Microsoft No Longer Supporting XP - Ends April 8, 2014

First topic message reminder :

Microsoft No Longer Supporting XP Ends April 8, 2014

Hi everyone, I've been in contact with Kirk as most of you know is this forums Manager, and we agreed that a topic about Microsoft ending support for Windows XP would be a good idea, so without further ado here it is.

The object of this topic discussion is to make people aware of this issue and to give people a place to post any suggestions or steps to take to prepare for Microsoft's retirement of Windows XP and Internet Explorer 8 April 8, 2014, along with discussing the IE browser and its compatibility issues with the new forumotion text editor just implemented. All thoughts along this line are encouraged and welcomed, and they need not be constructive if you simply want to express your opinions about Internet Explorer or any of the Windows operating systems. This topic is an outlet to be both helpful and to express your opinions.

Microsoft will be ending support for Windows XP on April 8, 2014 after 12 and a half years of supporting it. Microsoft has gone out of their way to extend support on several occasions, but the 2014 deadline looks like the final one. Windows XP was the most widely used operating system until August 2012, when Windows 7 overtook it

Links:
Windows Lifecycle Factsheet:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/products/lifecycle

Wikipedia on Windows XP:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP

Wikipedia on Internet Explorer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Explorer

Additional helpful links:

watch video:

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My thoughts:

Should the forumotion technicians concern themselves with Internet Explorer 8 and older versions, or would they be better off telling everyone to use Firefox or Chrome or any other browser other than IE?

With Firefox and Chrome its always updated no matter what Windows edition you run, and you never have to worry about not having the latest updates or if your windows edition is compatible with the latest browser versions. No matter what windows edition you have you can run the latest version of Firefox or Chrome or any of the other windows compatible browsers out there.

In reverse Internet Explorer is completely different in that you can't run the latest version of IE browser they make unless you have the latest version of Windows, and when they decide to not update your browser or operating system anymore you are left hanging and forced to look elsewhere for an updated browser that keeps up to date with today's coded websites. As made example you can't run IE 9 on Windows XP, its not an option, forget it.

Microsoft is basically saying "you're on your own". Which really is a blessing in disguise because you probably shouldn't be using IE anyway because even the latest versions of IE are a mess and not up to par with Firefox and Chrome, among the others browsers out there.

Ok, I made an opener, your thoughts?

Muddle Manor wrote:lol thanks (I hope)

I remain nervous about Windows 8.  I would compare it more to learning Vista than XP.  (XP was good LOL!)  I'm hoping some of the gross stuff will get patched away.  Far far away.  I'm able to use it, but it doesn't mean I like it.

That's the thing, I'm just waiting for a better OS from Microsoft. I'm sure there are others savvy enough to do the same. Whenever they roll one out, you have to wait for several patches to clear up those first initial bugs that are discovered by many users. I don't think they will accomplish that with Windows 8. What gets me though is this: When you first installed XP, it asks you if the computer is a laptop or a desktop. Then installs the right OS for that computer. Why didn't they do that with Windows 8: Is this a laptop, desktop, or mobile device? Then proceed with the installation with the end result of desktop/laptop computers using the familiar Start Menu/desktop while mobile devices have the pretty oversize tiles??? Is that a big duh or what?

Muddle Manor wrote:Also found my first incompatible program.  The Sims 2.  The program itself doesn't matter.  But the fact that some applications will face a brick wall is troubling.  I cringe to think what other more important programs I may be faced with not being able to use anymore.  Again, hopefully in time that will be corrected.  But who knows.  Sometimes technology just leaves old programs to rot in the dust and we're forced to adapt.  This is exactly why I made sure to buy a brand new machine with XP installed when Vista came out.  I heard about some incompatibility issues and I wanted to be sure I had a machine in new condition to last me as long as possible.  Thank goodness I did that because I still rely on that machine for old, outdated programs I still use.  Now I'll be even more protective of that old computer!

