I’m a loyal person, to my friends and to my things. I keep my car until it dies. I still have my first interview suit out of college (and can still wear it). So when my six-year-old computer went on the blink last month, I didn’t want to change the operating system. Good thing I did.
The Windows XP operating system is twelve years old. Although it is the second most-used after Windows 7, Microsoft is discontinuing updates and tech support.
Although the OS has been popular, it hasn’t been good for Microsoft. Its popularity made consumers stay away from new releases. Windows XP was good enough for most users as it did away with the traditional MS-DOS prompt commands and followed Apple’s visual interface. It also improved support for USB devices, enhanced security and simplified multimedia setup. It could also run most software. Consumers saw no need to upgrade.
However, change was needed as Windows XP was also used in other machines, not just laptops or desktops. Ninety-five percent of U.S. ATMs still use it. But last year, hackers in Europe exploited a security vulnerability in XP with an infected flash drive. Banks’ ATMs must be upgraded by April, 2014 or risk new attacks. Even the U.S. Department of Health uses it, and is negotiating with Microsoft for an extension beyond the April deadline. These upgrades will help Microsoft’s bottom line.
But consumers may still have a slow rate of adoption of Windows 8, considered a clumsy mash-up of desktop and tablet interfaces. If you do stick with XP, don’t expect any help from Microsoft if you have problems.
However, Windows 7 is still available. I decided to stick to what I know. Most of the time I like to stick to what I know, and learning to navigate the new OS 8 was too cumbersome.