Don't give in to Microsoft. There are alternatives

davetrousers

I've already put Linux Mint on one of our netbooks. Will be upgrading my XP desktop to Mint this weekend.

Heedtheadvice

Just a passing comment or two...

I fully agree with Uxb. Linux is a very powerful and has lots of benefits over other Operating Systems apart from cost.

However it is not something for Mr or Mrs average, especially those who have learned Microsoft user interfaces, even though some have changed a bit over the years. It's like learning another language - not beyond many people - and involves techie speak - so not for many of us either. Posters here will confuse many average readers by speaking about dual boot, grub, etc. etc. especially the technophobes

Helpful intentions but sometimes misplaced.

As far as major updates and demise is concerned [XP and Office 2003 included here] organisations often develop tasks based around the capabilities of their existing systems. Newer versions, whilst possibly having benefits, are often not fully backwards compatible. This causes forced redevelopment work and associated costs and sometime this takes a considerable time whilst other things have priority- the main reason, I think various governments are paying for still continued support as the easiest and cheapest option in the short term.

I can understand the commercial pressures on companies to sell their new systems to keep a profit. If not they would go under. Perhaps this should be done on the basis of genuine improvement rather than gimmicks (such as user interface changes) probably at the expense of compatibility!

Chimpofdoom

Well as an alternative view to what linux distro would be best for someone new to the world of open source...

Linux Mint!

Namely due to the fact that it looks like windows and comes with most of the multimedia support built in (unless ubuntu has changed and now comes with those as default?)

But at the end of the day, both are free, so no harm in trying either, all comes down to personal preference!

jaydeeuk1

No one is 'forcing' users to upgrade to IE. In the same way car manufacturers are not 'forcing' customers to buy new cars when their warranty runs out, which is essentially what has happened. If you want a fix, you either need to pay and upgrade, or go free.

How many other companies do you know that still offered support and updates on products to consumers after 14 years? Can probably use my fingers to list them.


I'm fully techie minded, and linux in every flavour is still years behind microsoft in terms of usability and suitability for mainstream adoption. I think the fact there are so many different versions and that it is based on open source is what has hurt it. Android works because one company stuck a load of money in to it, but even then look at the fragmentation and the user experience can be completely different on two similar devices.

Like it or not, windows in one form or another will still be the main OS for many decades to come.

GunJack

I'm with jaydee on this one..... I'd advise anyone to go Win7 until 2020 and then see what W9, W10 or whatever is like by then....

Win8? forget it :rotfl:

pepdavies

I found Linux mint really easy to use when I had a PC. Now I have a Chromebook that does everything I want except connect to our printer. We all had to learn windows when it came out so I can't see any reason to be scared of Linux or chrome os.

Gratis

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Try upgrading a pre-Intel Apple box to the current release of IOS.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend trying to install any release of iOS on to an "Apple box" – Intel or otherwise. it's an operating system for Apple's mobile 'phones and tablets.

Even if achieved, it would be a major downgrade, not an "upgrade", to whatever's on it already.

:cool:

cookie365

Linux is only free if your time and patience has no value

As for Apple stuff 'just working' - only if you want it to do a very limited set of things that Apple deems appropriate. Anything beyond that and it 'just doesn't work'.

kwikbreaks

Gratis wrote: »

Personally, I wouldn't recommend trying to install any release of iOS on to an "Apple box" – Intel or otherwise. it's an operating system for Apple's mobile 'phones and tablets.

Apologies for getting the name of the Apple opsys wrong - I cba to look up what I should have named it. It still doesn't alter the fact that they ditched support for old hardware let alone an old software release. Time moves on and you can't expect any manufacturer to support stuff they last sold over a decade ago.

prowla

Alternatives to XP...

Ubuntu Linux

Ubuntu is a perfectly viable OS, and unless you need 100% Microsoft Office compatibility in documents and actions (ie. each menu option) then OpenOffice/LibreOffice will be fine.

You can get a "live" DVD of Ubuntu, which will allow you to run it from there without installing. These live discs can be a bit slow though.

Apple Mac

I've just switched to a Mac as my main system, and it took a couple of "why did they do it that way?" moments, but now I get it. And of course, the Mac's OS X is much nicer and has a more quality feel than any Microsoft Windows.

It's also worth noting that going from Windows 7 to Mac is easier than from Windows 7 to Windows 8.

And finally, Microsoft Office is available for the Mac. (Indeed, Microsoft Office was first released on the Mac back in the 80s, before Windows even existed!)

The downside of OS X is that, though the OS itself is free, it won't run on your old PC and so you need to buy an Apple Mac. (Let's not get into Hackintoshes here - that is real propeller head stuff!).

Windows 7

Windows 7 is Microsoft's best desktop OS; everything it does is better than the previous versions (Vista, XP, 95, ME, 2000, etc.), and the current release (ie. 8, 8.1).

It is still supported.

Windows 8

I don't "get" Windows 8 at all.Microsoft just plain got it wrong; it's a clumsy mish-mash of a phone front-end onto a desktop system.

Microsoft took out the "Start" menu, and many claim that putting in a 3rd party replacement (eg. Classic Shell) turns Windows 8 back into Windows 7, but that's not the whole story. They did re-introduce some of the Start menu features in 8.1, but kindof missed the point.

Microsoft also took out some eye-candy which I like (ie. the "glass" effect window borders of Windows 7, but curiously left it in for the task bar), and also (mostly) did away with 3-D and texture effects which enhance the user interface, in favour of flat 2-tone styling. You also get strange artifacts of the phone/tablet touch screen interface in your face, including occasional "tap here" dialogs and a "charm" bar which swooshes in from the right in a rather uncharming and garish manner.

There's also the horrendous moves by some vendors to include touch screens on desktop computers, which is extremely bad ergonomics.

Windows XP

Windows XP is not dead, and the decision to discontinue public support is pure marketing.

A number of businesses and governments are continuing to use XP, and are paying Microsoft for extended support. Presumably that extended support includes updates (including security), and to a fairly stringent level, so the only thing is that Microsoft have decided not to make them generally available.

It's also worth noting that Microsoft's end of support doesn't mean that XP will no longer work; one option is to install a 3rd party antivirus product on XP and continuing to use it.

Summary

So, there are three better options than Windows 8 for replacing XP:

1. Windows 7 (costs, but will run most of your XP programs).
2. Ubuntu Linux (free).
3. Apple Mac (needs a Mac to run on).