IRS Admits to Still Using Windows XP

[Guest]

With most of their computers still running XP, the IRS will pay Microsoft millions for extra security support as they slowly upgrade to 7.

IRS Admits to Still Using Windows XP : Read more

 

[danwat1234]

Hopefully the updates will be leaked so they'll be free for all.

 

[someguynamedmatt]

Oh no. Not the IRS enforcement budget. Please, don't take from that one.

 

[ddpruitt]

Clearly the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) isn't as good at keeping deadlines as it is at setting them.

That's an interesting lead given that the IRS set up the support some time ago and they let it be known that the reason they hadn't upgraded is due to the budgetary constraints from our (dysfunctional) government. If anything I would say they're pretty good at meeting deadlines.

 

[skit75]

IRS Budgets have been cut for the past three years in an effort to obstruct enforcement of the A.C.A.

 

[Darkk]

Win XP is still a decent OS but soon won't be able to keep up with the security threats. Also, some apps and drivers are only available on Win XP so there are some considerations there that would make it expensive to transition over. But the government had plenty of warning.

 

[JOSHSKORN]

I'm starting to think we should be able to Opt-Out of giving the IRS our SSN, considering they're still running Windows XP.

 

[kawininjazx]

Oh no the IRS has to spend $30 million out of their pockets to pay for this, oh wait they are digging into our pockets.

 

[Zaranthos]

Microsoft can now extend support for XP since we're paying for updates with taxpayer money. Well, that and Windows 8.x is garbage many people don't like.

 

[dalethepcman]

$30M for patching seems ridiculous. For $30M you could buy a huge NAS array, setup a SCCM server, enable PoE and magic packets, wake up every XP machine and back them up, then wipe and install windows 7 en mass.

The whole process would be done in a week, with a few stragglers left behind... Lazy IT department or too much bureaucratic tape.

 

[Camikazi]

$30M for patching seems ridiculous. For $30M you could buy a huge NAS array, setup a SCCM server, enable PoE and magic packets, wake up every XP machine and back them up, then wipe and install windows 7 en mass.

The whole process would be done in a week, with a few stragglers left behind... Lazy IT department or too much bureaucratic tape.

Or old, OS specific programs that won't work on Windows 7 those show up a lot in businesses.

 

[soldier44]

Still a lot better than that horrid Win 8 nonsense.

 

[danwat1234]

But with Start8 or other software it's like running windows 7 but better

 

[f-14]

this is probably the most financially responsible decision the government has made. no reason to upgrade these machines aren't supposed to be trolling the internet anyways, they're work machines not internet play toys so there's really very little need to upgrade non internet machines.

upgrading from XP means you have to upgrade all those machines with less than 2gb of memory and 40gb hdd not to mention all those cpu's under 2GHZ.

changing the OS or these machines means you have to change almost all of the programs and accessory equipment you are currently using in order to have compatibility. how many PCs still use serial port and printer port and support dot matrix ps2 mouse and keyboard and probably the vga port monitors not to mention that older equipment uses less power than these 80-145w cpus as tomshardware is so definiantly proud of pointing out... it's going to make the places use more electricity and thus require more power for cooling and burn more coal to produce that extra power and yadda yadda snowball down a mountain turns into an avalanche b.s.

it's just cheaper to upgrade all around from a financial point of view only when the machines get upgraded which usually come with the newest OS anyways.

 

[danwat1234]

f-14, the idle power consumption is quite low for new PCs especially with no mechanical hard drive and video cards that shut off, LED backlit screens.