Dick Axtell
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 09:54 AM |
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Windows XP Support Expiry!!
Have just seen warning note, with Windows XP Pro almost slowing to halt. Message reads "Microsoft support for Windows XP ceases on April
8th."
This thread also refers -http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=186499
Anyone had experience using later versions of Windows? Have used Vista on the laptop, but its not legacy-compatible, i.e. older MS stuff (e.g. Office
2003) won't work with Vista. What Windows version is recommended?
Work-in-Progress: Changed to Zetec + T9. Still trying!!
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Agriv8
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 10:29 AM |
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Window 7 or 8 and upgrade MS office or move to open office as it will do most things MS Office will.
ATB Agriv8
Taller than your average Guy !
Management is like a tree of monkeys. - Those at the top look down and see a tree full of smiling faces. BUT Those at the bottom look up and see a
tree full of a*seholes .............
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SteveWalker
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 10:29 AM |
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Office 2003 does work on Windows 7. I'm also running parts of it (Access and Visio) that do not come as part of Office 2007 Home and Student
version, on Windows 8.1
Windows 7 is a whole lot better than Vista.
Windows 8 is ... Odd ... but with the addition of Classic Start Menu (free) can be used just like 7 or XP and of course will be supported for a long
time.
Both 7 and 8 run well on machines that are not cutting edge (One of my machines is running on a now slightly aging Intel Q6600 that struggled badly
with Vista).
If you download the compatability checker from Microsoft, you can check the compatibility of both your hardware and software in advance of any
purchase.
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Dick Axtell
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 11:25 AM |
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Thanks to both of you. Interesting replies - but no votes for Linux this time round?
Will pursue the Windows options suggested.
Work-in-Progress: Changed to Zetec + T9. Still trying!!
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 11:51 AM |
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Does anyone know the lowest price source for genuine copy of Windows 8? (apart from the dodgy activation keys being sold for £25 on eBay...)
I bought mine for £15 back when Microsoft had a special offer and I've been running it for quite a while with no significant issues (using the
Start8 add on to bring the Start menu back), but my parents both have laptops running XP that I'll be upgrading soon.
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onenastyviper
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 12:01 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Dick Axtell
Thanks to both of you. Interesting replies - but no votes for Linux this time round?
Will pursue the Windows options suggested.
Just to be different: +1 for Linux
I would ask, given the differences with the newer Windows versions - is it that much of a step to use Linux?
(- Assuming that it supports everything that you want to use it for)
Also, it tends to work better on hardware which is not absolute-bleeding-edge brand new.
"If I knew what I was doing then it wouldn't be called research would it?...duh!"
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Agriv8
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 12:44 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
Does anyone know the lowest price source for genuine copy of Windows 8? (apart from the dodgy activation keys being sold for £25 on eBay...)
I bought mine for £15 back when Microsoft had a special offer and I've been running it for quite a while with no significant issues (using the
Start8 add on to bring the Start menu back), but my parents both have laptops running XP that I'll be upgrading soon.
http://www.cclonline.com/category/414/PC-Components/Software/Operating-Systems/
for £70
ATB agriv8
Taller than your average Guy !
Management is like a tree of monkeys. - Those at the top look down and see a tree full of smiling faces. BUT Those at the bottom look up and see a
tree full of a*seholes .............
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loggyboy
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 12:52 PM |
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Just because they are ending support doesnt mean you cant use it any more.
I dont plan on changing to a new version till I absoutely have to. Which may be soon as I beleive the latest autocad will need windows 7 and above.
Mistral Motorsport
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britishtrident
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 01:16 PM |
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Don't panic Xp will just go on working a lot of big companies still have PCs running Xp and MS is trying to to pressure them into
upgrading.
Microsoft support for XP Windows security essentials continues until mid July 2015 and it wouldn't surprise me if the deadline is extended
for 6 months beyond that.
As operating systems and PCs get longer in the tooth they take longer to fix and cause problems when installing new software and hardware, so
eventually you will have to bite the bullet.
If you want to stay with XP for as long as posible just make sure your security is up to date.
