Hardware 2.0

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

7 reasons to stick with Windows XP

By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | February 10, 2010, 6:18am PST

Last week a reader challenged me to come up with 7 valid (-ish!) reasons for users to stick with Windows XP rather than upgrading to Windows 7.

Here you go!

Stick with what you know
Every new OS comes with a learning curve. Sometimes that curve is gentle, sometimes it’s steep. By sticking with what you already know, you’re bypassing the whole learning curve thing altogether!
Certainty
Installing a new OS is a leap into the unknown as far as hardware and software compatibility goes. If you do your research you can reduce on these unknowns, but you can never truly eliminate them. Even with the best research and testing, it’s possible that something in your hardware and software ecosystem won’t take kindly to the upgrade.
Cost
While many people like to cling on to the belief that upgrading operating systems will save them money, in the real world this is rarely the case. Not only will the OS upgrade itself set you back a fair few dollars per system, but you then need to factor in other expenses (basically, replacements for anything that ends up not working because of the upgrade).
XP is still supported by Microsoft
Microsoft will continue to offer what it calls extended support for Windows XP (running the latest Service Pack) up until April 2014. This means that you will still be able to get security updates for the operating system for years to come.
Developers still support XP
Software developers still support XP, which means you can still find and get updates for software you run on your XP system. Remember, the OS is just a platform for other software.
Upgrade components to stay secure!
Rather than upgrading your entire operating system in the hope that you’ll be more secure, upgrade old and obsolete software you have installed on your OS instead.
Secunia PSI is a great piece of kit for ferreting out vulnerable software that’s buried on your systems.
Do you really need to upgrade?
Think about it. What are you really missing by not upgrading? Again, while the sales literature for Windows 7 looks good, you need to think about how those new features will translate into value for money on the ground.

See, that was easy!

Just to be clear, I could come up with 7 reasons to stick with Vista or upgrade to Windows7 too … :)

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily e-mail newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

More from “Hardware 2.0”

Mozilla jumped the gun, add-on malware turns out to be false-positive

Will Apple approve Opera Mini for the iPhone?

Topics

Operating System, Secunia PSI, Microsoft Windows XP, Tools & Techniques, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Management, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Full Bio
Disclosure
Contact

Vendor HotSpot

Here to help you with your Document Management Needs

Read the DocuMentor blog now

Learn More »

Talkback Most Recent of 377 Talkback(s)

Follow via:: RSS; Email Alert

better yet

you can find 100 reasons to switch to Linux.
Linux Geek
10th Feb 2010
- Reply to
- Flagged
And 10,000 reasons not to

NT
bobiroc
10th Feb 2010
- Reply to
- Flag
Only need 1 reason not to: It isn't Windows (nt)

.
ericesque
10th Feb 2010
- Flag
Oh there are couple reasons

1. No Cost (other than your time)
2. Less targeted by Malware (for now)
3. Hmmm... nope that's about it.
bobiroc
10th Feb 2010
- Flag
but....

1 No cost?

What about the cost of lost productivity with moving to a completely different platform?

2. Malware?

I agree that Linux is much more secure, but to be far, Windows 7 is more secure than XP.

Just sayin'
mgj09
10th Feb 2010
- Flag
Those are things to defnintely consider

nt
bobiroc
10th Feb 2010
- Flag
but...

I think XP is more secure because most exploits have been discovered and patched where as with Win 7 exploits just haven't been discovered yet.
bruiser2
10th Feb 2010
- Flag
How true

Windows 7 is basically the same scenario as the whole Mac vs. Windows debate. Just as Apple wants you to think that their stuff is a million times more secure than any version of Windows, when it really isn't for the most part. The stuff is simply less popular, so it currently has fewer people finding malicious ways to exploit it.
Crash2100
10th Feb 2010
- Flag
That doesn't really make sense

Windows 7 (and even Vista) greatly improved security but it cannot account for people that turn the security off or blindly click on things. You can go into XP and make it more secure by turning off services you do not need and running your user accounts as standard users instead of admins but Windows is still Windows so while there will be new security issues discovered as time goes on Microsoft did improve security. Other OSes are the same which is why you see security updates for them as well.
bobiroc
10th Feb 2010
- Flag
I kinda disagree for 2 reasons...

1.) There's that 17 year old vulnerability someone recently found that goes back to Windows 3.1.. If they could find one that one, they can find more. It may not be released until the final week of extended support in 2014 or they may wait until the week after support formally expires just to watch the mayhem.

2.) XP wasn't designed to be as secure. At least with Vista and 7, Microsoft made a conscious effort to make the entire platform secure.
Wolfie2K3
10th Feb 2010
- Flagged
Linux? Secure? LOL!!!

"I agree that Linux is much more secure, but to be far, Windows 7 is more secure than XP."

Linux is NOT secure by any stretch of the word. You should do a little homework on the statement you just made. It's the whole reason Linux isn't in the office-place and never will be. The only company to ever "secure" anything like Linux was Novell when they bought Unix7, stripped it to the bone and recompiled it into Novell Server 1.0. But no one has tried it since. Gee, I wonder why?

NOT!

And Windows 7 is what Vista was supposed to be! But I'm sticking with XP64 until the wheels fall off! There is no GOOD reason to switch unless you like starting over with a new computer and a fresh OS. But then you must like throwing money away too.
Dr.Who
10th Feb 2010
- Flag
Show us this homework you speak of

In other words, you just made a claim that goes completely against every other claim made about Linux by anyone with any kind of credibility. Now prove it.

Either that or stop posting idiocy.
tmsbrdrs
10th Feb 2010
- Flag
Quick and easy Linux security

Jack Wallen (2010), Quick and easy Linux security, Ghacks.net, retrieved 2010, Feb 11, from http://www.ghacks.net/2010/02/02/quick-and-easy-linux-security/

LinusSecurity.com, (2010), Guardian Digital, Inc., http://www.linuxsecurity.com/
Isocrates
11th Feb 2010
- Flag
Yes and No

You're wrong and you're right. Linux isn't necessarily secure--different flavors and distros offer different levels; some are even designed to be insecure (for testing purposes). But out of the box most distros are ahead of XP, and likely 7--and it has the potential to be *very* secure.

Actually security isn't the reason Linux hasn't made headway in the office. Active Directory and the integration it offers have a lot to do with that. Also MS is at a huge advantage because so many enterprise applications (Symantec Backup Exec, Photoshop, etc.) are all supported on Windows but aren't all supported on other platforms--and they integrate better with Windows shops.

I'm with you on sticking with XP, on my Windows boxes--but on my main system, and for what I plan to do long-term, I've dropped MS altogether and switched to Xubuntu.
LeonBA
22nd Mar 2010
- Flag
just sayin

Windows 2000 is also more secure than XP, so is Windows 98 and 95 for that matter due to the relatively low market share.

Yes, Linux is more secure by far. That's not the only reason to use it but it most certainly is one of the reasons.

Also, you'll have a harder time switching someone to Vista or Windows 7 than you would switching them to Ubuntu or SimplyMepis. If you give someone something that seems slightly familiar, they'll get lost much more quickly than if you give them something less familiar.
tmsbrdrs
10th Feb 2010
- Flag