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Mission Impossible?

Steve
Seasoned Pro
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Registered: ‎13-07-2009

Mission Impossible?

Quote
Microsoft Can’t Get Rid of Windows XP, New Data Shows. Microsoft continues its efforts to move Windows XP users from the 11-year-old software to a newer operating system, be it Windows 7 or Windows 8, but new data indicates that this is a pretty difficult mission.
Net Applications figures for the month of January 2013 show that Windows XP has increased its market share to 39.51 percent, remaining the second most popular operating system in the world after Windows 7.
Windows XP has posted a gain of 0.43 percent over the December 2012 market share, so instead of going down, the old software continues to be a top choice for many users around the world.
Microsoft, on the other hand, continues to recommend consumers to upgrade to a newer Windows version, as it would stop providing support for XP in April 2014.

Cue Music

Sauce
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
35 REPLIES 35
Razer
Grafter
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Registered: ‎17-11-2012

Re: Mission Impossible?

Oh, it's next year that support is due to end? Well, I'm glad it's been put back yet another year. I was getting worried. Here's hoping money-grubbers-microsoft extend that even more and listen to the many, like me, who are saying 'I don't want another OS, I'm happy with XP, thanks.'
pengbo
Grafter
Posts: 104
Registered: ‎15-01-2013

Re: Mission Impossible?

Now that is funny lol. You can just hear the thud of Steve Balmers head hitting the desk when he is told XP market share went up lol.
I must admit XP does rank up there as probably the best OS M$ has made to date.  Although it's successor Win 7 is just as good.
colintivy
Rising Star
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Registered: ‎07-03-2008

Re: Mission Impossible?

I go along with that, I have both, although my XP is a bit slow, I can cope with the limited work I need to do. Plans to fully Linuxize when M$ cuts us off are in place.
Razer
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Registered: ‎17-11-2012

Re: Mission Impossible?

This was my plan, too. In preparation, I tried out dual boot with an installation of Ubuntu; I hated it. Having to update virtually constantly; having to search google with virtually anything I wanted to do to find that I was; having to go to the command prompt and enter a few lines of code to do this, that or the other; having to install such and such a package which required the additional installation of other such and such packages to do something; having to install such and such a package which required the additional installation of other such and such packages to do something else; having to constantly reset the interface as it would repeatedly revert back to default; ... and on and on. I got fed up with it and removed it. Now I really worry what I'm going to do when XP support really does end.
shutter
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: Mission Impossible?

Quote from: Razer

This was my plan, too. In preparation, I tried out dual boot ............................................... I got fed up with it and removed it.

Now I really worry what I'm going to do when XP support really does end.

Yay.... all those comments above ( missed out deliberately in the quote)... agree with... Lunix is such hard work, just to get it working..... OK if you`re a geek and understand all the geeky words and what they mean....  so I did just that removed the dual boot....  ( I still have it on a memory stick, just incase the windows fails me and I need to boot up !).. (but really that is all it is useful for to me....).
As for "what to do when XP support endsQ"..... hmm.... by that time, the nutters and whizz-kids who do all the hacking and attacking, hopefully, will have moved on to window 8 or 9 or whatever is the latest flavour. and there won`t be any need to do security updates on XP any more...  Smiley
Razer
Grafter
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Registered: ‎17-11-2012

Re: Mission Impossible?

Hmm, care to go back to Windows 95, then? Grin Or 3.1, come to think of it!  Shocked
As for 'Lunix' (lol yeah, drove me loony), I was generally ok with command line stuff, I just don't want to be having to do it for every, single thing I need to do just for general use, never mind more complex stuff. In other words, I just want the damn thing to work. I have to say, too, that I just know XP so well (though far from completely), that I have a good sense of control over my system. When it's something so alien, like Linux, that sense completely evaporates and I hate that long trek in getting to know and manipulate a system so that you do have control over it.
colintivy
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Registered: ‎07-03-2008

Re: Mission Impossible?

Oh No! Those are steps far too far!!
I had been on Ubuntu 8.04 on a laptop for years OK, but upgrading was not a happy experience. 10.04 did run but I had to log-in using Gnome Safe which was a drag and no-one knew how to sort it. Hence my current interest in flavours of Mint. I am  a disgruntled ex-Win 8 SE who did not want to go along ME or Vista routes to where I am now.
7up
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Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Mission Impossible?

Another XP fan here. It really is a great OS but its second to Windows 7 as far as I'm concerned.
XP was great and I still have it on another machine but it did (with heavy use) need reinstalling at least once a year. It was a reliable system though and I didn't have many crashes with it.
I now use Windows 7 (Home Premium which I expected to be like 98 - crashtastic) and it must be said, I really can't fault it. We've had this machine for 1.5 years now, it gets a little sluggish sometimes but overall its superior to our last XP machine and I STILL haven't even thought about reinstalling Win7 as it simply doesn't need it. It's been absolutely BRILLIANT. A very good OS and I'm really very pleased with it.
I am shocked to hear that XP has actually increased in users though  Shocked (but I'm not surprised either).
I need a new signature... i'm bored of the old one!
shutter
Community Veteran
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: Mission Impossible?

I`m on Vista Home Premium on this machine, but my new mini laptop is W7 starter.... and both work very well... not had any crashes or problems....
I`d like to use Lunix Mint but still can`t get around all the faffing about you have to do to get simple progs up and running.
HairyMcbiker
All Star
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Registered: ‎16-02-2009

Re: Mission Impossible?

