OT: Windows XP End of Life

[MattPie]

I read something about the Windows XP end of life, and was curious what people here were planning. I'd ask this on my Facebook or Twitter, but frankly Computer geeks and Engineers would be way over-represented in the results. I'd consider SS to be a better representation of the population.

 

Thanks!

[darksabre]

While my desktop has Windows 7 and I don't anticipate upgrading (downgrading?) it to Windows 8, I don't think my little Asus Eeepc is going to be able to handle anything new. But I guess I'm in the market for a new laptop anyway. I'll probably just try to learn Ubuntu and put it on there for fun.

[TrueBlueGED]

No longer have anything using XP. Upgraded to 7 and never looked back.

[26CornerBlitz]

Using Windows 7 Ultimate on a Desktop and Windows 8 Professional on Three Laptops. I haven't used Windows XP since 2010.

[Claude_Verret]

We've got a lab computer here still running XP. However, it's off the network because all the corporate software that is required for the network ended up wreaking havoc with some of our data analysis software. I need to use usb drives to transfer any data generated in the lab to my desk, but it's the only way to get what we need.

[Eleven]

If I vote no to part I, part III has no meaningful choice.

[MattPie]

If I vote no to part I, part III has no meaningful choice.

 

Oops, fixed.

[ROC Sabres]

I support a lab that has about 50 computers still running XP. They are unable to update because of the equipment/software being used on the machines. This was about a year ago that we were testing upgrading to windows 7 but our ISO said only 64bit would be acceptable.

 

After the past year and realizing how many systems would not be able to run 64 bit with the amount of incompatible software, 32 bit was approved. So I've been working on getting a good image together for these computers to hopefully have them upgraded this winter.

[nucci]

No longer have anything using XP. Upgraded to 7 and never looked back.

Same

[rakish]

I don't think choice A, hoping you won't get infected, is a viable plan.

Moving to 7 or 8 would be OK. One thing to check is how much memory and hard drive you have as compared to the requirements or MS 7 and 8

I chose C, I moved to Ubuntu

Choice D, getting rid of it, I think depends on if it's a viable computer, upgrading from XP doesn't really change that

[wjag]

XP... bahahaha

[qwksndmonster]

XP still works beautifully. I have XP and 7 on my old box. I'll use it whenever I want to play certain video games I never want to go through installing and modding again.

 

As far as not getting windows security patches, I have them disabled on most of my computers anyways.

[MattPie]

I don't think choice A, hoping you won't get infected, is a viable plan.

Moving to 7 or 8 would be OK. One thing to check is how much memory and hard drive you have as compared to the requirements or MS 7 and 8

I chose C, I moved to Ubuntu

Choice D, getting rid of it, I think depends on if it's a viable computer, upgrading from XP doesn't really change that

 

Oh, I agree that A is a bad plan (other than the sneaker-net only system mentioned by Claude). But, it's an option that I think many people will take, likely because they don't think it'll happen to them.

 

FWIW, I'll be buying a new laptop for my wife to replace her XP machine. It's old enough that it's starting to have hardware issues (screen and dvd). The old laptop might get Linux'd, or I might not bother. What's the only one I have to worry about, I've been using Ubuntu or Mint for a number of years.

 

For anyone looking to try Linux, Mint is a good option since the interface is similar to XP/7, moreso than Ubuntu's default.

[IKnowPhysics]

We've got a lab computer here still running XP. However, it's off the network because all the corporate software that is required for the network ended up wreaking havoc with some of our data analysis software. I need to use usb drives to transfer any data generated in the lab to my desk, but it's the only way to get what we need.

 

This is exactly how we're operating. Our lab computers use specialized software and hardware to acquire data from instruments and perform analysis. The amount of corporate software required to maintain a network connection is staggering, inclusive of the mandatory updates and restarts that can easily interfere with or make obsolete. USB sticks and hard drives it is.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Yes. For work and personal (3 computers).

 

Yes.

 

Question #3 = PANIC!!

 

Calling all geeks ... HELP!!

[PromoTheRobot]

I have an Asus Eee PC that runs XP, other that the Atom processor getting overwhelmed at times it still works great.

 

I also have a Vista laptop that I stripped out most of the bloat from. Works okay but is rarely used.