Hasn't that been the case for a long time? People bought all sorts of software to use with that particular OS only to discover that the newer OS rejects it. Of course you need the older OS to continue using those applications. They think the average family household has money to burn so they push you to buy their new software meant to run natively with the new OS. Really? Every 12-24 months? Worse for businesses which may explain why they are replacing those desktop/laptops with tablets instead. Cloud computing has made that possible more than ever and that has led to Microsoft eating crow on top of wiping the eggs from their faces with Windows 8.

It's also why I'm building my own PC with XP Pro SP3. That baby is gonna last a long time!

I'd downgrade from W7 to XP at any time.

One positive thing is that I can still use Virtual Machines for that purpose (if I could get some to work properly, I'd even consider doing that as standard solution).

Just to re-iterate, I didn't have time to be savvy.  LOL!  Current hard drive failing left & right and I had to get something done A.S.A.P. (And not gonna replace the hard drive because the case & keyboard are complete garbage.)

I had my choice of digging deeper & finding a Win7 machine with the specs I needed for my price range (and fast) or opening up my options considerably by allowing the thought of Win8 ... even faster purchase.  I looked into having one built for me (not gonna mess with actually physically building it myself right now  lol) ... and either it was a brand I don't trust, or way out of my price range.  (I'm by no means rich.)  Seemed like every way I turned, I was faced with extremely narrow options until I decided to just let Win8 happen to me.  (I'm positive that's no coincidence haha)  So I decided to go for it.  Time will tell if it was a mistake or not.  I may cuss the layout sometimes, but at least it's functional.  (Besides, the morbid side of me kind of enjoys seeing the mess for myself.)

And yes, programs becoming obsolete has always been an issue.  Some companies put care for their customers above the almighty dollar and continue to provide patches & support.  But others, not so much.  I'm planning to try installing some extremely old programs to see if they still work or not, just out of curiosity.  Unlike "The Sims 2," I won't be surprised if they no longer work.  (You can compare The Sims 2 to Windows XP ... it remains a very popular version of the game, btw.)

@ Muddle Manor, I understand how your need for a new computer was immediate. And I'm glad you found it and take the new system in stride.

For others, they are use to what is working now and, more importantly, are familiar with. XP works. To be specific, XP Pro SP 3 is way better than the Home version. I'm not sure how many are aware that support for XP is coming to an end. The point of this thread is to raise awareness since we have a great many members who still use the system. I think the latest update with all its bug-a-boos has given us an opportunity to accomplish this.

In your case, you found a new computer that meets your budget. For others who can't before that April deadline and going offline is not an option they can afford to do, perhaps the best advice for them is to back up their system on some external source and learn how to reinstall when their comp gets infected/ crashed. There are utilities that do that as well as web services. It's just a question of which one is affordable and easy to use.

And yes, I agree with you about the popularity of Sims. I remember seeing so many of them line the store shelves. I never played them though. Not my thing. But I wonder if the quality of Sims content has deteriorated much like so many popular games have just for quick profits. I tend to buy my games online based on Customer Reviews. For instance, I have Tropico: Mucho Macho edition. It's a great game but the newer versions stink because the original creators sold it. I ended up buying another old related edition called Tropico 2: Pirate Cove. Real funny playing that one. Both of them have their share of game flaws and bugs but for the most part doable. All they needed were some corrections with game flaws and bug fixes while adding some new content. Instead, just like those arrogant do-gooders at Microsoft, they revamped the whole game in favor of 3D.

The fault lies with the culture of those techno geeks at Silicon Valley and company. They are simply arrogant.

Ahh, hello again, Captain Hunk.     I wondered if this topic was just going to go quiet, so I let it rest from my end.

