be upgraded.

Come back in 2050 and I will probably still be using Windows XP trying to get some old Atari ST games running on Steem.