Windows XP: Usage Declining After 10 Years
With Windows XP being released more than 10 years ago its still amazing that it is still on top when it comes to the most widely used operating system. The question still stands however, why?!
Many users have become comfortable with Windows XP and everyone hates change so it is really no surprise that users are holding on to the antiquated operating system. There are however major problems with holding onto old technology.
The first major problem is support. Windows XP is slated to lose its support in early August of 2014. “So why not hold on to Windows XP a little longer, I heard Windows 8 is coming out soon?” While there are many users out there with that mentality, it is bad practice to hold on to an operating system beyond its useful life.
The fact is there is a great alternative to Windows XP that has been out long enough that the bugs have been worked out and is a stable alternative. Windows 7 is the alternative, while many users are nervous about moving on to a new operating system because they don’t like change, Windows 7 is a very intuitive, stable and user friendly operating system.
The second reason you should not be holding on to Windows XP over Windows 7 is the simple fact of security. Windows 7 has been proven to be more than five times as secure as Windows XP.That’s right, all those viruses you get in Windows XP due to its numerous security holes do not exist in Windows 7. While its true there are still some viruses and malware in Windows 7, this is true of any software (Yes even a Mac…).
Many businesses are starting to see these facts as well and are not waiting around for Windows 8. So why are they not waiting?
Well, current reviews of Windows 8 have very mixed opinions on whether or not it will be a good fit for businesses. Much like Vista was to the Windows XP user, Windows 8 is going to be a very different looking and feeling operating system.Many people in the Information Technology field have their doubts as to whether it will fit into businesses well due to the drastic changes that have been made in the users interface.
While Windows 8 is still not released to the general public yet, it still appears that it will be too big of a change for those in the business world that generally are not early adopters of new Windows operating systems (Sound familiar?).
Many businesses are just starting to push into Windows 7 for their primary workstations and the numbers of Windows XP computers versus the number of Windows 7 computers out are starting to show that. Windows XP has dropped over 10% in the past year which is huge! As a matter of fact Windows 7 gained 15% last year which means not only is it doing well enough to take those XP users, but it also managed to steal some users from other operating systems.
The long and short is it is time to get that upgrade and stop wasting your time with Windows XP. Windows XP will cost you more to maintain due to the fact that it is more likely to have viruses and other problems. Windows 7 is the way to go don’t wait until Windows XP support finally dies then decide its time.The time is now, save yourself the hassle and plan the upgrade process now rather than waiting till the last minute.
We can get you upgraded to Windows 7 or, if your computer is too old to put the money and time into it to switch to Windows 7, we can get a computer for you with Windows 7 and transfer all of your existing data to it. Just give us a call.
Feature article by:
Frank Wright
Upgrade Your Computer For The New Year!
 Will Alston is a PC hardware technician with Tech Experts. |
The question arises every time there is an issue with the typical system. Should I upgrade the system, or by a new one?”
This question is most easily answered with a little more information.
How old is the system? Typically a system 6 plus years old or so is probably ot going to worth the expense of upgrading. You would probably get a better bang for your buck replacing the system.
However, if your system is not really that old you can achieve remarkable performance improvements by upgrading your system.
For instance, upgrading you hard drive increases your “physical memory.” Physical memory is the amount of hard drive space you have for the storage of data.
Many newer systems come with an average of 100-300 Gigabytes of on-board physical memory. While this may sound like a lot, you might find that your physical memory can fill up fast.
With more and more people storing photos and homemade movies on their PC, without adequate storage space, you could find that you’ve run out of space and you may need to delete old memories for new ones. And no one wants to lose those memories.
Luckily, the cost of physical memory is getting cheaper every day, without sacrificing any of the storage quality. And now, solid state hard drives arequite expense, and the performance is even better. Best of all, there are no moving parts to fail.
Adding RAM or “in use memory” is one way to increase performance rather inexpensively. RAM determines how much data you can work with at any one time.
If your RAM is low, you may be able to run a limited number of programs simultaneously. The higher amount of RAM your computer uses, the more applications and data you can access at the same time and the more
quickly your CPU can work. The CPU and RAM work nearly hand-in-hand to increase the speed and functionality of your computer.
By increasing your CPU and RAM, you will be able to work with more than one program at one time and switch between the applications quickly with less lag time.
The CPU is where all the processing of data takes place. The more powerful your computer’s brain (CPU), the faster your computer can process tasks. For example, if you get a little frustrated waiting for your web browser to load, upgrading your processing speed could help your computer start up faster, and help applicationslaunch more quickly.
We have upgraded my workstation here at the office by adding more RAM, and I cannot believe the difference this has made in the ability of the system to process data quickly. If there is one upgrade I would recommend over any other, it would be to upgrade your computer’s memory.
Even the biggest and best upgrades can’t help a computer that is slowed down because it is thoroughly infected. You have to take care when you are on the Internet and watch for malware that can attack your freshly upgraded computer.
And remember to let the techs at Tech Experts assist you in all your computing needs.