End of Windows XP - what now?

essexmole said:
most of your stuff in xp will be fine it will still get updated its just xp is not getting actual support in my opinion your better off upgrading to ubuntu you dont need a anti virus there a good load of photogrpajhy editing sofware all free and thousands of other free programs if you dont surf much then it would be perfect for you i currently use ubuntu 12.04 and i love it its also got long term support for the next 5 years there is always a new free update version as well give it a try by using a live distro
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First of all, telling someone that AV is not required is ridiculous, regardless of the OS. And secondly, your statement about how most of your 'stuff' will still be updated is just plain wrong! Plenty of applications now no longer support XP, and as such the installer just stops you. Linux may work well for you, and it works well for others, but Linux does not have mainstream support or compatibility. It's good that people are trying to help, but we need to realise that not everyone is tech-savvy with Linux or knowing the risks associated with browsing without AV.
 
TopBanana said:
When I was in a branch of the Halifax the other day they restarted one of their cash machines and to my surprise it booted up windows XP - is my money safe!? :runaway::runaway:;)
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according to this link, about 95% of the worlds cash machines are still running XP and saw somewhere else that it is expected to a few years before they are upgraded.
 
ianp5a said:
You get the slickness and quality of Ubuntu
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This is what I would suggest is the problem... Ubuntu is a little too bleeding edge IMHO.
 
Yes. Ubuntu have created their first ever desktop environment. They are new to it and it shows. Windows, KDE and Gnome have been around a while. But Ubuntu and all it's spin-offs such as Mint and the other 'buntus tend to be more solid and usable compared to certain other distros.
 
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the stuff will be still supported and no linux does not require a anti virus ive been using it for years without one there are many updates installed that do a anti virus scan but its not the same software as windows a lot of software in xp is still supported and will update its xp that wont get the updates or the support not the software you install
ubuntu and mint are fine to use and you do not need a anti virus i have used many distros without one and its all fine so that what i was quite is not wrong its true you dont need one i currrently use ubuntu 12.04 it get security updates and has clam av scan updates but you dont install the software you dont need to same as android im not going to start a argument about it but i know its a fact
 
ianp5a said:
Yes. Ubuntu have created their first ever desktop environment. They are new to it and it shows. Windows, KDE and Gnome have been around a while. But Ubuntu and all it's spin-offs such as Mint and the other 'buntus tend to be more solid and usable compared to certain other distros.
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The first version of Ubuntu came out in 2004.

They're not new at this.
 
ianp5a said:
Yes. Ubuntu have created their first ever desktop environment.
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Nothing to do with their desktop environment. They sit too close to the bleeding edge of the kernel/apps and manage to pick up half as many bugs as get solved when moving forward. They also have a very short support slot for anything that isn't on an LTS, so you can spend your time upgrading. The distros that sit a little further back and that have a more conservative approach to taking patches/updates are better for most users IMHO.
 
essexmole said:
almost unreadable text without capital letters and punctuation marks removed
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Linux has it's place, as does OSX and Windows (and all the other OS's out there). NONE is a panacea for everything.
 
neil_g said:
Lightroom5 minimum spec - Windows 7 SP1.
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But I'm sure if you spent enough time googling and playing with wine you could get it to run under Linux... or failing that you could always run a VM to run your Windoze apps ;)
 
the latest ubuntu is 13.10 with new release soon its very stable wine works really well what i've tested
 
also regarding the point made being a tech savvy for linux you dont need to be its very easy to use there are alot of user friendly versions not all complicated for example elementary luna OS is very good i have dual booted it on this laptop with ubuntu 12.04 which is also good stable and easy plenty of tutorial vids on youtube you can test it on a live disc and if you dont like it dont install thats what i did
 
punctuation!!!!! please! or is it a linux feature ;)

Just because you do something fine, doesn't mean it is fine for everyone else. How people use systems is different and to simply say a statement like that is dangerous and naive.

