Mint is a Good Direction to Go

As Windows xp users are slowly thinking about changing computers or those who have old hardware which frankly is very serviceable and only made useless by the Windows inefficiency of use of hardware should consider an alternative to Windows 8 and Apple.

One alternative which should be considered which will both give the Windows xp users an interface which they are familiar with and not have to abandon their old hardware which on the whole is still very serviceable and far from the end of its life is to replace the Windows xp on the computer with Linux Mint with xfce desktop.

This also has the added advantage in these times where money is short it will save the Windows xp user money as they will not have to buy new hardware and pay over the odds for an operating system which frankly not liked by the majority of users.

Why do I say this?

Because I have already done this for a friend who was given an old laptop running Windows xp which would have to be thrown away because frankly when it was running Windows it life span as a viable computer had come to end not because of the hardware but software.

But I installed Linux Mint with xfce desktop on the said laptop which breathed life back to the hardware and produced a laptop which was usable because it ran fast enough to be used again.

The friend in question now uses the laptop more than his Windows desktop simply because it is more stable and usable than his Windows computer with little or no problems simply because the xfce desktop is so similar to the Windows xp desktop with few minor differences.

Would I recommend that all Windows xp users do this?

The answer is yes especially if the user is just someone who uses their computer for browsing the internet, basic word processing and collecting their email as it will mean it will save them money and they will not have to go through the trauma and headache of learning the new Windows 8 desktop which frankly is very messy and user unfriendly!

Oh, the one other big advantage is the days of the constant battle with viruses and malware users are having with Window computers while surfing the internet will be greatly reduced even eliminated when the users go to Linux Mint. Basically the Windows xp user can surf the internet for a first time in a long while safely.

A good place to start is at the Linux Mint site and follow the download link and download the xfce desktop version of Linux Mint: Linux Mint

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Windows XP May Be Old But Not Down and Out!

It seams that once again Microsoft have done a bit of a u-turn on Windows XP yet again rather than finally announcing the end of Windows XP virus warning on the 8th April 2014 instead they announced they were extending such warning until the 14th July 2015.

All because around of 30% of both domestic and commercial users still use Microsoft Windows XP even 12 years after it’s launch jointly because of failure of Vista and the inability of such users to adapt the way they use their computers to later versions of Windows both 7 and 8.

Basically after Windows XP Microsoft shot themselves in the foot by radically changing their operating system rather than previously when their operating systems were true upgrades so users found it much easier to migrate.

Add to this that each of Microsoft’s subsequent operating systems after XP have been pale reflections of XP in so much all have been less stable and usable. Microsoft in trying to improve their operating systems by rewriting them, especially with Vista, to make them faster and more secure have created a batch of operating systems which are frankly not up to the job unlike Windows XP was.

As I have said before it is going to be interesting for Microsoft when these Windows XP users finally have to stop using their computers as they are certainly not going to upgrade to later versions of Microsoft Window’s Operating Systems considering their dislike of such operating systems.

If anything as a group they are going to more open to using other operating systems as after all they are going have to change their software they run anyway. Plus they already have a very negative view of Microsoft’s later operating systems to a point they rather stick with 12-year old operating system rather then upgrade.

If Microsoft do nothing about these user they are potentially going to lose more share of the operating system market both on the domestic and commercial sides. We already know Microsoft will not do anything as they are so arrogant they assume there users will come round and everyone else know they will not such is their determination.

It is a testament to the Microsoft Software Engineers who created Windows XP as it is still being used some 12 years later and still much loved by it users even with it little problems here and there. Something has to be put in context here as an operating system Windows XP is not old fashioned as such considering likes of Linux are modifications to older UNIX operating systems which now are some 20 years plus old.

Basically the life spans of base operating systems and software can be measured in decades not years as the media would like you to believe. This mainly because software developers now rarely create new base software but improve on existing software because it is a lot easier and cost effective which again something lost by media in general.

Personally Microsoft rather than keep putting back Windows XP demise should actually modify Windows XP to work with newer hardware and devices as after all it would give them a better chance to keep the large majority of the current XP users. Plus they may actually regain their share of the market they have lost due to their newer operating systems.

But sadly Microsoft will continue presence course and cut lose their loyal Windows XP users without a thought.


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Calling All Windows XP Users!

This year Microsoft’s support for Windows XP ends leaving all of them high and dry without any support though normally this would not be a problem but Windows XP users are very loyal to the operating system itself mainly because it has been one of the best and reliable operating systems created by Microsoft.

I know for me that is a very strange thing to say but personally Windows XP does have its problems but of all the Microsoft Operating Systems it was very reliable, robust and most importantly easy to use. After Windows XP Microsoft’s operating systems have gone downhill both in usability and efficiency of resource usage to a point it is absolutely ridiculous in Windows 8.1!

This stopping of support of Windows XP by Microsoft is going to cause major problems with the XP users as they are very loyal to the operating system and like the interface and feel of the operating system and bar a few are very dubious about Windows 8.1 especially because of it’s looks, feel and lack of real usability.

My personal recommendation to these Windows XP users who do not want to use the later versions of Windows is to take the plunge and move to Linux especially those distributions which use desktops which look similar to Windows XP so the learning curve in the switch is minimal. Add to this it would also mean the Windows XP user would not have to change their hardware as if anything the Linux will give their old hardware a new lease of life.

There will be those Windows XP users out there who will say that such a change would mean they could not run software they currently use but this would of also be true if they were to upgrade to Windows 8.1 as they would have to change the software anyway so they would be in the same position.

The other worry some Windows XP users will have is the loss of data in the change of operating system which simply will not happen as Linux will still read the Windows files and large majority of associated Open Source software will allow the import of Windows files so not a real problem.

In conclusion I recommend that Windows XP take the plunge and convert to Linux especially those Linux Distributions which use similar desktops to Windows XP as they will find they will continue to use computer with a familiar desktop and use their existing hardware saving them money and heart ache in the long run.

Finally the Linux distribution I would recommend because of it’s closeness to Windows XP in looks with a wide availability of easy to use Open Source packages and the fact it works on old hardware so well is Linux Mint with the xfce desktop which can be found following the link http://www.linuxmint.com/


Please Note: If you are interested in a more personal journal of mine just follow the link to Acta Spiritu Amisso.