The End of Windows XP: 3 Lessons Learned Over the Past 12 Years

[Redondo]

The End of Windows XP: 3 Lessons Learned Over the Past 12 Years

I really like XP and have it on my house computer. I know it's an old system but it works just fine for what I do with it.

 

I use Windows 7 at work and it works great. Everyone at work likes it.

 

No one I know likes Windows 8.

 

What is a person to do if they want a new computer and want to run 7? Pay extra money to load it?

 

My boss got a Nokia phone with 8 on it almost 2 years ago. He thought he would be in on the new thing. Now he asks me about my Galaxy SIII all the time and I'm sure he will go for the S4 when it's time to upgrade.

 

Any comment?

[Lhalo]

I think when you buy a computer with Windows 8 it comes with the option to downgrade to Windows 7.

[Angel Oracle]

Microsoft should have simply improved on the XP format. Since then, meh!

XP was the best, bar none.

[mrwicked]

google is going after them in the enterprise hard now.

the recent chromebooks + vmware DaaS partnership could be huge.

[Lhalo]

google is going after them in the enterprise hard now.

the recent chromebooks + vmware DaaS partnership could be huge.

 

Have they rolled out enterprise services yet?

[mrwicked]

Have they rolled out enterprise services yet?

 

who? google?

they do well in enterprise for collaboration tools - google mail + docs + drive + chat is quite popular.

vmware dominates in enterprise space.

those two are going after MS together. its a smart play.

[mancini79]

I think when you buy a computer with Windows 8 it comes with the option to downgrade to Windows 7.

 

I bought a new comp with Windows 8. Can't downgrade 7. Instead I had to find third party software that creates a Windows 7 skin. But now when I open a pic, it takes me away from the desktop to some stupid app to view the file. I hate it. Windows 8 blows.

[mp170.6]

I still have XP computers as well. 

 

Does anybody have advice for upgrading them to 7, i.e. the cheapest way to upgrade?

[mancini79]

I still have XP computers as well. 

 

Does anybody have advice for upgrading them to 7, i.e. the cheapest way to upgrade?

 

Buying an OEM download is the cheapest way.

http://www.designertechsoftware.com/products/copy-of-microsoft-windows-7-home-premium-64bit

[2002_halos_II]

My laptop is X/P and the Desktop is Win 7.  I understand the HP site is still offering Win 7 machines. (Or they were  last month,  I think.)

[Ray McKigney]

I thought I read somewhere that Windows 8 users can upgrade for free to 8.1 and there is an option to get it back to Windows 7-type interface. I could be wrong, but I think I did read that somewhere. I need to find out as I just purchased a new PC and it has Windows 8. I haven't heard from one person that they like it.

[2002_halos_II]

Buying an OEM download is the cheapest way.

http://www.designertechsoftware.com/products/copy-of-microsoft-windows-7-home-premium-64bit

I checked the Microsoft site and sadly, my X/P laptop does not have enough RAM to upgrade to Win 7 (there is a program you download/run - forget the name)...

[Ray McKigney]

I checked the Microsoft site and sadly, my X/P laptop does not have enough RAM to upgrade to Win 7 (there is a program you download/run - forget the name)...

 

Ran into the same problem. That's why I had to purchase a new machine. Not looking forward to the Windows 8 crap though. 

[mancini79]

I thought I read somewhere that Windows 8 users can upgrade for free to 8.1 and there is an option to get it back to Windows 7-type interface. I could be wrong, but I think I did read that somewhere. I need to find out as I just purchased a new PC and it has Windows 8. I haven't heard from one person that they like it.

 

I upgraded to 8.1 and screwed up my laptop even more. They said it was more stable, but it did the opposite. One problem is that it disabled my touchpad. I had to plug in a mouse to go and reinstall the drivers. Also had some compatibility problems with the graphics card. But it does NOT give you a Windows 7 interface. All it does is load the desktop first instead of the stupid tile/app screen. But there is still no start button on the bottom left. I've had to download third party software to get it "close" to windows 7. Nothing from Windows itself. It's almost like Windows is trying to force customers to accepting the stupid tile/app screen to access programs.

[Lhalo]

I nominate Mancini for having the worst luck with computers on AW.com.

[Ray McKigney]

I upgraded to 8.1 and screwed up my laptop even more. They said it was more stable, but it did the opposite. One problem is that it disabled my touchpad. I had to plug in a mouse to go and reinstall the drivers. Also had some compatibility problems with the graphics card. But it does NOT give you a Windows 7 interface. All it does is load the desktop first instead of the stupid tile/app screen. But there is still no start button on the bottom left. I've had to download third party software to get it "close" to windows 7. Nothing from Windows itself. It's almost like Windows is trying to force customers to accepting the stupid tile/app screen to access programs.

 

I found a free program called Classic Shell that has received good reivews. I think I'm going to try it out. Here an article:

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026719/review-classic-shell-brings-the-start-menu-to-windows-8-for-free.html

[mancini79]

I found a free program called Classic Shell that has received good reivews. I think I'm going to try it out. Here an article:

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026719/review-classic-shell-brings-the-start-menu-to-windows-8-for-free.html

 

I've been using that for just over a month. It's the closest program to Windows 7. A must download.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

All of our computers at work run XP. Sometime in the near future all of them will be replaced with new machines running Win 7. Considering how old our proprietary stuff is, I can't imagine that there won't be major compatibility issues.

[HaloFan85]

What is a person to do if they want a new computer and want to run 7? Pay extra money to load it?

 

 

You can always buy a computer without an OS then buy Windows 7 and install it yourself.

[Ray McKigney]

I've been using that for just over a month. It's the closest program to Windows 7. A must download.

 

Glad to hear that. Thanks for letting me know.

[Blarg]

You guys all sound like old geezers in their rocking chairs complaining about how the world is going to hell.

[Count Orlok]

I found a free program called Classic Shell that has received good reivews. I think I'm going to try it out. Here an article:

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026719/review-classic-shell-brings-the-start-menu-to-windows-8-for-free.html

Totally worth it. I always recommend it to anyone who complains about Windows 8. It's way easier than downgrading to Windows 7.