[Steve]

Arguably the best OS ever, and certainly durable. XP SP3 still runs as snappy as can be on my T60 laptop with 2 GB of memory. And aside from IE 9, I've yet to come across a Windows application that runs significantly better under Win 7 on my desktop machine. And the inability to run IE9's likely a marketing limitation, since Chrome (25) and Firefox still run as smooth as butter under XP.

Computerworld - Windows XP has fewer than 500 days left to live, according to Microsoft and third-party countdown clocks.

Microsoft will end support for XP on April 8, 2014, when it will issue a final security update for the 11-year-old operating system. [more]

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Doesn't mean it won't work... just means they won't be updating the OS with patches for anything...

11 years is a very long time.

 

[dpeters11]

Exactly. It will still work, but I honestly do not believe it should be in the Internet after that date unless you really know what you're doing.

I have told my mother that she has to upgrade to 7 prior to that date. She already owns the software, I had her buy the upgrade when they had the cheap deal. She doesn't like some of the software versions of programs that are compatible. She knows the day is coming.

 

[Cyber36]

Exactly. It will still work, but I honestly do not believe it should be in the Internet after that date unless you really know what you're doing.

I have told my mother that she has to upgrade to 7 prior to that date. She already owns the software, I had her buy the upgrade when they had the cheap deal. She doesn't like some of the software versions of programs that are compatible. She knows the day is coming.

Cheap deal? How much did you pay & where if you don't mind me asking?

 

[dpeters11]

Microsoft priced the upgrade to 7 at $50. That deal is long gone, but there currently is a $40 deal for Windows 8, as a download.

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Microsoft priced the upgrade to 7 at $50. That deal is long gone, but there currently is a $40 deal for Windows 8, as a download.

And it is in many spots between $55 and $70 if you want the disk as well.

With the ability to go to Desktop mode in Windows 8, haven't had many issues with it yet.