Quote from: Razer
Ubuntu; I hated it. Having to update virtually constantly

Well what would you rather have, a 150Mb "service pack" ever year or a few kb every week or so?
As to Ubuntu well there are others out there. No longer #1  Wink Guess who is  Grin
I support a user using vista <spit> and it is horrible. I run xp in a VM <very occasional not been booted this year>, depends on what you want to do and what you use your pc for.
As to having to use a cmd prompt for some commands, well when I started on PC's (home computers) there wasn't any GUI's  Grin
Quote from: shutter
I`d like to use Lunix Mint but still can`t get around all the faffing about you have to do to get simple progs up and running.

Like what shutter? Most programs don't need any faffing about - or are you talking about ALIEN programs (M$)? Well that's the price for freedom  Wink
All most 100% of the time I can install a program using a few mouse clicks. I am currently playing Civ V on my Mint Pc- its slow (ish) but then I got the pc from freecycle several years ago  Cheesy Cry (It was too slow to play games on then >4 years ago)
shutter
Community Veteran
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: Mission Impossible?

This is a Lunix vs Microsoft argument.... which has been going on for years !
Most of programs that I currently use on Microsoft WIndows, I have been using for .... well since Windows 3.1 was on floppy disc . Whilst the programs themselves, obviously have a "learning curve" they are "intuitive" and "work from within".... Likewise the downloading and installing them... it just works with a couple of "OK" type clicks on message boxes.
SOME of those programs, and only a minority, can work on Lunix Mint... but need a complicated procedure that is not part of the "install" procedure, and has to be "gleaned" from users like yourself as to how to do it,..... (you will remember my efforts a year or so ago to get stuff working). (thanks for your help then)... Wink
Any "equivalent " type of program that Lunix has for the programs I use, is , generally only 50% to 75% the content and scope of the windows programs.... as though the guy(s) who wrote it, either forgot, or couldn`t be bothered, or decided that the user would not need that facility, left bits off, to save time.  In other words. the program, although claiming to be "the sam as" .... is not fully functional... so it becomes frustrating to try to use it....
That is ok ... if you haven`t used a fully functional, smooth to install, operational program, then that is the level that you expect and consider to be the height of expectations. Because of the hype about how much better Lunix is compared to Microsoft, I swallowed the bait, and tried several times to get "into" it, but the processes involved just choked me off, and made it an uncomfortable experience, that I am loath to go back and try again...
As for filling up the hdd with unnecessary/not used/not needed updates.... No, I don`t want them, but that is a price I will have to pay for seemlessness, ( or Freedom as you call it ) until Lunix gets its act together and makes some kind of "install package" that will install windows programs automatically, or give on screen instructions on how to do that when a windows program is downloaded for install.  The alternative is to get the Windows programs re-written to work seemlessly on Lunix systems.......
150mb service pack on a modern 160Gb or larger hard drive will not really make all that much difference.... not sure of the maths ....but looks like 1%  to me..  Undecided
( The programs I use are "utility" programs not games.... )
HairyMcbiker
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Re: Mission Impossible?

Quote from: shutter
programs themselves, obviously have a "learning curve" they are "intuitive" and "work from within".... Likewise the downloading and installing

This is the same argument we had before, If you were to switch to IOS then would you expect your M$ programs to work on it, they wouldn't.
Quote
off, to save time.  In other words. the program, although claiming to be "the sam as" .... is not fully functional... so it becomes frustrating to try to use it....
the height of expectations. Because of the hype about how much better Lunix is compared to Microsoft, I swallowed the bait, and tried several times

If it claims to be the "same as" then I would expect it to be the same, how ever if it is an "equivalent" program then no it doesn't
Quote
As for filling up the hdd with unnecessary/not used/not needed updates.... No, I don`t want them, but that is a price I will have to pay for seemlessness, ( or Freedom as you call it ) until Lunix gets its act together and makes some kind of "install package" that will install windows programs automatically,

Never happen, if it did M$ would be at the lawyers in an flash.
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The alternative is to get the Windows programs re-written to work seemlessly on Lunix systems.......

Then you need to badger the authors to cross compile them, there are some that do now.
Quote
( The programs I use are "utility" programs not games.... )

Well it was just an example  Smiley All my utility programs run natively under Linux.
I can download pics from my camera, edit them, and print them all without changing OS's. I can author DVD's and burn them, and play the odd game.  Grin
As to filling up your pc with updates, you are aware the the new program replaces the old one and any redundant libs etc are removed, that is why sometimes it will say that <xKb> will be freed after this update.
Anyway back OT. Given the "saturation" that XP has I doubt they will ever get rid of it in the short term, esp as a lot of it is now in embedded systems (like cash machines)
HPsauce
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Re: Mission Impossible?

Quote from: Hairy
Well what would you rather have, a 150Mb "service pack" ever year or a few kb every week or so?

You need to keep up.  Grin
(obviously not a regular Windows user/maintainer, it's not been like that for ages  Wink )
If you don't believe me, go and check how many service packs each version of Windows has had released during it's lifetime.  Cool
(My Windows 7 system that I'm typing this on has had one in its whole life of well over 3 years)
HairyMcbiker
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Re: Mission Impossible?

No I am not a regular user, last time I installed a clean copy of xp, it took the whole day to download sp's and updates. (And it was a slipstreamed sp3 version).
I dropped using M$ about 7 years ago now, not really missed it.