Microsoft Worried About PCs Still Using Windows XP
It's time to let that tried and true OS go for good.
Microsoft has a huge challenge on its hands over the next six months: to not only sell customers on the greatness that is Windows 8.1, but to convince them that Windows XP is too old and too unsafe to use. As we've seen since the launch of Windows 8 last year, Microsoft is pushing consumers and businesses alike to ditch the old but popular OS for something a bit more spit shined like Windows 7 and Windows 8. Unfortunately, upgrading doesn't appear to be happening fast enough.
According to Microsoft's own numbers, around 377,000 PCs in New Zealand alone that are running Windows XP will be made vulnerable after April 8, 2014. Even more, those individuals and businesses could affect others who have already upgraded. Personal information could be put at risk as well as business trade secrets, customer account data and more. As reported earlier this week, hackers could reverse engineer fixes made to the newer platforms and see if the exploits work on Windows XP.
The time to upgrade, if it hasn't taken place already, is now. "We're well and truly at the stage where businesses and personal computer users need to upgrade to Windows 7 or Windows 8 – both to protect against risk, and to get the benefits of running a modern operating system," says Dean Edwards, Windows Business Group Manager at Microsoft NZ.
"For businesses, upgrading an operating system takes time," Edwards adds. "Depending on complexity, small businesses could take three to six months to upgrade, and larger businesses can take six months or more. We are really worried that some New Zealand companies are cutting it too close to the end of support date."
Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Microsoft said that the company will not guarantee updates of its anti-malware signature and engine after the Windows XP end of support date of April 8, 2014. More specifically, the rep said that running antivirus software on out of support operating systems is not an adequate solution to help protect against threats. Instead, a well-protected solution starts with using modern software and hardware designed to help protect against today's threat landscape… modern software like Windows 7 and Windows 8.
"In addition, Microsoft recommends best practices to protect your PC such as: 1) running up to date antivirus, 2) regularly applying security updates for all software installed, and 3) using modern software that has advanced security technologies and is supported with regular security updates," the rep added.
So how disruptive will it be for businesses to upgrade to Windows 7 or Windows 8? "We had 1,100 computers running XP in all our offices and branches, and migrating them to Windows 8 caused little disruption to the business," said Dave Veronese, CIO of House of Travel. "It was something we delayed doing for so long, but we've already noticed the benefit of using more up to date software and would highly recommend upgrading for the advantages of the new operating system."
In a chart recently provided by Microsoft, the number of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) mitigated by Windows XP's built-in DEP were surpassed by the CVEs that could bypass XP's baked-in protection in 2011. By 2012, that bypassing number of CVEs appears to have doubled. Now imagine that number after April 2014.
Anyone who hasn't upgraded or doesn't have a plan has had plenty of time.
While they're at it, they should upgrade their Windows for Workgroups 3.11 machines as well. It is also advisable they stop relying on MS-DOS on their other machines.
Especially for the older computers, XP users would want compatibility, low resource consumption and ease of use, so that way they won't need to bother upgrading both OS and hardware at the same time.
Windows 8? LOL. I mean, worse than 7, good for touchpad and bad for mouse and keyboard. No wonder M$ moans about, dev teams nowadays just can't get what users want.
Well.. it`s simple, you don`t like MS products don`t use them, and you have nothing to complain. I personally don`t go on Linux news/boards and start bitching about it for the things i don`t like or use that product.
"Low resource consumption". What the hell are you talking about there? The same bullshit was said by Windows 98 users when XP came to market. Unless you lived till now under a rock even a phone has 1 GB of Ram... your computer should have with ease above that point to be sufficient for a Win7 or 8.
And Windows 8 is worse than 7? Letting aside few things like missing start button (many actually find this better, some hate is so much that they will slash their wrists for it) and few other bullshit things for tablets that MS tried to put in, Windows 8 actually performs better than 7. Yes, price is high but the rest is total bullshit.
MSDOS had no bluescreens at all .. why the hell did people ever stopped using it... and why isn`t MS supporting it anymore ?
Well.. it`s simple, you don`t like MS products don`t use them, and you have nothing to complain. I personally don`t go on Linux news/boards and start bitching about it for the things i don`t like or use that product.
"Low resource consumption". What the hell are you talking about there? The same bullshit was said by Windows 98 users when XP came to market. Unless you lived till now under a rock even a phone has 1 GB of Ram... your computer should have with ease above that point to be sufficient for a Win7 or 8.
And Windows 8 is worse than 7? Letting aside few things like missing start button (many actually find this better, some hate is so much that they will slash their wrists for it) and few other bullshit things for tablets that MS tried to put in Windows 8 actually performs better than 7. Yes, price is high but the rest is total bullshit.
Its about the User experience. And the User experience with Windows 8 is profoundly negative. Those people upgrading from XP have upgraded from Win 3.11 to Win 95 to Win 98 to Win XP and there they stayed, because frankly, it was a good OS. Win 8 upgrade is jarring. Its not a better experience, its not a seemless migration with little or no training to use it. Its counter-intuitive.
It wasn't on the box, but is was in the TOS that you agreed to: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/products/lifecycle
In fact support should have ended 3 years ago, MS only support their operating systems for 10 years, meaning all the support you were entitled to ended in 2011. MS have extended this support for an additional 3 years completely free of charge.
And yet you still complain....