Ex*o*dus
a going out; a departure or emigration, usually of a large number of people: the summer exodus to the country and shore.
Yes it is upon us the twilight final days of Windows XP. From the definition above it could mean going to the country or the shore. For Windows XP around 30% of all computer users will not be going to the country or shore because they are still using Windows XP. Yes as of me writing this the percentage is probably around 25-30% of the world still uses it.
There is major concern at Microsoft right now on discontinuing support for XP. They want to walk away from it but it’s hard to do when 25-30% of your flock are still using it every day. You can summarize the remaining XP users as non-technophobes blissfully unaware of the lack of support come early April 2014.
What does this mean? What this means is that these users could be caught off guard if a major exploit is found and un-patched by Microsoft. Windows XP has been in use since 2001 which makes it 13 years old. Microsoft claims it is simply too old and outdated to continue supporting it with security patches.
Can I still keep on using Windows XP after support has stopped? The answer is yes, but I would hesitate doing any web transactions, banking, or anything else sensitive that could cause a lot of headaches should your security become compromised. If all you do is browse news sites, look up info, then you’ll probably be ok. I would use a modern web browser such as Chrome to surf the web if you do decide to keep using XP. If your XP computer is not connecting to the net then there is no reason to stop using it for what you do right now. However I predict future software titles may not support XP should you buy them and try to install them.
Where should I go? I recommend anyone leaving XP should buy into a Windows 7 computer, or upgrade their existing computer to Windows 7. I would not buy into a Windows 8 machine, as Windows 8 is a mess and cumbersome for those used to a Windows XP environment.
Microsoft completely dropped the ball on on the interface of Windows 8. It’s as if they consulted no one on whether it was a good transition for the Windows Platform. Apple has left their Mac OS relatively the same for quite some time opting to build a new platform for mobile devices and the Ipad. This is called iOS. Microsoft thought it would kill two birds with one stone and force the world into the tablet environment with tiles and other nonsense. It is a mess for computer users trying to make the transition. But this is just my opinion you may like Windows 8, but I’m betting you won’t.
If you are in the Grand Rapids, MI area and need help transitioning out of Windows XP give me a call and ask for Derek @ 616.813.3685 or E-mail me at derek@derekscomputer.com