Have a look at this article from Windows Secrets: http://windowssecrets.com/comp/081113/

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How to maintain XP after Microsoft ends support

By Stuart J. Johnston

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said recently that it's OK with him if you want to stick with Windows XP until Windows 7 is available late next year.

XP lovers may still be able to buy a new PC with that operating system installed for another year or so, but unfortunately, Microsoft plans to end most free support for the OS within months.

On that date — Apr. 14, 2009 — millions of PC users, some of whom bought their systems less than a year earlier, will be left in the lurch. These users will have to pay Microsoft for Windows XP support, although downloading critical security patches is expected to remain free of charge.

The end of support is planned despite the fact that consumers can still buy a new PC that runs XP rather than Vista, which was released nearly two years ago. It's ironic that no less a personage than Microsoft chief Ballmer tells users that staying with XP until Windows 7 ships late next year is a viable option.

What's a poor Windows XP user to do?................

If

security patches is expected to remain free of charge.

Then what is support? and do you know anyone who has ever used it?

I've just advised my non-tech brother on buying a new laptop. We couldn't find one in his price range that still shipped with XP (all too expensive) so we had to settle for windows home premium. I made sure he got with with at least 2Gb RAM so the thing could run and he's really happy with it.

Next year I'll be upgrading my windoze machine. I always build desktops myself and have decided that I will have to get an OEM version of Vista Premium (home or business) and then build it with 8Gb RAM so it runs okay.

I have done a lot of reading up on this "Windows 7" - and it is looking great. They are keeping the vista kernal but rebuiilding everything else... I am actually keen to give it a bash when it comes out. I am however stoked that I didnt take the vista plunge... what a disappointing waste of money that would have been.

The change from vista to Windows 7 is expected to be on par with the change from windows 2000 to windows Xp Pro... good change if you ask me.

Sucks that XP support will be going out the window but then again, I never use their support for anything - WinXp with SP2 is perfect in my experience.

I am planning on a  new puter - xp again for me, though I hardly run any MS products any more.....

maybe xp will be upgradeable to 7

I have Windows home premium on my laptop,i am happy with it.We have never used surport but that may be as my boys build their own computers.
Can i just say somthing that isn,t really about this topic.How many of you have a glass of wine or a beer when on your lap top,i droped a glass on wine on mine and it fried,so beware

Janet

JanetMc wrote:

Can i just say somthing that isn,t really about this topic.How many of you have a glass of wine or a beer when on your lap top,i droped a glass on wine on mine and it fried,so beware

I love a drink while working - it frees up the mind. But by the time i can't hold the glass, the computer's long gone!

matte wrote:

I am planning on a  new puter - xp again for me, though I hardly run any MS products any more.....

maybe xp will be upgradeable to 7

Nope - that would be way to easy - chances are though, if you can up from XP to Vista, you can up from xp to 7. Vista and Win7 are the same at the level of guts and blood... so why not. I would not put it past MS to stuff it up though.

I will let you know how drinking and working goes after the 4th Dec when I am technically unemployed - I see myself losing interest in work and killing off other south africans in Far Cry 2 though - work work work

I just wish they'd drop the price on their products. $300+ is way too expensive for Winblow's typical standard-issue-garbage-truck.

If you ask 'em, I'm sure they'll give the same excuse that ALL manufactures give the little guy - "The market won't bare it"

But ask 'em why they sell it so dirt cheap to other manufactures like Dell, HP, etc, and they'll stutter like a retard on crack.

MrStitch wrote:

I just wish they'd drop the price on their products. $300+ is way too expensive for Winblow's typical standard-issue-garbage-truck.

That's why I buy my copies OEM when i build a computer

~£80 for Vista Home Premium - but you have to buy a major computer component at the same time, like a motherboard and a CPU

Rumor has it, the OEM versions of vista cant be installed again. Once you upgrade again (eg: motherboard pops and you replace it) you have to buy another copy of Vista... Isnt it in your best interest to just go full?

- complete BS on microshafts part by the by

RAESteyn wrote:

Isnt it in your best interest to just go full?