I hesitated to speak too much about my new experiences with Windows 8 until efbe reminded me many people may be facing that OS once they realize XP will no longer be supported.  With any luck, some people will have been able to still find a Windows 7 machine before it's too late.  (Win7 is decent)  But if not, hopefully I've eased a few people's minds if they're forced into Win8.  I'm not going to claim I was "forced" into it, but it wasn't my ideal choice.  LOL!  I've noticed at least one Update where they've put  links to "Control Panel", "Network", "Computer" and a main system folder on the desktop.  Funny enough I had already done that for myself, but it's good to see they realize there's a need for the old PC functionality via update.  Let's just hope something more sophisticated than raw access on the desktop is patched before Windows 9 is released.  haha   (like oh I dunno, a Start Button or something fancy and unheard of like that? haha doh!)

Your advice is good to diehard XP users to learn how to back up their system on an external device and reformat the hard drive in case of unsupported emergencies.  However, that's going to be quite a headache for many people.  Especially if one issue is not wanting to be forced to learn new stuff.    ... And it's not like they've packaged actual operating system discs with computers for a very long time.  The cynical side of me figures that's not by accident.  The whole thing really is a shame.  I'll need to censor myself now to prevent saying very unkind things about Microsoft.  You know, like saying "If they aren't careful, someone's going to come spank them and take their cornered market away from them."  So I'll be sure not to say stuff like that.  *cough*linux*cough* sorry, have some allergies or something.  

As for the game topic (which is really a bit too off-topic, but...)  The game I mentioned ...  I would compare it quite a lot to the XP operating system because it's not the most recent version of the game, but because people disliked the "new & improved" version of the game, they still play TS2 rather than TS3.  (yeah, like you were saying about your games)  Ironic isn't it that TS2 doesn't appear to be receiving Windows 8 support either?  LOL!  (I realize that's simply how it goes in technology, but the similarities to the XP issue makes me shake my head a bit.)

TL;DR

I hope people with old XP machines are able to either buy a Windows 7 OS/machine before they're unable to be found anymore, or that those good ol' machines can make it all the way past Windows 8 and through to Windows 9.  Windows 8 is uncool.

Captain Hunk wrote:
To be specific, XP Pro SP 3 is way better than the Home version.

I disagree XP Pro is in no way better than Home edition. XP Pro is really only a solution that should be considered in a networking environment. If you're a school principle you might have considered Pro. It does nothing that XP Home edition can't do for the average user.. Pro just comes with what you need for networking like at schools. Pro is useful if you have more than one computer you want to network with other computers, otherwise Home edition is all you really need. Pro is not "better" in the general sense, its just equipped for networking that's about 100 dollars worth. If you don't need it and buy it you're just throwing your money down the toilet.

Captain Hunk wrote:For others who can't before that April deadline and going offline is not an option they can afford to do, perhaps the best advice for them is to back up their system on some external source and learn how to reinstall when their comp gets infected/ crashed. There are utilities that do that as well as web services. It's just a question of which one is affordable and easy to use.

Well its not like you can't run your anti-virus protection software anymore that you should be running now anyway, because you can and should. AVG and Norton, McAfee any all the others will still work with XP even though Microsoft won't be updating XP. That's pretty safe if you don't subject your computer to obvious sites that are notorious for having viruses, like porn sites. But even if you do, your virus protection is still working.

Home edition uses SP3 also that's not a Pro feature.

 Hi guys,

lol I thought someone would have said something about the subject after Muddle last wrote his. None did and so I took it upon myself to say something because it sure beats the old 'BUMP'.

Anyway, I noticed yesterday about an article where Microsoft blamed a Google researcher for posting a flaw in Windows:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-reports-hackings-linked-report-224820910.html

So I read it and later that night, Microsoft sends the usual Windows Update. My brother was the first to receive it. I got the notification this morning after I booted up my desktop. I don't know if it is related to that article or not, but I got 15 window updates as did he for his Win 7. Come April, I won't be seeing that anymore and that's the point.

