Windows XP - End of Life - a bit like W2K bug that never happened

Hi there
Just an addition here

MSE (Microsoft Security essentials) which works on XP as well as W7 is supplying security updates until MAY 2015 -- this will give partial protection for XP systems -- it won't detect Viruses ONLY geared for XP but will update any threat tyo W7 or common to both W7 and XP. -- In any case if I were a Hacker why would I bother with people who are too mean to upgrade their systems !! -- I'd go for the "assumed" richer pickings of folk who can afford to spend money on buying the "latest and greatest".

Don't forget also that Office 2007 / 2010 will get support UNTIL around 2020 !!!.

But it makes sense to only run what you absolutely have to on XP then you shouldn't need to care about security at all - run XP as an isolated VM and if you need to copy data to it use a dedicated USB stick that you wipe clean after you've copied the stuff to the XP machine. You can add the device dynamically in the VM settings so the VM can be isolated from your network.

(Y2K might have had some mainframe issues - but the big money was on people like SAP consultants doing this sort of stuff on server - client type systems where the issue really was a bit trivial -- the bigger issue by far was the EURO conversion around that time).
Cheers
jimbo

Hi there
I love old antique clocks so your clock analogy doesn't quite hold up. Remember though there are things that cannot simply be updated at a stroke - especially if the applications are quite niche.

I gave the example of cutting Vinyl -- although digital music has largely superceeded Viny there's still a surprising demand for it and my hardware will ONLY run on XP -- it's far too expensive to get new hardware for what is a niche business.

In any case the whole idea of VM's was to be able to run legacy systems although using them for testing new releases of software and OS'es is also important.

I'm certainly not complaining -- I'm merely suggesting that it's perfectly safe and quite reasonable to continue to use XP long after official support ends and it can be done quite safely too.

It's not resistance to change - but change simply for changes sake - especially when it doesn't actually buy a lot of convenience that I was objecting to.

Horses and Bycycles haven't replaced cars -- people still ride horses and bikes -- but of course they use cars too --same with the OS'es -- use whatever does the job decently and cheaply.

Technology sometimes goes too far -- look at some of the HIDEOUS minimalist apartments in London's Financial district that sell at around 1 MILLION GBP !!! each for about the size of a shoebox and look like you are living in a Hi-tech studio without a decent "slouchable" couch to sit on in sight. !!

give me an old fashioned dwelling with loads of REAL wood around the place, homely furniture and a bit of ground where I can grow things and let the dog run around and bark as much as it likes.

Technology should be OUR servant - not the other way around - for example medical science etc. I'm always willing to use new technology but not just for it's own sake. Finally TV's are a good example of sensible upgrades - getting rid of old energy greedy TV's with totally dangerous products like the lead glass screens and CRT's and replacing them with the modern one's - fine.

Same with LED's for lighting - especially now the new one's can be a bit more warm coloured - and although made from "Rare Earth's" - these materials are actually neither "Earth" nor particularly rare.

Ranger4 said:

There does seem to be the usual resistance to change being shown in this thread. Surely we must realise that all things need to be changed or updated. I really don't think MS has been unreasonable as it has given adequate warning that XP is coming to the end of being supported.
How many people are still using old black & white TV's, or analogue TV's?. Most people now use battery powered clocks rather that the older wind up ones. So over time we have to move to later technology whether we like it or not. Complaining bitterly about might ease your temper but won't stop progress.

Your analogy is not valid. Here's the right analogy. Let's say you bought a new car 12 years ago, and you paid $30,000 USD for it. You go to the car dealer, and try to get a new water pump and timing belt for your car. The dealer says, "We don't support that car any longer". So, even though you car still only has 140,000 miles on it (good for another 140,000), you are told you must buy a new car and the remaining life of your car must be forfeited.

Hi the
The car analogy is Actually quite valid -- the software is only a tool for ruinning our HARDWARE (in most cases) unless you are simply thinking about social mediia / office stuff --and for a lot of that you actually don't need a computer at all -- a smaet phone or tablet will suffice.

BTW ATM's use EMBEDDED XP which is a totally different animal to the XP you run on a PC.

Cheers
jimbo