Alfred622 wrote:
Some people may think that when Microsoft Support on XP ends next month that their software will suddenly stop working. No, end of support just means that Microsoft won't continue making patches and bug fixes available. Usually those patches become less and less frequent as the operating system ages since fewer bugs remain. Also, the majority of bugs are intended to protect against issues brought to your system via the internet. So if you are careful and don't use internet much on an old system, end of support may not impact you at all. Things that used to work will continue to work.
When you buy new software you'll want to verify its compatibility. For example, some software you can buy today will only run on Windows 8, or may only run on Windows 7 and above. If you're still using XP at that time, you can deal with it then.
I tend to keep the original operating system on each computer I buy. I keep installing the manufacturers updates. Then, when it comes time to replace the system, I'll buy all new hardware & new operating system at that time. This is one of the reasons that PC sales are down right now- consumers do not want Windows 8 therefore they are not buying new - or they are looking at Apple. I'm giving serious consideration to switching to Ubuntu (linux - free) and Open Office (also free). More and more people are moving in that direction.
Good thinking.
Ubuntu is fast, free, and way less prone to viruses.
Good luck, all!