Yes, people should have an anti-virus program running at all times [when online really]. I presumed they do and only mentioned that in the worst case scenario, it's best they have a back up system. It would be negligible on my part to encourage them to use their XP until it goes bust. I'm not rich myself. Building one for myself does not mean that I am. Just means I am willing to invest in something that will last. I have been shopping around looking for the best parts my money can buy. All I need is one, the chip, which is worth $260. Once I get that and put my machine together, I just need to buy before April another hard drive worth $90 and Win 7 Pro [Yes Pro. I want to see how many of my programs will work with that XP mode which is not available for Home]. Currently that OS is worth $140.

Yes, some will chuckle, if not most, and state I'm better off buying a new computer with Win 7. I've done that and ended up upgrading my computers because they always needed something sooner or later. I don't want to fix what those lazy computer companies put together anymore. And they wonder why they're losing money. Hint: it's not because of mobile devices. But if it boosts their self-esteem, I guess we need to entertain that for their sake. rofl

Anyway, this site has users from all over the world using their service. Many of whom are probably poor compared to us living in wealthier countries. The same is true with other sites because frankly that is why they call it the world wide web in the first place. For them, having a backup makes sense and its affordable. However, let's not forget the uproar that happened when the new Editor mode was released. If you think that was something, what about next year when XP is no longer supported by Microsoft and others including FM. What other flaw will some geek reveal for hackers to exploit after April?

That should be a somber reminder why XP users need to find a better replacement.

Well I already have a backup for my computer it came with my computer when I bought it, its a reinstall Windows XP Home Edition disk. That's my backup. I've used it already before its registered to my computer and works like a charm.

On a personal note, I'm not going to succumb to scare tactics to retire my XP machine because of hackers, especially when I don't keep sensitive material on this machine anyway, and even if I did I feel comfortable that my security programs are doing their jobs well enough to ever warrant buying a new machine.

With that said, no machine is 100% safe, and perhaps a better reminder would be to not keep sensitive material on your computer in the first place, and don't do important financial transactions on it, no matter what computer edition you have. If anyone thinks because they're getting windows updates they are somehow exempt from the threat of hackers, think again.

Well it looks like I'll be using windows XP for another 10 years..lol My old XP machine was just worn out, and after countless re-installments of the operating system that all installed correctly without a hitch, the conclusion was the harddrive mechanism and probably motherboard and other parts of the computer were just worn out. The windows XP Home Edition software was fine, just the Dell computer itself was worn out, and as a result the computer would crash and a lot of errors would happen, it was a total mess no matter how many times you reinstalled the software.

My brother had bought brand new computer with Windows XP years ago from the Dell factory just before Microsoft was about to introduce Vista, and the stores and computer manufactures were no longer going to sell Windows XP, so he bought the new machine and used it for almost 3 months, then one morning it wouldn't boot up, the computer just kept making that beep noise and running the fans, but it wouldn't start windows XP, it just kept beeping. So him not knowing anything about computers unplugged it, and put it in the closet and went out and bought a new Vista computer and has been using it ever since. So I asked him a few days ago if he still had that XP computer in his closet, and if he had sold it or whatever, and he said no he still had it was still sitting in closet, he asked why you want it? I said actually yeah I'd like to see if I can get it running again because my old computer is on the ritz, so he said sure its all yours if you want it.

So I took the computer home. I was amazed how new it looked, it was shinny and clean as a whistle. The computer had been untouched just setting in the back of the closet with a blanket thrown over it for all these years. Anyway, I had googled "Dell computer with Windows XP won't start just beeps" beforehand and found out many other people had that same issue, and the majority of people solved it by reseeding the RAM sticks. So I first tried starting it when I got it home and it indeed would not start, just kept beeping, so I took the side panel off and reseeded all 4 RAM sticks then put the cover back on and pushed the power button again, and computer booted right up immediately.  

So now I have a brand new Windows XP computer that I'm using right now as I write this, so it looks like I'll be using XP for a very long time. lol Which is fine by me its almost a blessing because I get to continue to use XP.

