Some of you do not need to claim goodbye to Windows XP to any extent further than you desired to retire the Atari. But support ends on April 8: We break down your best upgrade options.
You’ve held out decades, brave Windows XP user. Maybe you joined the XP game in 2007, while you steered away from Windows Vista. Or even you have been using XP for the reason that operating system debuted the entire long ago in 2001, when lots of today’s youngest Microsoft employees weren’t even in highschool.
Security experts have chided your hesitancy to upgrade. Microsoft, that is now tempting XP users with $100 off Windows 8.1 devices, was practically begging you to maneuver along. Your PC takes 10 minutes in addition up. It is dependent upon components which can be outclassed by what’s inside your average smartphone, not to mention the newest PCs. But you’ve remained unmoved by these bells and whistles. Let’s give credit where it’s due: In an age when the most recent, flashiest devices are becoming status symbols, your resistance to new tech is impressive.
[How will Windows XP’s end-of-service deadline affect government IT? Read Windows XP: Feds Brace for End of Support.]
Yes, you are getting by with XP because you’re also using a smartphone or tablet. Otherwise you might still be using your antiquated PC for the majority your computing needs, just as you’ve for years. Maybe you’ve replaced a difficult drive here or there to maintain everything up and running. But so long as your computer still boots, you have been determined to squeeze every drop of life out of it, the alleged benefits of newer, shinier machines be damned. For today’s wired youths, you’re the technology equivalent of walking uphill both ways within the snow, and there’s some virtue in that.
But nothing lasts forever. Whether you’ve delayed upgrade for reasons of principled austerity or financial necessity, your day of reckoning is nearly here. On April 8, Windows XP will officially become an unsupported operating system. Unless you are a big company willing to shell out millions for extended support, Microsoft will not update your XP machines or protect them from new cyberthreats. Wrong or right, love it or not, if you are running XP, it is time to come to a decision.
Based at the reader emails we’ve received in recent weeks, lots of people are approaching this decision with uncertainty: “Do i truly want to upgrade? And in that case, to what?”
The answers are fairly simple. No, you do not have to upgrade, but when you should ask, you most likely should. If you’d like the choice that’s closest to Windows XP, Windows 7 is one of the best bet. In the event you use your XP machine primarily for email and the web, literally any modern replacement device, tablets included, shall be adequate. In the event you also do moderately heavy word processing, anything with a keyboard will suffice, although smaller devices could be more cramped than you’re used to.
Beyond these basic guidelines, let your personal needs, sensibilities, and budget guide you. We’ve broken down the professionals and cons of different upgrade options. Which one will you select? Have you ever already decided? Share your thoughts with us within the Comments section below.
Michael Endler joined InformationWeek as an associate editor in 2012. He previously worked in talent representation within the entertainment industry, as a contract copywriter and photojournalist, and as a teacher. Michael earned a BA in English from Stanford University in 2005 … View Full Bio
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