Windows XP Support Ends April 8, 2014 - What are you doing?

[movdqa]

My wife uses a Windows XP system and I'm giving her my iMac soon. My kids have laptops with Windows XP but they don't really use them anymore. We have two Windows 7 laptops which we can get by with. My MacBook Pro has two Windows XP licenses, one for Boot Camp and one as a Virtual Machine. I have an XP Virtual Machine on my home desktop that I used to connect to work and I'm working on building an Ubuntu VM to do the same thing (getting the work software to work on it has taken me about two days of effort). I have a laptop at the office that's Windows XP and I'll have to see what I'm going to do with it. The office is going to kick XP systems off the network over time but it runs on an external network - we'll see if that one gets kicked off too.

One thing that annoys me is forking over $100 to Microsoft for an OEM license - it would be easier to do that than set up Ubuntu - but it's the principle of the thing for me.

So what are you doing or what have you already done?

 

[eelhc]

Hackintosh osx86

 

[tennis4]

I will continue to use XP because I don't have the budget for Windows 7/8 licenses. Risk? Inside of the brwoser I use "private session" so I don't keep cookie or its kind when exiting the browser (Firefox). More importantly, I don't visit high risk websites, I don't click on things that I am not sure what it is.

Ubuntu is a great alternative! It is easy to install. The only issue is it doesn't have as many commercial grades software. In my case, I wish it has better scanner software choices. As far as virus, no, it is such a echosystem that virus wouldn't enjoy this environment.

 

[movdqa]

Hackintosh osx86

I think that I'd love Hackintosh but I need to run various things in my workplace and they probably wouldn't appreciate a bootleg OS on their network. I'm running Snow Leopard (another unsupported OS) and just bought an Intel SSD that I'm going to put in my MBP and then upgrade to Mavericks.

 

[Forehand Of Doom]

So, in April, will all XP computers suddenly stop working?

I use Ubuntu, and have XP running on a VirtualBox virtual machine when I need it. It works great.

 

[r2473]

So, in April, will all XP computers suddenly stop working?

Yes, if they haven't already

 

[Forehand Of Doom]

Yes, if they haven't already

Actually, when you think of it XP was a good OS (security faults aside). What is it, 12 years now?

From what I hear Windows 7 is not bad either (at least not Vista bad). How Vista made it out of the door is baffling. What a steaming piece of %*$#

 

[zapvor]

i just went to mint and its awesome

 

[movdqa]

So, in April, will all XP computers suddenly stop working?

I use Ubuntu, and have XP running on a VirtualBox virtual machine when I need it. It works great.

No, XP will keep working. Microsoft just won't provide any future support updates.

 

[Forehand Of Doom]

No, XP will keep working. Microsoft just won't provide any future support updates.

Yeah, I was just being facetious.

I suppose the main issue is Security Updates.

I seriously recommend taking a look at the solution I use.

Advantages: Total security of your main (Ubuntu) system, and you can revert the Windows virtual machine to any given state in time, if things go bad. The only issue is that you would want to keep confidential data (any personal stuff such as credit cards, bank accounts, etc) out of reach of the Windows virtual machine.

Also, you can have multiple snapshots, which can come in handy (by snapshot I mean the full state of the Windows virtual machine, meaning data, programs, etc).

Ubuntu is better than Windows security-wise, and it is very compatible and easy to use nowadays.

Disadvantages: It might seem like a complicated setup for someone who is not familiar with Linux and virtual machines, but it really isn't.

Also, you need to remember to keep personal data out of reach of the Windows virtual machine, because for all intents and purposes you should consider it a security hazzard from the point that Microsoft ceases supporting it.


What is the solution?
1. Install Ubuntu. You can use a Live CD (download and burn one) or a Live USB drive to preview it first, without installing anything on your computer's hard drive.
2. Within Ubuntu, install Virtual Box (this is free software from Oracle). What this does basically is provide a virtual mechanism to install other OS systems inside Ubuntu, so that you can run Windows on a window as you would run any other program.

If you have any questions I'd be happy to help you, let me know.

I've been running this type of setup for many years, and it's quite flawless for me. I can switch between Windows full screen to the regular Ubuntu full screen with the touch of a button, which tends to convince people that I am performing some type of sorcery.


Alternative solution would be to use Windows 7 I suppose, or Windows 8. Skip Vista at all costs.

Oh, and Ubuntu is free.

 

[mikeler]

Actually, when you think of it XP was a good OS (security faults aside). What is it, 12 years now?

From what I hear Windows 7 is not bad either (at least not Vista bad). How Vista made it out of the door is baffling. What a steaming piece of %*$#

XP = good
Vista = bad
Win7 = very good
Win8 = very bad

 

[movdqa]

Windows 8 is actually quite good.


Except for the user interface.
The backend improvements are very nice.

I'm going to do some Ubuntu with Wine experiments this week. I'm not a fan of Unity and prefer Gnome.

 

[Lukhas]

Already switched to Se7en for about two years. XP is cool and all, but it's a decade old. My sister got a laptop with Win8, so I tried it a bit... Let's say that I'll be waiting for Win9 next year or so. :lol: Yes, Windows OS are released every 2 or 3 years. I like playing, so a non Micro$oft OS is a bit of a no-no.

 

[mikeler]

Windows 8 is actually quite good.


Except for the user interface.
The backend improvements are very nice.

I'm going to do some Ubuntu with Wine experiments this week. I'm not a fan of Unity and prefer Gnome.

Who cares about the user interface besides all the users anyways!

 

[movdqa]

Everything running faster and additional features are nice.

It's pretty easy to get the UI back to Windows 7 if you have a little technical skill.

 

[PaulFCB]

I stopped using XP in 2008.

Actually, I used the XP ~3 years between 2005 and 2008 because till then I used Windows 98 Second Edition.
Hated it.

 

[mikeler]

Everything running faster and additional features are nice.

It's pretty easy to get the UI back to Windows 7 if you have a little technical skill.

I have the technical skill but I just like my Mac better.

 

[dennis10is]

I've ordered Obama and Putin to launch full nuclear strikes on their homeland. We will fight the MS hegemony, nuclear strike danger close.

 

[dunlop_fort_knox]

save up for windows 7. it's good.

 

[hrstrat57]

My computer guy is building me a new window 7s machine using as many of my old parts as possible.

Sucks cause the current computer was bang on perfect.....Pentium processor would not run 7

My laptop is a beefed up macbook....2009. bumped to 8 RAM and 320 HD with Mavericks OS.

 

[movdqa]

I have Ubuntu working in my work environment from my home desktop and my laptop. It took about 16 hours of effort but now I have Ubuntu with Gnome (can't stand Unity) connecting to work via anyconnect and using tarentella to connect to my development server. It is so sweet not having to shell out for Windows licenses.