As for support and XP. IE8 is the last version for XP and is blocked by various sites. You can use Chrome on XP, but for how long can you update? Google are only promising to support Chrome on XP till at least April 2015. Will the peripherals you buy support XP?
 
essexmole said:
the latest ubuntu is 13.10 with new release soon its very stable wine works really well what i've tested
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Yes, exactly - October last year for the last release and already a major release is due... support for 13.10 (i.e. a system that was released last October) will be gone in a month or so. Hopefully, the irony isn't lost on you as you are commenting on a thread about an OS that was released 13 years ago and that has only just been end of lifed.....

BTW: here is a video of Lightroom under wine (1.7.11):

Here is a typical experience (i.e. this is often the sort of thing you have to do with Linux - I should know, I develop device drivers for it for a living ;)) of someone trying to get non-native stuff working under Linux from February this year (I didn't dig far to find this - see: http://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=35192):

Jakub Kulesza said:
I've managed to run LR 5.3 using patches from Marcus and Roland od Ubuntu 13.10 64 bit with geforce on nvidia drivers and gnome-fallback without compiz.

Steps taken:

1. created 32bit ubuntu 13.10 chroot environment
2. added some repos inside, together with wine ppa. Basically following this guide http://wiki.winehq.org/WineOn64bit, the chroot method.
3. compiled wine with patches inside
4. got compiled wine outside,
5. followed steps in Roland's post

and it works. I didn't test it much since my wife told me to get to bed at 1 am, but i saw no refresh problems.
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Alternatively, run Windows 7/8/OSX and an anti-virus and be in bed with your wife at 10pm ;)
 
pwhysall said:
The first version of Ubuntu came out in 2004. They're not new at this.
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Unity is their first desktop environment. Previously they always used Gnome, developed by other people. They are new and have made a few beginners mistakes. Which is why a lot of people moved on to other distros. Mint profited a lot from this.

arad85 said:
Nothing to do with their desktop environment. They sit too close to the bleeding edge of the kernel/apps and manage to pick up half as many bugs as get solved when moving forward.
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Ubuntu has relatively few bugs compared to others. Fedora, for example. It is it's strong point.
 
arad85 said:
This is what I would suggest is the problem... Ubuntu is a little too bleeding edge IMHO.
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Debian went though a phase of being somewhat slow in getting new stuff into stable (or even testing) which meant many shifted to ubuntu, including me as I was getting irritated by having to compile stuff from source when apt is the reason I like debian.

In recent years it seems to me that Debian has been pushing stuff to stable in a more timely manner, so no reason to use ubuntu.
 
ianp5a said:
Unity is their first desktop environment. Previously they always used Gnome, developed by other people. They are new and have made a few beginners mistakes. Which is why a lot of people moved on to other distros. Mint profited a lot from this.
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Fair enough; I misread your post.

That said, I used Unity for a while when it first came out (Maverick, yes?) and it was pretty much as awful as KDE and GNOME, just in different ways. None of them feel as cohesive and "finished" as OS X or Windows. All of them had (at the time; this may have changed) fairly dreadful documentation.

Like 99% of the (desktop) computing world, I've either ignored or moved on from desktop Linux. I go where the apps are now, and for me, that's Windows (because I play games, too).

I don't think LinuxOnTheDesktop will ever be more than a tiny niche platform.

Of course, for other applications - servers, embedded - it will continue to be a very sensible option.
 
pwhysall said:
Like 99% of the (desktop) computing world, I've either ignored or moved on from desktop Linux. I go where the apps are now, and for me, that's Windows (because I play games, too).

I don't think LinuxOnTheDesktop will ever be more than a tiny niche platform.

Of course, for other applications - servers, embedded - it will continue to be a very sensible option.
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I'd agree with that..... (although I don't play games).
 
I've been using Linux for the last 5 years as my home system, but TBH for photographic work I've got to have either OSX or Windows for Lightroom etc. While some of the photo tools for Linux are good, they are no replacement.