No, not really.

The only issue is if your hard drive goes down. Okay, so this is more common than a motherboard failure....but...

What happens when you buy a new computer with windows pre-installed? You either get a restore disk or you're told to make one before you do anything else.

If that rumour is true, I will just make sure that I make some sort of image of my hard drive when I have my new computer up and running...

...but we all make backups anyway, don't we???

Northie wrote:

...but we all make backups anyway, don't we???

You live in beautiful world Northie

Yeah, I would go the image route if I were you 2 Oem copies cost more than one re-usable copy. I am gonna wait for Win 7 before I spend any dosh though.

So, why name it windoze 7?
There's been many revisions since it's inception, here's my guess.

win 3.x
-- Series 4 --
win95
win97 (yep it really did exist)
win98
win me (it had M.E.)
-- Start of NT Concepts/framework/architecture, Series 5 --
win NT
win 2K
win xp
win server 2003
-- Series 6 --
win vista
-- Series 7 --
Windoze 7 - yet someone said keeping the vista kernel?

Please correct me where i'm wrong - if you know better as I am interested to know

Benchmarks tests show no improvements from Windows 7 and Vista.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/11/ … s-7_1.html

matte wrote:

maybe xp will be upgradeable to 7

I'll put money on it. So many customers have yet to upgrade to Vista because of the bad press it's gotten (and horrible performance, etc), so if they release Win7 and force customers to get Vista FIRST, either those people will stick with XP as long as they can, go to Linux, or take the plunge and go to Mac.

Heres Some reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7

Heres Some Watching (kinda makes me wanna scream "GET YUO ####### FinGERS OFF MY ####### SCREEN!")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqDQ0wUcSPQ

And in my opinion... windows 7 should fall under the 6 series with Vista - like windows 95 was to 98, Win 7 is just vista, albeit fixed and improved.

Late Addition:
Explanation to your Series system Northie - looks like I was off to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1UnGOJn … re=related

Haven't you seen the Mac commercial?  Microsoft doesn't want people referring to the name Microsoft Vi*BEEP* anymore because of the bad reputation associated with it.

Laurie/ Northie

I run vista on my laptop and XP on the fixed putors
I find the XP much easier to work with ( perhaps devil you know ) Admittedly I have bee looking at going Mac as it seems to be far more stable than MS.

Challenge with that of course is then the existing programs that I use - all pc of course. I know that you can now buy and parallel run both Mac and XP.... but that is way demanding on your cpu and memory.

I must say I have never used XP support - always got on with it  - multi builds done and sp 2 and 3  - stable as it comes.

Having said all of that I will probably go windows 7  -  but I will wait on the first service pack before I do upgrade. I remember XP launch whith loads of security issues in the first weeks

Northie  - I am interested in your oem suggestion - is this from the PC supplier?

cloggie192 wrote:

Northie  - I am interested in your oem suggestion - you as this from the PC supplier?

When you buy a new computer it usually comes with an OS already installed. the licence used here is called an OEM licenece.

If you buy an essential part of a PC, such as a motherboard then you can usually buy an OEM disk as well - as you're building the pc yourself.

Most computer/component retailers will sell OEM software, but don't go looking on the high street.

I generally use scan.co.uk for the majority of my computer needs

JanetMc wrote:

I have Windows home premium on my laptop,i am happy with it.We have never used surport but that may be as my boys build their own computers.
Can i just say somthing that isn,t really about this topic.How many of you have a glass of wine or a beer when on your lap top,i droped a glass on wine on mine and it fried,so beware

Janet

Use to have a similar problem kept knocking out the key board. 
Daughter number one use to work at Staples and they got a batch of these rubbery, flexible keyboards, completley sealed so nothing gets in.  She got one and I tried it.  Took months for them to get another batch in, when they did, went and got one.  Cost $8.00
The keys are a bit more separated then on a regular hard key board but that's good for me because I tend to hit two keys at a time.

rubbery, flexible keyboards, completley sealed so nothing gets in.  ... Cost $8.00

Man why is stuff soooo cheap in the US???