So what do I do now? Old cast off computer from work that is just fine for me to diddle around on has Windows XP. Am I pretty much screwed? Maybe Obama can sign an Executive order tonight and force Microsoft to keep supporting it. The news tonight said more than 80% of all businesses and ATMs still use it. It's for national security.
Just install good anti-virus software, like Avast and don't worry about it.
ATMs don't normally use the consumer version of XP, for starters. They use another version (usually embedded) that has a completely different vulnerability profile.
Most AV vendors will still support XP for a while longer, but that doesn't help with any kind of security hole that would be fixed in later versions. The AV software will not be able to patch it so despite having up to date AV, you're vulnerable.
If you're not doing anything important on the computer - like, no banking or investing, no email that would be connected to either - and all you're doing is visiting GRM, watch p0rn and play games, you can probably get away with keeping XP running.
Otherwise, you might want to consider throwing a penguin at the computer or get a newer version of Windows. Seriously.
I have a couple of old laptops that were delivered with XP and they're running Win7 fine, so that shouldn't be a reason not to upgrade.
Bite the bullet, go to Win7, or if you mainly use it for web browsing and don't have any specialized apps, go to Ubuntu or other flavor of free Linux.
Back in a former life I worked on ATM's and at the time Diebold (one of the big makers of the ATM) ran custom IBM software on OS2 believe it or not. That doesn't change that they may have gone to XP in the intervening years. 
Has MS announced end of life for Win7? I would be surprised if they didn't E36 M3can it in a couple years and force migration to 8.
t25torx wrote: if you mainly use it for web browsing and don't have any specialized apps, go to Ubuntu or other flavor of free Linux.
This
Just FYI, BestBuy is offering a $100 credit through 4/19 if you trade in an XP laptop towards the purchase of a new computer. I brought in a 12 year old Dell and they took it, no problems. Just has to be running/functional at trade in. Got a Toshiba with an i3, 6GB RAM, and a 750 GB HD for $305 out the door after the credit. Might be helpful to people that were on the fence about upgrading (like me).
Like others said, go to a Linux-based OS or just keep using XP till the machine stops working. Just means you won't get updates and might have issues with running new programs. I've run obsolete OS just because I couldn't afford the upgrade or a new machine that could run more current software.
When Best Buy offers that trade-in for Vista laptops I have an old one that works but too slow to do anything with along with all the Vista bugs.
I predict a rise in aggressive anti-virus ads and a spike in the number of botnets.
Spent this week setting my dad up on his new iMac. He feels betrayed by Microsoft.
I've been dealing with the same thing this week. I bought a Toshiba with XP back in 2005. I've bought several new laptops since them for various members of the family, including myself, but I keep going back to my old, slow, beloved Toshiba.
Today was a sad day for me.
Dr. Hess wrote: Just install good anti-virus software, like Avast and don't worry about it.
Yea, that. All this "non-supported" means is that Microsoft will no longer make patches. At this point, there's really isn't any need. They aren't disabling XP.
Win7 is the perfect evolution of XP. I went to it a couple of years ago with no issues.
1988RedT2 wrote: Has MS announced end of life for Win7? I would be surprised if they didn't E36 M3can it in a couple years and force migration to 8.
I doubt it. XP was released in 2001 and they are just now stopping support.
1988RedT2 wrote: Has MS announced end of life for Win7? I would be surprised if they didn't E36 M3can it in a couple years and force migration to 8.
Yes they have. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle
They have even announced when the eol is for windows 8.
mad_machine wrote: Win7 is the perfect evolution of XP. I went to it a couple of years ago with no issues.
I ran the Microsoft Window 7 system check last night and it looks like the computer will need a lot more updating than my limited skills can handle. The wife and I are having dinner tonight with one of our friends who is the IT person for one of the local schools. She may can help.
My new office computer just came in today, gotta change it out soon.
I went to Mac a few years back, so XP is the last Windows OS that I actually understand. Attempts at using the latest debacle have proved futile. So when XP dies, the PC is officially dead to me. Sad really, we had a lot of good years together back in the day.