As for Linux it takes less time to install a complete Linux Mint operating system complete with all the programs you are likely to ever need than it
takes just to upgrade MSOffice.
Windows 7 was fine 8.1 is fine Windows 8 just needs Classic shell installed to make it usable.
OpenOffice is very good but the most of developers left the project to start LibreOffice which is a direct fork of OpenOffice. Although
very similar since the fork LibreOffice is getting more active development effort than OpenOffice.
Anybody who has used older versions of Microsoft Word or or Excel will feel at home very quickly with OpenOffice or LibreOffice.
Both software suites are free in Microsoft and Linux versions, most Linux Distributions install one or the other automatically with the operating
system.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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coyoteboy
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 01:38 PM |
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Keep XP if you don't need support (does anyone?) You'll just not get security patches.
Switch to Linux if you don't need absolute 100% compatibility with things like office documents (open office and the like are close but not
perfectly compatible).
Buy Windows 7 if you want a nice drop in replacement but a machine running XP may struggle with 7.
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Agriv8
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 01:50 PM |
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One warning if you use your XP machine for sensative online transactions amazon / banking / Ebay the IT press are prediticting that they are likley to
'Singled' out by the underworld trying to exploit the unpached OS and using this to capture logon other sensative credentials.
Strong passwords and a leading virus scan engine will limit the risks. I just pointing out that sticking with XP is not risk Free and you are going
have to go throught the pain of jumping to a new OS sooner or Later.
ATB Agriv8
Taller than your average Guy !
Management is like a tree of monkeys. - Those at the top look down and see a tree full of smiling faces. BUT Those at the bottom look up and see a
tree full of a*seholes .............
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Not Anumber
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 02:34 PM |
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The term' ending support' is intended to strike fear into the hearts and minds of corporate IT Managers to force them into buying Windows
8.1
In reality Microsoft has been waging a war of attrition against XP users for some while now - evidenced by the sheer number of updates and patches
(with their numerous obligatory restarts) that are now required when anyone attempts to install Win XP from scratch.
One of the most blatant broadsides was their disabling the built in Windows Update feature: those who could be bothered will have navigated
Microsoft's website to find and manually install it's replacement. Clearly it was felt this would put off a lot of users.
Linux is well worth exploring, a free and very useable operating system that usually comes bundled with a free and very useable office suite. For
those worried about robustness It has to be said that Linux is used to run a large number of data centres and commercial web servers arround the globe
and is used extensively on the desktop by much of the US public sector.
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 13/3/14 at 05:12 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Not Anumber
The term' ending support' is intended to strike fear into the hearts and minds of corporate IT Managers to force them into buying Windows
8.1
In reality Microsoft has been waging a war of attrition against XP users for some while now - evidenced by the sheer number of updates and patches
(with their numerous obligatory restarts) that are now required when anyone attempts to install Win XP from scratch.
It's not only the vast number of patches; the last two times I've installed XP I couldn't even use Windows Update until I'd
jumped through a ridiculous number of hoops. Allegedly this was a bug that Microsoft were in the process of fixing, though it wouldn't surprise
me if it was deliberately introduced.
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Dick Axtell
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| posted on 14/4/14 at 10:03 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by SteveWalker
Office 2003 does work on Windows 7. ........Windows 7 is a whole lot better than Vista.
Really?? When I tried to load Office 2003 onto wife's laptop, running Vista, very definitely came up as incompatible. Still struggling to
transfer existing Applications over to Win7 mode.
Work-in-Progress: Changed to Zetec + T9. Still trying!!
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jeffw
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| posted on 14/4/14 at 10:20 AM |
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Windows 7 works with most, if not all, XP programs. You can set it to run in XP mode when the program starts if you need to (as you can in 8.1)
Windows 8.1 now detects if you have a touch screen on startup and will go to the Modern UI if you have and the the normal Windows 7 Desktop if you
don't. You can switch between modes if you need to. This means Windows 8.1 on a non-touchscreen setup looks and feels like a
'super' Windows 7 now.
If you have XP then Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 is a whole heap better.
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