 

Then I have 2 more laptops and desktops with W7. All great.

 

Bought the wife a W8 laptop for Xmas. She used it for a day, put it back in the box and returned it.

 

PTR

[MattPie]

I have an Asus Eee PC that runs XP, other that the Atom processor getting overwhelmed at times it still works great.

 

I also have a Vista laptop that I stripped out most of the bloat from. Works okay but is rarely used.

 

Then I have 2 more laptops and desktops with W7. All great.

 

Bought the wife a W8 laptop for Xmas. She used it for a day, put it back in the box and returned it.

 

PTR

 

Ouch. I've been playing with Windows 2012 Server (at work) a bit, and the Windows 8/2012 interface is pretty pants. I broke down and installed Classic Shell, which restores a Windows 7 (or Vista, or XP, or 2000) start menu and other pieces to make it more palatable.

 

http://www.classicshell.net/

 

Still trying to decide on a laptop for the wife. Hasn't really been a priority.

[JJFIVEOH]

Windows 8 and 8.1 is nothing to be scared about. With some minor tweaking it can be set up to run almost exactly like Windows 7. And if you have, or plan to get a computer with a solid state drive you'll see how much faster Windows 8/8.1 really is.

 

I've got an old HP ZD8000 laptop that is used pretty much for just streaming audio hooked up to the stereo that has XP. My other two have 7 or 8.1. Not too concerned about the XP.

[Sabre Dance]

All of my home computers (one desktop, three laptops) run Win 7. I just last week fired up my old XPS tower which still has XP. I'm absolutely stunned at how slow the thing runs. I will be shutting it back down and (probably) putting a fresh install of Win 7 on it, then donating. (Well, unless it runs even slower with 7; then I'll be recycling it).

[elj4176]

All my home machines are linux. At work we have some XP machines that we will be replacing with win7 before end of Q1.

[Peppy22]

I have windows 8 and windows Vista (laptop)

 

While I had my doubts about windows 8 ... i love it

[Doohickie]

We're having to deal with this at work. We actually got an extension for support (yes, it's possible), until all of our systems can be upgraded to Win7. As soon as that's done, we need to do the same to the Windows Server 2003 racks to upgrade them to Server 2012.

 

While I had my doubts about windows 8 ... i love it

 

I have a Windows Phone 8 and really like it. My only complaint really is that some of the most popular apps (including the Sabres) haven't released apps for Windows Phone yet. Windows Phone is about the same marketshare as Blackberry and is growing while BB contracts, so I'm optimistic that WinPhone will get more love going forward. Currently, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 are two different OSs, but I think they'll be unified in coming releases. (Microsoft has already successfully loaded and run WIndows 8 on a Lumia phone.)

[MattPie]

We're having to deal with this at work. We actually got an extension for support (yes, it's possible), until all of our systems can be upgraded to Win7. As soon as that's done, we need to do the same to the Windows Server 2003 racks to upgrade them to Server 2012.

 

 

 

I have a Windows Phone 8 and really like it. My only complaint really is that some of the most popular apps (including the Sabres) haven't released apps for Windows Phone yet. Windows Phone is about the same marketshare as Blackberry and is growing while BB contracts, so I'm optimistic that WinPhone will get more love going forward. Currently, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 are two different OSs, but I think they'll be unified in coming releases. (Microsoft has already successfully loaded and run WIndows 8 on a Lumia phone.)

 

2012: that's brave. :) We're just bumping everything up to 2008 since 2012 is so strange.

 

As for Windows Phone 8, 8 RT (cheap tablets), and 8 (laptops and expensive tablets), Microsoft has lost the plot a bit. While they all look somewhat the same, all three are fairly incompatible as far as apps go. I can see that between Phone and "real" 8 since they do different tasks, but it makes no sense for Windows 8 RT to be incompatible with both Phone and real 8.

[Doohickie]

2012: that's brave. :) We're just bumping everything up to 2008 since 2012 is so strange.

 

2008 was the original plan, but the certification process we go through is so onerous that they decided they didn't want to have to do it again for as long as possible.

[Assquatch]

Support extended until July 2015

 

http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2014/01/15/microsoft-extends-updates-windows-xp-security-products-july-14-2015/

 

Oops edit: support for security products for XP - not the OS.