1988RedT2 wrote: Has MS announced end of life for Win7? I would be surprised if they didn't E36 M3can it in a couple years and force migration to 8.
that will happen … but they did extend the support of XP long after the original stop support date … extended the support cut off several times
Keith Tanner wrote: I predict a rise in aggressive anti-virus ads and a spike in the number of botnets. Spent this week setting my dad up on his new iMac. He feels betrayed by Microsoft.
same thing will happen with the Mac … (disclaimer: I have used Mac OS X for ~ 10 yrs now … started with Tiger)
had to buy a new MacMini this past yr because Tiger had been upgraded as much as it could be and some of the things wouldn't run anymore (iTunes for one)
I do not understand why people are so desperate to hold onto a rather ancient operating system. Really I just do not get it. I deal with these people every flipping day at work. Hell some of them spend so much for us to keep their old crappy computer alive just so they can keep using XP that they could easily buy a new computer with 7 on it and yes we sell computers with 7 still. The hardware for these dinosaur computers is crap yet costs more than the modern stuff because their are so many people trying to keep 10+ year old computers alive. I have news for you after 5 years your hardware is so out of date you should just expect to buy a new computer as your old one will not be able to handle the new software and tech that comes out. Then you call someone like me and bitch that things aren't working or your computer is slow then I tell you that you are idiot for trying to do something on a relic machine that was never designed to do it. He'll there is software out right now that will not run properly on more than half the machines on the market today because they don't meet specs yet you want to install it on a 5or 10 year old dinosaur? Makes perfect sense.
Also do people get mad at Ford or Chevy because they don't support vehicles they made 30 or 40 years ago? When did it become the norm that a company is expected to continue support for products that have been replaced multiple times over?
Guess you don't understand old cars either. 
foxtrapper wrote: Guess you don't understand old cars either.
I don't expect the manufacture to still support my old cars. Heck I don't even expect to go to a dealer and them to have parts for it. When I need parts I go to the aftermarket or scrounge from the junk yard. I don't expect to be able to call them up and have them help walk me through some problem.
If I choose to have an old car I also expect to be the one keeping it on the road not the manufacture.
For me, I don't see that hardware as really being that out of date for 90% of what I do with a PC anymore. Hell most of the games I used to play don't even work any better on newer hardware, let alone working with a newer OS. IF I were doing hardcore video editing or cad work, etc. then that would be a different situation. Even then Winbloze isn't the only game in town.
Also, the fact that I'm now at a personal crossroads on OS. My work laptop is Win7 and it will be replaced fairly soon as part of the standard lifecycle refresh and will be Win8. I'm not looking forward to it, not like I did when I first played with the demo of Chicago back in the day or even Windows 7.
Personally, I'm just sick and tired of replacing perfectly good hardware or paying way too much for a "new" PC just because Micro$haft has to get their cut on every PC sold, no matter the OS. So I'm looking into Linux distros and looking at some online classes offered by my company to start the transition for myself.
I'll update a few of the Home Theatre PC's around here to Linux because they are essentially dumb terminals and I could almost get away with a locked bootable DVD solution since they mostly just stream online and server-based content.
Once I'm comfortable with 'ix I'll start moving the in-laws to it or a Mac and away from Micro$shaft because they've E36 M3 the bed too often to be ignored anymore and with more and more of our daily PC tasks being performed in the cloud via an App or website, the OS is becoming less and less important other than it needs to be easy to use, secure and supported, so why pay for it and still have an unreliable POS that has security vulnerabilities built into that because Micro$shaft doesn't want to fix it properly?
I think you'd be surprised at how many old car parts you actually can get from a dealer.
Which is actually beside the point of your rant against people running old things when new things are better.
Sometimes people like something. Be it an old car, an old computer, or a particular flavor of ice cream. If that's what a person likes, so be it. It doesn't harm you at all. No reason to get so upset over it.
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