Issue 2.14
The short answer is “no”, but there are some things you need to know. On April 1st, Microsoft will cease to support Windows XP. That means that they will not work to keep it secure and will not do any additional programming to keep it compatible with new software. By the end of this year, most software companies will also phase out support for XP. That means that they will not employ people to answer questions or solve problems on your system if you are running XP. It also means that most Anti-Virus and protection software will cease updates for XP systems and you will be largely unprotected if you go online, receive emails or download music, movies, etc. XP machines however, will continue to run until they have hardware issues. Since most XP machines are at least 9 years old, that day will probably come sooner than later.
What are the options? If your computer is powerful enough, you may be able to upgrade it to Windows 7. I would not recommend upgrading to Vista unless you already have a licensed copy to install since the cost is about the same as 7 and it doesn’t work quite as well and will be discontinued by Microsoft long before 7 is. The basic requirements are that you have at least a dual core processor, 80 Gigabyte or larger hard drive and at least 1 Gigabyte of RAM memory, though I highly recommend at least 2 Gigs and 4 if your machine supports it.
There is another type of upgrade that I am now recommending to most older (and even newer) computer users. Linux is an alternate OS (Operating System) and is generally free to download. The newer versions of Linux are very powerful and easy to use. Linux has been around since before Windows XP (first released in 1991), but unlike XP, it is constantly being upgraded and improved. It is quite stable and most peripherals (printers, scanners, etc.) plug in and just start working. The basic requirements for installation are about the same as the upgrades above. However, I have installed it on computers with as little as 512 Megabytes of RAM and a 20 Gigabyte hard drive with a single core AMD or Pentium processor and it still works, although fairly slowly.
Another plus is that you can install it side by side with your XP OS on the same computer and choose which one to start when you turn on the computer. That gives you a chance to get used to it before you have to stop using XP. Linux is open source which means that programmers can alter it, change the graphics and even the menus and user interfaces. Unless you are a programmer, that means very little except that many people are continually working to make it more powerful and up to date and it likely will still be around and viable when Windows 8 is dead and gone.
My personal favorite is Linux Mint (there are many others such as Red Hat, Ubuntu, etc.) which is now available in version 16. It has the same feel as XP and Windows 7 with similar menus, graphics and functionality. It includes a graphics editor similar to and compatible with Photoshop, an office suite similar to and compatible with Microsoft Office, Firefox for internet browsing, Thunderbird for email and many other free programs that make the transition more comfortable. The best thing is that all these options are free and they work. The only drawback is that some of the more powerful programs and programs customized to certain businesses will not run on Linux. That is not an issue for most of us, but you should check before you jump if there are specialized programs you need to keep using. Installation is fairly simple, but if you have doubts, have a specialist set it up for you. You will spend a lot less than if you purchased Windows 7.
The other option is of course to purchase a new computer. I still cannot recommend Windows 8 to anyone that hasn’t tried it out first to see if they can put up with it. You can still get new Windows 7 computers if you work through a consultant like me and there are used ones on the market as well. You can also purchase an Apple computer if you have $1000 to $2000 to spend. They are good computers, just expensive. Whatever you choose, remember to always back up anything on your computer that is important to you.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 32 years, 23 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or his website www.bitsnbytescomputers.com.