Since someone was talking about stability & linux..... they're ALL pretty flaky at times, and it's usually the updates that break them. Been using openSUSE for a couple of years now because it's been more stable than most of the others and has kept tools up to date, plus KDE is much more windows-like than the other DEs. Out of interest I tried Ubuntu back at Christmas - buggy, unstable and not terribly good - though many of the derivatives based on Ubuntu seem MUCH better to use.
 
for £400 you can get a decent spec laptop running Windows 8.1

Is the risk worth £400
 
ancient_mariner said:
I've been using Linux for the last 5 years as my home system, but TBH for photographic work I've got to have either OSX or Windows for Lightroom etc. While some of the photo tools for Linux are good, they are no replacement.
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I'm sure Lightroom has some goodies not available on Linux. But, for a hobby where I can take my time and experiment at my leisure, there is still plenty of choice.

ancient_mariner said:
...many of the derivatives based on Ubuntu seem MUCH better to use.
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I had to dump Ubuntu for Kubuntu with KDE. Not because I want anything windows-like. I'd prefer trying something new. But because I found Ubuntu's Unity UnUsable. You cannot rearrange the Apps menu (Dash) You have to search for them every time or use 6 clicks to get anywhere. And the Launcher is a poor taskbar for switching, and fixed to the left screen edge. With 2 monitors, its right in the middle! Useless!
 
Silly suggestion, why not just upgrade to Win8??

Turn on your Computer, seconds later hit the Window Button (2nd from left at the Bottom) and you`re at the Desktop, no Problem!!!
 
stryvya said:
Silly suggestion, why not just upgrade to Win8??

Turn on your Computer, seconds later hit the Window Button (2nd from left at the Bottom) and you`re at the Desktop, no Problem!!!
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No Windows button on my keyboard - the bottom row runs ctrl (gap) alt spacebar alt-gr (gap) ctrl then the arrows and numeric keypad.

It has a PS/2 connector, but that's because it was supplied with a PS/2. Model 50 IIRC.
 
onomatopoeia said:
No Windows button on my keyboard - the bottom row runs ctrl (gap) alt spacebar alt-gr (gap) ctrl then the arrows and numeric keypad.

It has a PS/2 connector, but that's because it was supplied with a PS/2. Model 50 IIRC.
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And you`re still using a KODAK Brownie, no doubt.
 
onomatopoeia said:
No Windows button on my keyboard - the bottom row runs ctrl (gap) alt spacebar alt-gr (gap) ctrl then the arrows and numeric keypad.

It has a PS/2 connector, but that's because it was supplied with a PS/2. Model 50 IIRC.
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A model M then, with buckling spring keys. Possibly the best general keyboard ever.
Still use one myself. 1989 vintage according to the stickers on the bottom.
 
LC2 said:
A model M then, with buckling spring keys. Possibly the best general keyboard ever.
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Yep. I have one at work which came with the first computer I had at this job (the PS/2) and I have a few at home. The one I'm typing on cost me £2 in a second hand ex-corporate computer clearance shop about 15 years ago, before they achieved cult status.

Anyone visiting me that asks to check their webmail or whatever almost always comments on what a nice keyboard it is to type on ...
 
onomatopoeia said:
Yep. I have one at work which came with the first computer I had at this job (the PS/2) and I have a few at home. The one I'm typing on cost me £2 in a second hand ex-corporate computer clearance shop about 15 years ago, before they achieved cult status.

Anyone visiting me that asks to check their webmail or whatever almost always comments on what a nice keyboard it is to type on ...
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I've got an unused one in it's original packaging :)
Think I've got 12 or so sitting around that I rescued from the crusher at work.

Of course, this isn't helping the OP with what to do now XP is out of support.
 
Blackwijet said:
I'm currently running windows XP and although I do intend to upgrade to a win 7 machine I haven't quite got round to it yet. Just had the notificaton that as of 8th April XP no longer supported etc etc.
Just wondering what the real implication of this is. I currently use Microsoft Essentials, Zone Alarm Firewall and Win Patrol. I don't do loads of surfing, main use is for administering my websites, a bit of facebooking and of course Talk Photography!
I don't usually do much in the way of purchasing online from this machine.

Could anyone advise how vulnerable my machine is going to be until I get round to upgrading?
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Unplug your Windows XP machine from the Internet, just use it on its own without the Internet. Go to your local library or Internet café and go online for surfing the web. Like you said, you don't do much of surfing.
 
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