Libby w Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 With the demise of support for xp what do the followers in this forum think is the best to do. I remember borrowing a friend's laptop with windows 7 & found it far from user friendly, having been with xp since first getting computers. Anyone in the same boat?.... Libby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I may be getting a Win7 hand-me-down soon but apart from that I'm not changing. Partly because my computer isn't up to it, but mostly because it ain't broke so I'm not fixing it. But then I was using Win98 until 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Quist Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 If you don't like Windows 7 - then you will probably hate Windows 8 / 8.1..... I run XP on a very old laptop, Windows 7 on a newer laptop and Windows 8.1 on my desktop.. If you continue using XP for a long time after yesterday - which I also may on the old laptop (simple presentation purposes at courses until the laptop eventually will stop working) - I would only use it for low security tasks and not credit card and bank transactions, etc. - and scan it for malware more frequently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Clemson Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I moved from Windows Vista to Windows 7 Pro two years ago and I am happy with it. It is near enough in look and feel to Windows XP to not feel as though you have undergone a life-changing upheaval. Windows 8, on the other hand, I have found impossible to get to grips with - I just find it utterly uninuitive to use, and most of the ways I once used to get at the workings of the system seem to have disappeared or are difficult to get at. It may be that the service pack for Windows 8 which I believe is reintroducing some of the look and feel of older versions of Windows will help, but I can't comment as I haven't seen it. My intention is to stick with Windows 7 until the bitter end and with this in mind I have bought the full Pro version so that I can install it on any machine I buy in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 W7 pro since it came out, much prefer it to XP. I think all versions of 7 have the emulator to run older XP software. Vista is not great and W8...well just don't go there unless your whole computer life is tablet based. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zigzagmtart Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Windows 7 is not a huge change from xp, fairly small learning curve. And though xp was very good and stable win 7 is much better. Win 8 on the other hand is simply awful from a user interface standpoint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I was running XP until December on my desktop and loved it. Have a laptop with 7 but don't like it. From what I have seen/heard I know that 8 would not be for me. Bought an iMac running Mavericks and am very pleased with it. Would not go back to Windows. Looks like my laptop will be replaced before I go off on my travels. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I will remain a happy Windows XP user for awhile longer, at least until I can afford a new desktop. I've been wondering, though, if my currently inability to zoom any images -- mine or anyone else's -- on Alamy (outlined in another thread, "internal server errors") is somehow mysteriously linked to the termination of support for Windows XP. But no one else seems to be having this problem, so I guess the cause of this oddity lies elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dov makabaw Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I use an iMac. Always works, never crashes, virus free, updates automatically for free. Soooo boring having a problem free computer, guess I must spend my time on my pics. dov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 This is a thread about upgrading your OS, not changing your computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Clemson Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 This is a thread about upgrading your OS, not changing your computer. No - I think the post about the Mac is a legitimate suggestion in the context of the OP's needs. I would suggest Linux as another possibility. The only problem is Linux, though cheap, is too user-unfriendly for someone who is fazed by Windows 7. On the other hand, the Mac is eminently usable but, IMO, overpriced. It's certainly too expensive for my pocket. Windows 7 is probably the best solution for the OP but all options should be on the table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Fair enough if she has £1000 to spare for an overpriced Mac rather than £100 for an upgrade or £0 for a livewithit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrioticAlien Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Why dont you guy and girls start using vmware, to run windows xp. When and if you upgrade/ change to new o.s. then that way you get both protection and can still use xp or any o.s. you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Upgraded to 7 when I bought a new box some months ago, the only problem I have had in the transition has been the transferring of old e-mail records from Outlook. Still not worked that one out, but not losing any sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nacke Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Running 7 Pro 64bit and XP on an old laptop, that I use just for scanning. 7 is OK, but it took me awhile to get use to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Walker Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I am due to replace my tower. Am I likely to be able have Win7 officially installed as against Win8? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Clemson Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I am due to replace my tower. Am I likely to be able have Win7 officially installed as against Win8? You should find it possible. You may get a blank look if you walk into PCWorld and ask them to supply one. On the other hand I have just checked on two large, well established UK internet retailers I'm familiar with, Scan Computers and DABS Computers, and both offer an on-line service to build a computer to your own configuration from a list of optional components, with Windows 7 as the operating system. I have little doubt there will be others. Any independent computer shops near you could probably do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Clemson Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Following up on the OP more specifically, the need or not to upgrade from XP rests very much on how you are using the system. The ending of support by Microsoft most affects the security of the computer when it is connected to the internet. As the baddies find ever new ways to attack Microsoft based computers, the XP ones will no longer be patched to protect them from such attacks. Indeed, they may be targeted more as they are seen as a weak point. So, you are using the XP computer for all purposes, including web browsing and other on-line activity, you will find it increasingly vulnerable. The more sensitive the use (on-line banking, shopping etc) the greater the risk. On the other hand if the computer is principally used for image editing and is not connected to the internet, there is no reason to change from XP - as long as that system meets your needs and supports the peripherals (printers etc) you want to connect to it. For most people, the way a computer is used nowadays mean that connecting to the internet is pretty well inevitable - at the very least you need to upload your images to Alamy. This is why I think the best way forward is to grit one's teeth and go for Windows 7. In some cases it may be possible to upgrade an existing computer to run Windows 7, but if the computer is of a vintage where it came originally with XP installed, it may not have the computing power to run the new operating system effectively. In this case it is probably time to look for a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I am due to replace my tower. Am I likely to be able have Win7 officially installed as against Win8? Microsoft had October 2014 as the cut off date for manufacturers to stop producing/selling W7 OS computers - the usual one year, IIRC, after new OS. However, AFAIK, that date was retracted so I suspect it may be around for a lot longer even in large PC builders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7horses Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 When continuing using windows xp it is best to install firefox or chrome to browse the internet since support is still given there. "Google Chrome will continue supporting Windows XP until at least April 2015" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Tucker Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Yep, Windows 7 I find a great OS having moved up from XP some years ago, Windows 8 seems like it was made for ToysRUs, It is probably fine on touchscreen devices like tablets but is awful on PC's and laptops, it seems like MS have abandoned PC users and I wll stick with 7 for as long as possible or until they introduce a better OS than 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Libby w Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 Thank you all for your replies, interested in the posting about "vmware" to run xp. Not sure what you mean as I'm still niave on computers, fine with Photoshop & what I need to know. Libby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Chapman Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I found the migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 pretty straightforward. I think Windows 7 is a really good stable OS and it's not that different to XP. I found all my old programs still ran on Windows 7. The only problem I had was my old Canon flatbed scanner wasn't supported. So had to install VueScan. I've tried Windows 8 but didn't like it at all. It seems to try to combine two user interfaces (mobile phone/tablet and PC) into one and just ends up with a confusing mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyCh Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 You also have to bear in mind the support from anti-virus vendors for Windows XP if you decide to stick to it, as well as the issues already outlined above. McAfee make it clear that they will only support it in their products whilst it reasonably practical to do so. There are some good cheap Windows 7 systems on eBay using refurbished systems from around £100-£150 (eg http://r.ebay.com/4KvY7h). Upgrading to Windows 7 is a no brainer, its not too big a jump from XP either. Windows 8.1 has brought some of the features back but alas not the Start button as we knew it. McAfee will continue to support current versions of Enterprise Endpoint Products on Windows XP SP3 beyond April 8, 2014 for a limited time, as long as it is technically and commercially reasonable for McAfee to do so, and there is no external dependency. For example, if a McAfee product requires Microsoft to provide a fix and Microsoft does not provide the fix, then McAfee cannot support the product any longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 You also have to bear in mind the support from anti-virus vendors for Windows XP if you decide to stick to it, as well as the issues already outlined above. McAfee make it clear that they will only support it in their products whilst it reasonably practical to do so. There are some good cheap Windows 7 systems on eBay using refurbished systems from around £100-£150 (eg http://r.ebay.com/4KvY7h). Upgrading to Windows 7 is a no brainer, its not too big a jump from XP either. Windows 8.1 has brought some of the features back but alas not the Start button as we knew it. McAfee will continue to support current versions of Enterprise Endpoint Products on Windows XP SP3 beyond April 8, 2014 for a limited time, as long as it is technically and commercially reasonable for McAfee to do so, and there is no external dependency. For example, if a McAfee product requires Microsoft to provide a fix and Microsoft does not provide the fix, then McAfee cannot support the product any longer. It looks as if AVG will continue supporting Windows XP for the time being. http://forums.avg.com/ww-en/avg-forums?sec=thread&act=show&id=234850 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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