Au Revoir, XP
Years after the introduction of Windows Vista and now Windows 7, Windows XP still runs on more computers than any other operating system in the world. Certainly the Windows Vista debacle scared many users away from upgrading their computers. Also many people simply did not need to purchase new computers so they’ve stuck with their Windows XP computers. I myself have recommended many people to not upgrade to Vista or to purchase XP if possible on new computers. But now I believe it is time for many users to start to move on from Windows XP. If you still use Windows XP, please read on to find out if you should start planning a move away from XP and what your next computer should be.
I’m going to go over a few quick points. However, the most important is simply the fact that if you have a computer that is running Windows XP, it is likely at a minimum 3 years old, if not a few years older. Older computers are more likely to start having problems and there’s always been a fine line between fixing an old computer or investing in a new one. At this point, if your computer runs Windows XP, the line has shifted towards purchasing a new one.
The second point is also important in that newer operating systems have much better built-in data backup options. With Windows XP, you must purchase 3rd party backup software, which most people never bother with. As well, if your computer is older, it may backup much more slowly, which inclines people to put off backing up if it is slow. Newer Windows and Mac operating systems have built-in backup software and newer computers can back up more quickly. These two things make it much easier to backup, so it becomes more likely that people will actually backup their data. But of course, you already back up your data, right?
The final point is that Microsoft has announced that the next version of their web browser, Internet Explorer 9, will not run on Windows XP. Internet Explorer 9 will feature support for many important new web technologies, for example HTML5. As such, it will be an important upgrade for those users who want to ensure that they can continue to visit web sites without problems. In the near future, Windows XP users will begin to have problems visiting certain web sites and they will need to decide to install a different browser (which most people will have no clue how to do) or upgrade to a newer computer.
Obviously the follow-up question is if I have Windows XP what should I do now? This question is answered in this month’s Q & A article. But I want to make sure that you understand that I’m not saying that you should immediately upgrade from Windows XP. So don’t start freaking out just yet. Just know that the curtain is coming down for Windows XP and you should start preparing for your computing future now.
If you have any questions about any technology topic, feel free to contact me today!