Yes, on April 8th 2014 Windows XP reaches end-of-life for support from Microsoft. If you listen to the promotional advertising by Microsoft you'll feel pressured to race out and purchase a new computer. Remember Y2K. Perfectly good government computers could be picked up for $50 a piece and others were given away. Will the same happen again. Probably. But keep in mind I reviewed over 300 client computers for the Y2K and not a single computer had to be replaced.
Before you go racing out to buy a new computer consider that you have a number of options and the computer that works perfectly well today, will continue to work perfectly well after April 8th 2014. You may have to make some adjustments, but chances are your Windows XP computer could still serve you for some time to come.
The only company that stands to gain from discontinuing support for Windows XP is Microsoft. Expect to see anything you are using today that is provided by Microsoft as a potential future problem. For example, will their antivirus program continue to work under Windows XP? If not, no problem, pick another free antivirus program. In time however keep in mind other companies may discontinue support of Windows XP, but in the short term, as Microsoft walks away from Windows XP, that can only benefit other companies.
Keep in mind that upgrading to Windows 7 or Windows 8 may not be possible for your computer. Things may not work and to get things to work may cost more than it is worth. If you continue to use your Windows XP computer ask yourself, where is your exposure? Your biggest exposure is your connection to the internet and the software you use connected to the internet. In particular your browser and your email client. There will be solutions and workarounds to most problems. I can provide clients with a boot disk created for use by the military when internet access is required, and when using Windows XP, access to the internet could be disabled.
Many people have now also reduced their use of desktop and even notebooks, with tablets and mobile phones now performing a considerable amount of the internet activity. In the next twelve months I can only see this trend continuing.
You have options and you have choices. In the coming twelve months you'll be bombarded with messages encouraging you to upgrade. The world didn't end on the 1st of January 2000 with the Y2K and it won't end on the 8th of April 2014 for Windows XP users. Upgrade when you feel the time is right for you.
As I find issues clients are having I'll document the issues in MyAnswers so all clients can cost effectively benefit from the solutions.
Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.
Before you go racing out to buy a new computer consider that you have a number of options and the computer that works perfectly well today, will continue to work perfectly well after April 8th 2014. You may have to make some adjustments, but chances are your Windows XP computer could still serve you for some time to come.
The only company that stands to gain from discontinuing support for Windows XP is Microsoft. Expect to see anything you are using today that is provided by Microsoft as a potential future problem. For example, will their antivirus program continue to work under Windows XP? If not, no problem, pick another free antivirus program. In time however keep in mind other companies may discontinue support of Windows XP, but in the short term, as Microsoft walks away from Windows XP, that can only benefit other companies.
Keep in mind that upgrading to Windows 7 or Windows 8 may not be possible for your computer. Things may not work and to get things to work may cost more than it is worth. If you continue to use your Windows XP computer ask yourself, where is your exposure? Your biggest exposure is your connection to the internet and the software you use connected to the internet. In particular your browser and your email client. There will be solutions and workarounds to most problems. I can provide clients with a boot disk created for use by the military when internet access is required, and when using Windows XP, access to the internet could be disabled.
Many people have now also reduced their use of desktop and even notebooks, with tablets and mobile phones now performing a considerable amount of the internet activity. In the next twelve months I can only see this trend continuing.
You have options and you have choices. In the coming twelve months you'll be bombarded with messages encouraging you to upgrade. The world didn't end on the 1st of January 2000 with the Y2K and it won't end on the 8th of April 2014 for Windows XP users. Upgrade when you feel the time is right for you.
As I find issues clients are having I'll document the issues in MyAnswers so all clients can cost effectively benefit from the solutions.
Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.
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