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Topic: Windows

The Windows XP alternatives gallery

Summary: XP will be falling off the Microsoft support wagon within a year, and Windows 8 is, ah, unattractive. Here are the best of your alternative choices.

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

By for Between the Lines |

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(Image: Screenshot by Steven J Vaughan-Nichols/ZDNet)

Your old friend, Windows XP

This may be your Windows XP desktop. A little crowded perhaps from all those handy apps you've gathered over the years, but still it's both familiar and friendly. Alas, it won't be supported for much longer. Read on for ideas about how to replace it.

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Topics: Windows, Android, Google Apps, Tablets, Software, Operating Systems, Linux, iOS, Google, Cloud, Apple, Windows 8

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42 comments
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  • New it

    How did I know that you wrote/published this article? In any way, shape, or form you hate on Windows and more so Windows 8. Get over yourself already.
    MSmanJosh
    Reply 6 Votes

    • update

      *knew
      MSmanJosh
      Reply 3 Votes

    • Did you read it?

      It concludes that windows 7 is the best fit for many win co users that are upgrading through necessity rather than choice. That's common sense; very similar interface, same programs can be installed... It's just going to be a case of learning that the windows are a bit see through and that they're going to get dummy-checked when they click on something.

      He clearly goes through all the sensible options, mentioning two from apple, two from MS, two from google... And one Linux. His conclusion is MS

      Seems you're getting annoyed at what you want him to have said than what he did say.
      MarknWill
      Reply 6 Votes

    • I assume that you commented without reading

      because, as has already been noted, his conclusion is Windows 7.

      Or maybe you just need to take another of those anti-paranoia pills that you seemingly skipped today.
      Restricted_access
      Reply 5 Votes

  • Really?

    Windows 8 is unattractive to those who don't know any better, or are proponents of alternative, never-going-to-catch-on operating systems that lack enterprise management and security features.

    Once again, the author knows how to make himself look like an inept Linux fanboy.
    SGalbincea
    Reply 6 Votes

    • Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

      Freedom of speech lets you voice that opinion.

      He doesn't mention anything about windows 8 apart from finding it ugly. He provides a picture. If you find it beautiful then kudos. If you find it ugly, then kudos. Would you prefer a list without his personal opinions? The Linux option is hardly the best looking Linux out there, just one made to look more like home....
      MarknWill
      Reply 6 Votes

      • Windows 8

        I'm just curios why didn't he show the Windows 8 desktop on the Windows 8 slide? That looks a lot like the Windows 7 familiar desktop and the only thing missing is a button. The Windows 8 desktop is more efficient than the Windows 7 one because it's more stable, secure, and faster. Not to mention that if you right click on the far left of the task bar you get a list of very useful commands that could not be accessed like that in Windows 7.
        Jabe124
        Reply 3 Votes

      • to think

        You're gonna avoid an os that comes with a number of functional upgrades, just because you find it ugly, shows how desperate you are to exaggerate the flaws... The only downside he could find was the ugliness of win8.. There were many in this fanboy's list to begin with. I guess all the laughter he received for his childish articles made the list shorter and shorter.. Now the only flaw he's emphasizing on is a vague and subjective one.. I don't care much about win8 but this kind of fanboyism or pointless hate whatever you wanna call it just pisses me off..
        Zami90
        Reply 4 Votes

    • Windows 8 has bifurcated users

      to those who love it . . . and those who hate it. Just as much as you are entitled to love it, others ARE entitled to dislike it.
      Restricted_access
      Reply 3 Votes

      • bifurcated

        The all time BS bingo word.
        Alan Smithie
        Reply 1 Vote

  • You're one of the very few people I know that places the Start menu at top

    Hey! Now this is more like it. Windows, check. Icons, check. Menus, check. Mouse pointer, check! Welcome to an XP style WIMP interface."

    Except it looks more like MacOS X than XP - you're one of the very, very few people I know who places the Start bar on the top, rather than on the bottom.

    Although with Linux I suppose that it could be moved - with a bit of effort.