So much for thinking about windows 7 or 8. My future with XP has just been carved in stone, and I couldn't be happier about that.

Congratulations, Runaway Horses. LOL!
It's not often one hears a story like that.  
Fingers crossed it goes as planned and lasts you a very long time.

Thanks MM I appreciate that, I hope it lasts a long time too, so far so good this thing runs great..

Is that the same computer you were referring to in your previous post on July 10th? Just curious and congrats you found another one readily available for you to continue to use XP. 

Thanks, Yes the computer I posted about on July 10th was the one I retired, it was just worn out. I spent many hours on that machine and it served me well, but it was just worn out and failing left and right and getting worst each month, so it was either start replacing parts or retire it and get a new one. You read my story about how I came about this new machine, it works great.

Congrats again! You must be one happy camper. I know the feeling. I just finished building that new PC of mine and installed XP on it. I wasn't sure that it could recognize the terabyte SATA drive during installation but it did. Everything runs way faster compared to my other XP computers. I love it and the fact that I'll be using it for a very long time to come.

Well congrats to you is in order!! That's great and I'm sure its satisfying to build your own PC, I'm a little surprised however you put XP on it considering your earlier posts, but nevertheless I'm glad to hear it. I love XP myself I'm glad to have a new machine with it. Good luck with yours I'm sure your happy with it..

I know I'm a little late wishing you congrats on your latest PC Runaway but congrats none the less. I myself have always wanted to go back to Windows XP but what I use my PC for wouldn't be practical and that's why I had windows 7 for a long time and then finally bit the bullet and jumped to windows 8.

While I still prefer 7 over 8 I still would like to go back to those simple XP days. I'll always remember my first ever custom built PC which had windows XP on it....may you rest in piece my old friend.

Thanks Derri I appreciate that. I love my simple XP machine.  

Its hard to believe I get to do it all over again with XP, but this machine is brand new for all practical purposes. Its barely been used and been in storage all these years, so its gonna run many many years to come, and I get to apply what I have learned through the years to it. So its awesome to have a new XP machine again.

Someday many years from now in a galaxy far-far away, I'll discover the newer computers, but by that time windows 7 and 8 will be dinosaurs extinct like its brothers and sisters XP and Vista, and although the newer computers will seem nice, I'll reluctantly open my wallet and flip the bills for a new one. May the time pass slowly before that day arrives.

The computers of the future will be a lot more interactive, complete with holographic imagery, that might be worth its weight in gold.

I did want to get your opinion on something.

In the event you never got a chance for a new PC that had XP and your old computer failed you.

Would you have went to windows 7? My reason for asking you if you'd pick 7 is because for all purposes 7 is basically a shiny version of XP. I mean the UI is almost identical. I skipped vista myself and went from XP to 7 and I found it to be a very comfortable and familiar jump.

I'd say +1 to what Derri said.  I liked 7 just fine.

Good question, but I'm almost certain I would have gone with windows 8, only because its the latest edition. That would have weighted into the decision greatly. I would have thought since I have to buy a new one I might as well get the latest edition. But I hear a lot of people like 7, that's great.

runawayhorses wrote:Good question, but I'm almost certain I would have gone with windows 8, only because its the latest edition. That would have weighted into the decision greatly. I would have thought since I have to buy a new one I might as well get the latest edition. But I hear a lot of people like 7, that's great.

7 is by far the best way to go if you dislike the windows 8 look (meaning everything looks like an app) as like I said and like Muddle Mannor said, 7 is bascially a "next gen" version of XP.

Yeah well it doesn't really matter because I'm not looking for a new pc, go sell it to someone that cares. I already have a new PC and it has windows XP. You asked what would I have chosen if I didn't have a new pc with XP, I said windows 8 and I stand by that, however I don't want or am I looking for a new pc I already have one..

By the time I ever need a new PC windows 20 will be out (exaggeration?), and windows 7 and 8 will be dinosaurs.

