Windows XP Riskier Than Ever, Microsoft Security Report Says

[Guest]

Microsoft's latest report encourages Windows XP users to upgrade before the company ends support for the operating system in April 2014.

Windows XP Riskier Than Ever, Microsoft Security Report Says : Read more

 

[jacobdrj]

Honestly, Microsoft: Look at the writing on the wall...
Everyone is giving their OSs away for free, or darn close to it...
Make the OS AFFORDABLE, and get your real money from your App Store that you have already baked into all of your current OSs...
If windows was $40 dollars, no questions asked, it would relieve the burden of upgrading/constructing a new computer.
At $110... It is too much. always has been. Even with inflation, the price on the OS has been the major stumbling block for the OEM and the salesman alike...a

 

[ohim]

If by everyone you mean Apple.. see how much they charge for the hardware running that OS.... and yes.. i would love your idea of 40$ Windows but that`s not gonna happen

 

[hrhuffnpuff]

I still rock XP, though I use it mainly for older games( Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, etc.). I have Steam and other games on 7 on a separate hard drive.

 

[burkhartmj]

Open source has been free and unimportant in the consumer/OEM space for decades [yes, there's servers and the web, but that has nothing to do with this article]. Apple has released a SINGLE free version of its OS, because they are a hardware company offering an OS. The price of your OS is wrapped up in the hardware, it is by no means free. if you consider what is commonly referred to as the 'Apple tax' as the cost of the Operating system [since it is now the primary differentiator from Windows PC's], then a 'free' version of OS X is still way more costly to you than a retail license of Win8.

 

[Avus]

"If by everyone you mean Apple.. see how much they charge for the hardware running that OS.... and yes.. i would love your idea of 40$ Windows but that`s not gonna happen "

Not true, it happened before. There was a $40 (for Win 8 PRO) upgrade program for Win XP/Vista/7 users when Windows 8 was released. Some Windows 7 users can even get it as low as $15!!! (cheaper than a DLC for a game!!) I personally purchased 4 copies and help many of my customers to do so. That was one of the best $15/$40 spend for a Windows user!! I actually was banking Microsoft will do the same for Windows 8.1 and was ready to help some more of my friends and customers to do so... Sadly MS think their Windows 8.1 will be popular enough not to offer that...

 

[Avus]

Just want to say...
For a $40 windows upgrade, many people will buy it for their old, not so old or even pretty new computer...

For a $110 windows upgrade, many people will keep using their old and not so old computers with Windows XP. They rather spend that $110 toward to their next computer which already comes with Windows 8.1. To them that Win 8.1 is FREE.

I read some where before that Microsoft was originally want to offer cheap windows upgrade as a yearly thing. But i guess Microsoft may get pressure from computer manufacturers not to do it because this will make people tend to keep their old computer and not to buy new...

 

[ohim]

If by everyone you mean Apple.. see how much they charge for the hardware running that OS.... and yes.. i would love your idea of 40$ Windows but that`s not gonna happen

 

[ahnilated]

This is a funny article coming from Microsoft the person that wants to make more money on their very poor offering, IE Windows 8.

 

[etaxdoa]

If they stopped tampering with the interface with each release of windowz people would upgrade... am just a casual user with colleagues of the same ilk... most loathe the upgrade path as it requires to relearn how, what, when, where and why to do the simple things all over. Give users the option of a new os with the old interface, why reinvent it each time. Am dreading learning windows 8 when all my friends and old folks have to abandon xp. Windows 7 was a big enough turd to learn how to do it all over again.... and I am still accidentally deleting folders in`My Computer`

But I am just that 20% not involved in day to day IT who's experience doesn't help justify some microsoft employee's idea of how to make windows easier to use by rearranging the interface. How would microsoft employees liked it if someone came in and rearranged their desks and moved their office every day... which is akin to the experience of yhe casual user of windows

 

[mwallek]

I love how companies can 1, put out an incomplete product then "patch" it down the line, and 2, abandon support for that product as a means of forcing an upgrade that may not be needed. Love the need inhuman.

 

[g00fysmiley]

all these people shoudl switch to ubuntu for free (thogh nice to donate to the cause, i usually say throw em a finskey ($10) you get a mroe secure operating system and for most people they don't need windows, comes with free office programs and firefox installed so there is nto really a compelling reason beyond gaming to stick with windows. if DirectX worked on linux i would never spend another dime on m$ again instead i keep a gaming pc and a pc for actual use with a good OS

 

[tomc100]

If you're using your pc for internet and word processing, then there's probably no need for any upgrade. If you're into gaming then go for windows 7. Windows 8 is utter garbage unless you download and install "classic shell". MS gave their customers the finger when they released windows 8.1 and brought back a useless start button which brings you back to that idiotic metro UI. Customers didn't want just a start button. They wanted a FUNCTIONAL start button with the start menu!

 

[eza]

upgraded two grandparents' XP laptops to Ubuntu recently - was quicker and easier than removing the malware that was on them.

with Ubuntu they find their machines are faster, more responsive, and easier to use. they also find the font rendering more easy on the eyes in Ubuntu.

now they're also immune to Windows-based viruses, which means fewer support calls to me - everyone wins when you get rid of XP!

 

[therealduckofdeath]

jacobdrj

It's really easy to "give the OS away" if you charge $1,000+ for the PC. Microsoft doesn't get a cut of Lenovo's profits off their PC sales.

 

[therealduckofdeath]

tomc100

Tell me exactly how many hours you spend every day browsing your Start Menu, and also why it is so horribly painful for you to use a different layout on that, apparently, frequently used menu?

 

[Guest]

Some people will just accept any old pile of crap thrown together if it comes in a shiny new box. I mean if it is new, it must mean better? There was nothing wrong with XP. All they have to do is update the OS, not the interface, or just offer Windows with the 3 common interfaces, which are classic 2000/XP look, Vista7/Mac look, or Tablet/8 look? If they make it affordable and give people what they want, why wouldn't people buy it?

 

[Avro Arrow]

Wow, Microsoft urging people to give them more money for a newer version of Windows. What a surprise. Microsoft's arrogance has turned consumer opinion against them and while they may be extrenched in the PC space, consumers will take every opportunity to screw them over. Microsoft did this to themselves with subpar products like Vista and Windows 8. If Microsoft doesn't figure their $%#! out soon, they'll be left in the dust. Windows 8 is an unmitigated disaster, but hey, we knew it would be. After all, when is the last time that a version of Windows came out that didn't suck right away? Even XP Pro was awful before SP2 came out. Microsoft's practice of removing choice from the consumer is alive and well, proven by the fact that all new laptops come with that horrible Windows 8 pre-installed when Windows 7 is so much better.

 

[canadianvice]

People need to move forward eventually. Technology doesn't have time for luddites; it's simple: upgrade, or suffer. I'm a firm believer that if people can't be bothered to learn how to use something, they shouldn't have it, and the PC is one example.

If you don't know how to use Windows, I don't want to have the whole OS held back to accommodate you.

I do admit, I think I prefer Windows 7, simply because some aspects of 8.1 lack polish. What I wish MS would do, simply, is just leave the option or a registry hack to enable one or the other.

 

[tipoo]

Everyone who thinks MS should give away their OS for free is missing the point. Apple sells hardware with software meant to sell it, Microsoft sells the software themselves. It's like asking Apple to give away macs for free.