Computer Support Network

Windows XP as an operating system platform has been on its last legs for a couple years now but many of the big PC distributers have continued to enable it.  Dell, one of the top three PC manufactures in the world is about to change that with their new policy to stop selling PCs downgraded to Windows XP.

While Microsoft ceased sales of Windows XP for private users some time ago they had allowed manufactures to sell systems that had be “factory downgraded” to the older OS.  With the new policy in place even this is set to end on October 22nd for Dell and other PC manufactures.

“This means that we will stop offering XP as an option for customers starting this month in preparation for next month’s deadline,” Dell said in a blog post.  Dell plans to continue offering driver support for Windows XP until December 2012.

The forced OS upgrade is a big push for the industry and likely to cause unrest among the IT sector.  Earlier this year Microsoft announced that 74% of enterprise and business computers still run on Windows XP.  Microsoft also stated that the average business computers age is roughly 4.4 years old.  The reason for the slow adoption rate has been attributed to the previous failure of Windows Vista but it does raise a serious issue for business owners.  While many businesses feel that Windows XP will continue to serve them indefinitely the truth is that Microsoft has moved on and is systematically dropping support for Windows XP service packs.

The end of support for Windows XP offers up a real security concern for businesses that choose not to upgrade.  Without the periodical system patches for XP, viruses and system exploits will have an easier time than ever to find their way into business networks.  Malware programs such as Conficker already have free access of computer systems that run on XP regardless of antivirus software.  With the knowledge of how vulnerable the OS is malware distributers will work harder to target the operating systems vulnerabilities.  The push to get Windows 7 into the marketplace is an obvious attempt to thwart this problem.

Those still worried about possible upgrade headaches should have some peace of mind with the knowledge that Windows 7 has been widely accepted as a worthy successor to Windows XP.  Instead of a radical OS reinvention Windows 7 streamlines the user experience with improved reliability and system security.  Microsoft has also taken great strides to improve system backwards compatibility, so while complete legacy support cannot be guaranteed the vast majority of programs will take advantage of the new OS.  If you’re interested in more information about Windows 7 check out our Newsletter for a rundown on new features and how to select the right version for you or your business.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department

Last week Microsoft officially canceled support for the Windows XP operating system. This announcement goes hand in hand with the soon to launch Windows 7 and is an obvious attempt to encourage an upgrade. There is still the option for businesses to request support but now the request will come at a price.

Tuesday April 14th closed the door on mainstream support for the most popular operating system in circulation and has the potential to affect millions of PC users around the world. Microsoft has been phasing out the 8 year old OS for more than a year but this is a big step and it is important to understand what it means. While mainstream support is now gone there is still an option for businesses that experience complications. Users of Windows XP retain the option to contact Microsoft but will now have to pay for support on a per-incident basis. For personal users and businesses with a limited IT staff or budget this will constitute a large stumbling block.

Because of the negative reception that Windows Vista received most businesses have no plans to upgrade to Windows 7 on release. Vista was highly criticized for its high resource requirements and general sluggishness when compared to Windows XP. Since many critics expect the new OS to have similar complications it’s not surprising that so many businesses have reservations about the upgrade.

What makes the issue more troublesome is that with the termination of support and the hesitation to upgrade many small businesses are likely to be left out in the cold for technical assistance. If they do rely on Microsoft they will incur hefty fees that will continue until they finally decide to migrate. Making matters worse even those companies that do intend to upgrade will be left without support until Windows 7 is released later this year at an undisclosed time.

While it’s reasonable for Microsoft to encourage people to move beyond the 8 year old operating system the support cancelation notice seems to come at an odd time. With Windows 7 on the horizon no one will seriously consider and upgrade to Vista but that leaves most people without an outlet for support. What this means for the millions of users around the world who still depend on windows XP will soon be seen.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department

After the relative flop of Windows Vista, Microsoft has decided to take a much more proactive approach to the launch of Windows 7. In an effort to encourage trial and upgrade Microsoft has decided to allow purchases of the new OS to downgrade to Windows XP if the new operating system doesn’t suit their needs.