Well if *I* had to buy a new one (and I just did with win 8 lol) I would absolutely try harder to get win 7.  LOL!

(Don't worry, runawayhorses, not sellin' nuthin'.  Just putting an opinion out there for others in case they're in that situation.  Many others, I'm sure, feel the same way you do.)

Well I don't know how many people feel the same way I do because I have a new XP machine, I think my situation is a rarity. I don't think a lot of people have 'new' xp computers. But I do think there are a lot of people like me that are happy with their new computers, which most would mean windows 7 or 8 because its hard to come by a new XP machine unless you build it, and I don't think they sell windows 7 anymore, so you'd have to search for one in the newspapers I guess, or build it.

Btw for an update on my new xp computer, its been running flawlessly, I have absolutely no complaints with it. It does exactly what I tell it to do with no hisitations about anything. It literally works perfectly.

Nice to see this topic pick up steam again. 

I honestly don't like the fact that XP is being phased out. But they are. runawayhorses was extremely lucky to find a replacement. I was simply lucky to find computer parts that work for XP and Win7. I could care less for Win8. That whole tile design turned me off. No need to have that in a desktop or laptop really. Just extra coding that was unnecessary except for Microsoft to keep padding their wallets so they can stay competitive. That to me is also a misnomer. To stay competitive MS simply needed to create software meant for tablets. They didn't need to make any tablets. I do like their ads though. They are funny.

However, as if their nonsensical approach wasn't enough, in comes this article I read last night:
Windows XP is now more than 12 years old but according to data from Net Applications, it is still used on more than 31% of desktop and laptop computers around the world. Those tens of millions of PC users could be in for a very rude awakening next year once Microsoft cuts off support for the aged operating system. Microsoft itself even warned users of the imminent tsunami of viruses and other malware that will inevitably wash over XP stragglers once it stops issuing updates and fixes for the OS. Now, a recently discovered critical zero-day flaw has been acknowledged in a Microsoft support document that could cause serious problems for XP users.

“The vulnerability is an elevation of privilege vulnerability,” Microsoft said in a recent security advisory. “An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full administrative rights.”

Microsoft confirmed that it is working on a fix for the flaw, but let this serve as a warning — after April 8th next year, critical flaws like this one (and worse) will go unfixed, thus leaving gaping holes in Windows XP that are just begging for malware to exploit them.
http://news.yahoo.com/taste-horrible-things-come-windows-xp-195030672.html

Scare tactics? Ye-up.

Little misunderstanding here I want to clarify. When I said "Many others, I'm sure, feel the same way you do." I was referring to this:

runawayhorses wrote:I would have thought since I have to buy a new one I might as well get the latest edition.

My bad for not being clear. I'm fairly certain that's a very common mindset. Not only that, but many people aren't even aware it's possible to build with older OSs with a little extra digging around.

And that's a very interesting read, Captain Hunk. I have a feeling it may be a hybrid of scare tactics and reality.

No kidding Muddle Manor. A mix of both. Depends on the user how they perceive it to be for themselves. The funny thing about that article was in order for me to reply I had to sign in [again] and when I did, the article disappeared from where I first found it on the main page after 11:00 pm EST. I had already read the negativity against those who supported Win8. They were being accused of working for MS which is quite possible. No biggie in my mind since people are free to express their opinions.

Like I said before, I couldn't find it right away and I really suspected that someone from MS may have contacted Yahoo to pull it down or bury it. Or, some Yahoo diehard Windows luver did it voluntarily. Either way, I had to go to sleep. So I tried looking for it this morning and where do I find it? Way deep in the Technology tab buried in much older articles. This article was 17 hours old at 7:00 am EST. Articles that young are not usually buried that deep so quickly.

Maybe it's just me. But then again, there was that time when I complained to MS for discontinuing their support for XP. Next thing I know Yahoo tells me some unusual activity was happening with my account and advised me to change my password. I still have those records. It may not have been from those chief guys at MS Seattle HQs. It could have been just that one puny guy they outsourced in India who did it.