    And the arrangement of stuff in the menu will seem pretty alien to anybody who has been using Windows for any length of time. It's not exactly like Windows. It has a learning curve.
    CobraA1
    Reply 1 Vote

    • Desktop screenshots

      Since all of those screenshots have the menu closed and are just sitting at the desktop he could have very easily had the Windows 8 screenshot be the system sitting at the desktop and it would have looked exactly like the Windows 7 screenshot just without the Windows logo for the start menu.
      Brazbit
      Reply 3 Votes

      • Or

        Had ubuntu's dash open... Or Mac OS's launchpad ...

        I completely agree. To my mind, the tiles thing is just square icons. Everyone's been moving to tile/icon menu's.

        Ubuntu got panned for it, as did gnome 3, Mandriva also in Linux. Maybe it's just MS's turn to take it for a bit... People seem to hate change. Over in Linux world the noise surrounding tiled menus has faded now; people are used to this.

        Mac OS is a bit different; their stacking menu system was horrendous for getting to your apps; everyone just blitzed the dock, so launchpad has been very popular there.

        Now MS have implemented tiled menus and they're getting exactly the same flack I saw ubuntu getting two years ago; it's a menu people, you will get used to it.
        MarknWill
        Reply 3 Votes

        • "To my mind, the tiles thing is just square icons."

          +1

          Not only that, but the majority of the icons, despite the hype, are STATIC!
          Restricted_access
          Reply 3 Votes

    • Re: with a bit of effort

      You are correct on this one. There is a bit of effort involved. You go to the systems settings and click "put taskbar on bottom". (or at whichever side you prefer)

      You can then go to the windows decoration themes, and chose how you want your windows decorated. You can have them exactly as Windows XYZ (insert your favorite version) places them, or as OS X places them, how CDE/Motif placed them or a number of other variations. You can customize pretty much anything on a modern UNIX window manager. Many come with ready templates "everything as in CDE", "everything as in Windows XP", "Everything as in OS X" etc. The "emulation" is pretty good, down to the bouncing pointer at application launch etc.

      It is, after all, just a windows manager. Welcome to the larger world :)

      But I agree, SJVN could have made better screenshot.
      danbi
      Reply Vote

  • Not sure whether it was deliberate...

    Showing each of the o/s desktop exposed a common theme: they are all in some way or other prototypes of the metro. After years of seeing users screen filled to capacity with shortcuts (sometimes several to the same thing) the metro concept was brilliant..... Implementation of the functionality is a bugr but still it has promise.

    I often wonder the motivation for many of the articles here and elsewhere with subtle snippets of goodness which help the windows 8 take up. Take the great debate *Can this OS be saved?*. Both sides had good points helping win8 adoption, especially the no side!
    ahanse
    Reply 2 Votes

  • Just curious!

    How many Linux people are running 12 year old versions of Linux? If so, is it still supported?
    martin_js
    Reply 3 Votes

    • How many Linux people are running 12 year old versions

      I'm guessing not many, because you can keep upgrading to the newest version for free, and you don't even need to buy new hardware to run it.
      guzz46
      Reply 4 Votes

      • RE: "How many Linux people are running 12 year old versions"

        How many PCs last for 12 years? My HP/Compaq laptop purchased in late 2004 with Windows XP SP2 pre-installed died late last year. That's 8 years. My HP desktop purchased in mid-2005 with Windows XP SP2 pre-installed has two issues: (1) the CD drive rarely works and (2) the power button, if it is not pressed extremely gently to start or wake up, stays pushed in (i.e., it sticks). That's almost 8 years.

        Besides, a 12 year old PC, assuming that it still works, probably shipped with Windows 2000 Professional. Most modern Linux distros would run sluggish at best on those old hardware specs, exceptions being mini distros such as Puppy Linux, Slitaz, etc.
        Rabid Howler Monkey
        Reply 2 Votes

        • How many PCs last for 12 years?

          I don't know, that probably depends on how often it gets used, I have seen some pretty old computers that are still working.

          "Besides, a 12 year old PC, assuming that it still works, probably shipped with Windows 2000 Professional. Most modern Linux distros would run sluggish at best on those old hardware specs"

          I disagree, Debian with XFCE would only use about 80mb of Ram, Crunchbang is also an option.
          guzz46
          Reply Vote
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