Goodbye XP

As of today 8th April 2014 Microsoft have deemed Windows XP as end of life so will no longer be releasing updates to the program or supporting it. XP has been around since 2002 so has had a 12 year lifespan which is pretty good going in technology terms. Although being probably one of the best, most reliable operating systems we have seen, it is simply a little bit too long in the tooth and no longer capable of keeping up with the modern developments in both Hardware and Software.

What does XP going end of life mean in real terms? For the immediate future there is little to worry about. Providing you have a good security system on your XP system it should keep you protected from any major threats from viruses, hackers and malware. Further down the line anyone still using a XP based system will start to find other third party hardware/software that will work with windows XP will become more and more scarce. Updates for programs you have on your system will eventually stop being released and your XP system will simply not work with the latest technologies, conventions and standards for such things as web browsers to view the internet or security programs to keep you safe whilst online. Eventually you will need to either upgrade your system or replace it all together with a currently supported operating system such as Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1.

If you require any further advice and need help on deciding what to do about your Windows XP system the please feel free to contact PC Care.