Don't care who. Serves them right that Win8 is failing big time and talks about MS own downfall is growing.

All I have to say is 'ouch' to the XP users, in my opinion Microsoft should provide safety to those, maybe no updates or improvements but at least provide security and ensure no bugs go wrong with it etc.

Windows 8 isn't actually failing though? I mean arguably windows 8 isn't loved but isn't failing. Xbox One has a lot of elements of windows 8 in it and it's sold millions upon millions. Windows phones have become super popular and windows 8 is on more and more computers with each new system.

I have to admit I liked the style of 7 and it took me a long time once I upgraded to get over 7 but now I couldn't imagine going back to 7. I like the "APP" look and I like the design.

Well in all honesty I'm not going to worry about xp not getting anymore updates, there is nothing I can do about it so worrying isn't gonna do any good. What happens happens, I'll roll with the punches like I always do.

If some hacker wants to take a ride on my machine hes welcome to it, I don't have a clue what he will get out it because nothing is on this computer worth anything, but whatever.

Derri wrote:All I have to say is 'ouch' to the XP users, in my opinion Microsoft should provide safety to those, maybe no updates or improvements but at least provide security and ensure no bugs go wrong with it etc.

Windows 8 isn't actually failing though? I mean arguably windows 8 isn't loved but isn't failing. Xbox One has a lot of elements of windows 8 in it and it's sold millions upon millions. Windows phones have become super popular and windows 8 is on more and more computers with each new system.

I have to admit I liked the style of 7 and it took me a long time once I upgraded to get over 7 but now I couldn't imagine going back to 7. I like the "APP" look and I like the design.

1. MS is not obligated to provide anymore security updates and fixes after April 8, 2014. The end user is responsible to use the best anti-virus, firewall, spyware, adware, etc., to protect their system. Always been like that anyway.
   
2. It is failing for desktop/ laptop users and makers. Toshiba removed it and 99% of their sales had Win7 installed. Even when Win8.1 debut which should have turned it around for them, darn thing failed to install forcing MS to shut it down till they remedied it. Sales sank further as companies are favoring tablets over PCs. And guess what, surprise surprise, Steve Ballmer got the heave ho. Those investors ain't waiting for him to step down on 2014.
   
3. Please do not confuse PCs with game consoles or tablets. Xbox One is a popular game console that is not as popular as PS4 in sales so far. Doesn't help MS are having bug issues with those too. Oh dear. And tablets, lol, Siri is having a cow with.
   

Windows RT vs Ipad:

Derri, honestly, if you love it that much, Dude get a tablet and help a struggling computer company out.  

runawayhorses wrote:Well in all honesty I'm not going to worry about xp not getting anymore updates, there is nothing I can do about it so worrying isn't gonna do any good. What happens happens, I'll roll with the punches like I always do.

If some hacker wants to take a ride on my machine hes welcome to it, I don't have a clue what he will get out it because nothing is on this computer worth anything, but whatever.

I'm not worried either. When users have taken every sensible precaution they ever could with their computers and online activities, there's nothing more for them to do but deal with it should they get hit with one. And not that long ago I read an article about how lucrative Bitcoins have become to crooks who are in need of using CPUs. So they're planting malware to help generate them which for the user will simply hog their own system resources and get nothing out of it in return. lol kinda like the legal datamining Google, MS, Verizon, Yahoo, NSA, etc., are doing now minus the malware of course. Yeah I threw the NSA in there. It's silly not to think they're making money under the table somehow with all that info they're privy to.  

Still, 31% will no longer receive support. And for crooks, they're looking at a goldmine of CPUs to takeover after April 8th. I don't mean to scare anybody off. Just get ready to uninstall and reinstall when that (comp gets real slow) happens. Make some disk image copy of your system and back it up. It's like using shampoo: apply, lather, rinse, and repeat.  me understands how much ye love da hair...