Today, April 8 Microsoft will cut off support and security
updates for Windows XP. WSJ Personal Technology columnist Joanna Stern guides
you through the storm.
The default background for Microsoft's MSFT -0.18% Windows XP operating
system—a perfect blue sky full of cotton-candy clouds above rolling hills with
impeccably trimmed grass and daffodils—is the spring day we wish could last
forever.
And fittingly, many people wish the operating system would
last just as long. Introduced in 2001, Windows XP became so successful that
Microsoft extended its support for an industry record of 12 years. Yet come
April 8, XP's sunny day is over.
At that time, Microsoft will cut off all user support and
halt security updates, leaving the software vulnerable to newly discovered
attacks. XP computers will still work, but the "Bliss" background
image will just be a facade. The operating system will no longer be a safe
place to work or play.
MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP
"Our guidance is that you need to get off XP. It's
really that black and white," says Tom Murphy, Microsoft's spokesman
handling the end of XP support. The company's party line is that Windows
8.1—the latest in Microsoft's foray into touch-friendly interfaces—is a
"fully modern operating system."
Since Windows XP first gained popularity, other alternatives
have arisen. There's Windows 7, of course, and offerings from Microsoft's
rivals, Apple and Google. Where is the best place for an XP refugee to go? I've
been weighing each option.
MOVING TO WINDOWS 8.1
If you have any doubt that Microsoft wants everyone to move
to Windows 8.1, just visit amirunningxp.com. Designed to detect if users are
running Windows XP, the site immediately suggests XP users upgrade to Windows
8.1 or buy a new Windows 8.1 computer.
Lots of computers from the age of XP can technically run the
latest version of Windows. You just need a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM and 16
GB of hard drive storage. The biggest catch is your display has to have 1024 x
768 resolution. You can download the Windows Upgrade assistant to see if your
system meets the requirements.
The Windows 8.1 upgrade DVD costs $120, and Microsoft has
teamed up with a backup service called Laplink to offer a free and easy way to
transfer files.
If you don't meet the system requirement, or view the
upgrade process as a hassle, you could, of course, buy a new machine. But I am
ambivalent to recommend Windows 8.1 to XP users. Microsoft revamped Windows,
replacing the beloved classic desktop with a Start Screen of tiles that point
to programs, files and services. You can still get to the desktop (there's a
Desktop icon), but there's no Start menu in the corner.
Windows 8.1 is better than the original Windows 8 when it
comes to the mouse and keyboard, and a forthcoming update will bring even more
mouse-friendly enhancements, such as a close-window button inside apps. Ed
Bott, Microsoft watcher and author of many Windows guides, says people should
make the jump to 8.1, and that the next updates will make the system more
similar to Windows 7.
MOVING TO WINDOWS 7
Still, Windows 8.1 may be a radical change of pace for
old-school Windows lovers, which is why I think Windows 7 makes a lot more sense
for XP exiles.
Despite Microsoft's arguments that 8.1 is faster, safer and
more reliable than Windows 7, everything in 7 is mostly in the same place as it
was in Windows XP. You'll find the traditional desktop, the trusty Recycle Bin
and the Start Menu.
The problem is that, in its Windows 8 push, Microsoft has
made Windows 7 harder to come by. But there still are two main ways to get it.
The first and best choice is to buy a Windows 7 laptop or desktop from select
manufacturer websites, including Acer, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo. They
aren't featured prominently, but go digging in the business-products sections
of the companies' sites and you'll find them. Microsoft and the PC makers still
provide support, too. Dell's Latitude 330 and Acer's Aspire V3 are both good
choices under $700.
If you don't want to buy new hardware, things get trickier.
Microsoft doesn't sell box copies of Windows 7 anymore. And
if you buy the $99.99 version sold by online computer suppliers like Newegg,
you don't get Microsoft support. You will get security updates until 2020,
however.
MOVING TO NON-MICROSOFT CAMP
Of course, there are other places to go if you venture
outside of the world of Microsoft.
If you're willing to spend more money than the average
Windows PC, there are Apple's Mac computers, which run OS X. That system will
take some learning, but once you get the hang of it, it has a ton of great
features. Apple also offers free classes for new Mac users at its stores.
Chromebooks tend to be cheap since they just run Google's
browser. If you just need email and the Web, Acer's C720 Chromebook is plenty
powerful—and only costs $200.
For the extreme computer literate, there are Linux options
like Ubuntu, which run fine on older Windows XP computers. However, installing
Linux requires patience and many popular programs won't work there.
If you’re not sure about which you’d prefer then I will
recommend that you go into a store to have a play around with both. Windows 7
is certainly the more intuitive to use after Windows XP, but it’s worth
remembering the obvious: this too is an ‘Old’ Operating System. Microsoft will
be adding more updates to 8 over time while Windows 7 will be the first to get
the chop - just like XP.
