Windows XP Isn't Safe to Use Anymore. Here's What to Do Next

The XP follies ::::::::

Read the article here:  Windows XP Isn't Safe to Use Anymore. Here's What to Do Next.

Good information, well presented. No hype or scare tactics, just useful info and good ideas on what to do.
 
Above link posted by humble2k14 here: http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/338444-no-more-xp-updates/#entry2389686

Amen, great article.  No hype, no scare tactics, no hard sell.

Most "Get off XP now" articles are from Microsoft, and when you want to "Learn more" it takes you to a page where you can buy Win 8.  But this one seems very fair and balanced, and takes account of the fact that not everybody is able to upgrade straight away.

For those planning on upgrading XP to 8.1, the upgrade requires wiping your hard drive. Microsoft has a step-by-step tutorial.

Best of all though, would be to buy a new computer with improved  and more powerful hardware.

8.1 will already be installed.

A lot of the people I work with (church Thrift store) don't have the money to upgrade to Win 7 or 8 or buy a new computer . Many are barely making ends meet, some are  not even doing that. The economy still stinks, jobs are still scarce and by now most are not getting unemployment or much in the way of assistance.

Being forced to get off of XP with the scare tactics MS is using does not take these people into consideration at all. I can't believe it would cost MS anything to continue to support MSE on XP for a couple more years.

Hi Ztruker, that's why I've not been quick to lambaste anybody for not upgrading ….. even if they had the money, some people are frightened of upgrades.  What if it goes wrong?  What will happen to all my data?  Then "How do I do ?" after the upgrade, when they find that everything has moved.

If you're using an XP machine that's more than a few years old, you're going to need a new computer to upgrade to 7 or 8, more $$$ that people don't have.

As you say, the improving economy that they keep banging on about in the news means that people are still not getting pay rises, the cost of living keeps going up, jobs are hard to come by and generally this improvement in the economy sucks.  Plain and simple.

When all is said and done, some people will still be getting all sorts of Melware, regardless of what OS they use. They will still be happily clicking on links they shouldn't and opening email attachments they never should either whether they upgrade from XP or not

No windows operating system is immune from the operator, regardless of  Microsoft support or new "gee-wizz" OS.

As far as XP goes, people who can't afford to upgrade/buy a new computer/or mostly, just can't be bothered, will keep on using it because they are used to it and it requires no new learning curve. Turn it on and it works with cosy familiarity. They are not interested in the tech side of computers, no more that I'm interested in how my Pajero works. I just know it (mostly) does and has been for the last 30 yrs. Do I need a vehicle upgrade because it lost it's warranty a long ago? Probably, but as long as it still gets me from point A to point B, I'll keep on using the vehicle thanks because I just can't afford a newer one.

When you consider that 90% of all security updates were for that hopeless IE anyway,  XP will continue to be used without updates until it grinds to a halt and the user has to get a new desktop/laptop, or at least upgrade their old PC due to the improved hardware and more RAM which W7(Vista -version II) or W8 (Vista -version III) demands.

The sky is not going to fall in now that Microsoft has turned off support as support for most  anti-virus and 3rd party malware protection products will continue with their updates for some time to come. Heck, my local hospital still uses 98 because it is needed to program a lot of it's expensive medical software they cannot afford to upgrade!