Windows XP is still the default operating system for the majority of businesses and home users around the world but at nearly nine years old the OS has started to show its age. While Windows XP is still a very strong OS in forms of stability and runs on a limited resource set, there are many areas in which it has been surpassed. For all its short comings Widows Vista is the most secure Microsoft operating system to date. Vista also has advanced the virtual memory handling of its 64 bit operating system which allows faster response time and enhanced capabilities of graphics and video editing software. While this particular feature isn’t a necessity for the majority of users today eventually basic productivity software will benefit from this as well.

In a rather brilliant design decision, Microsoft has devised a plan to get these features to the masses with the release of its new operating system this fall. Businesses that wish to test Windows 7 will have the opportunity of experience all of the new features. However, if they decide that the new OS doesn’t suit their needs Widows 7 ships with a hassle free rollback feature which will allow users to downgrade to Windows XP. This versatility allows for a much greater audience to experience the new OS features without the problem of feeling trapped by the purchase. As an added benefit to consumers, the Windows XP operating system, which is now hard to come by, will once again be available IF you don’t mind going through Windows 7.

Since Widows 7 promotes a strong emphasis on usability enhancement it is nice to see that Microsoft has applied the same concept to acquiring the OS as well. If the operating systems features work as intended and enough people are allowed to test them out for themselves this could finally be the OS to replace Windows XP as the industry standard. It will be interesting to see how things pan out later this year when Windows 7 is released.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department

With Windows 7 planned for launch later this year it’s a good time to take a look at some of the changes you can expect from the new operating system. The first thing most people are interested in is whether or not Windows 7 is faster than the resource wasteful Vista. From early test the results are very positive with Windows 7 10%-15% faster than Windows Vista on similar hardware configuration. Less has been reported about the interface changes but as the user interface of Vista sparked debate so too will Windows 7.

First of all the basic user interface of Windows 7 shares much in common with Windows Vista. So much so that many people have labeled the OS Vista 2.0. The first change that will be apparent to anyone weaned on Windows 98 or XP is that the menu system is fundamentally different. Gone are the shortcuts that have adorned Windows desktops for over a decade. While I can understand the change people who have looked on at numerous icons on my desktop with horror will not be surprised that it fails to impress. I am happy to report that as with most of the changes in Windows 7 it is possible set to this to the old standard.

The next change that is sure to throw off long time users is the complete removal of the “Run” box from the start menu. This is actually a step that began with windows Vista and its one I have come to appreciate. While disruptive at first the general Search window is more useful and far more intelligent. A quick test reveals that typing in the first three letters of a program will typically bring up a listing with the program you were looking for. This change goes hand in hand with the removal of the desktop shortcuts for finding programs quickly.

The last major change is one that while good for casual users will infuriate techs. The control panel from XP and Windows 98 has always been an area that you are either completely proficient with or scared to death of. In many ways this has been a good thing as casual users shouldn’t be accessing their control panel and techs rarely have a problem understanding it. The new system imposed by Windows 7 changes this but breaking the panel down into easy to understand sections. Tabs such as System and Security, Network and Internet, Programs, etc, make it easy for general users to find the settings they after. For people who use the control panel daily this will be a slow reeducation process as instead of an icon interface the display is now tabular.

None of the changes to Windows 7 should be deal breakers but they are things to consider if your office is ready to take on the OS. On the whole, Windows 7 has shaped up to be what Vista had promised to be. A user friendly and reliable OS with hardware upgrade potential. Until the OS officially launches it is hard to say if the promise will be fulfilled but so far the outlook is good.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department

When Windows Vista was released three years ago it was heralded as the second coming of operating systems but instead it was met almost universally with scorn. Since then, however, many people have begun to adapt and even accept Vista as a viable upgrade from windows XP. It’s not surprising that Microsoft was eager to be done with bad publicity but what IS surprising is that now instead of trying to enhance Vista they are eagerly moving on with Windows 7 for a release in 2009.

The oddness of the announcement really stems from the fact that Microsoft has been running PR damage recovery ads for the last few months. After spending the time and money to try to recover from the initial backlash of the launch it seems strange that they would abandon their product. Even more alarming is that those have adapted to Vista will soon find themselves with the problem of upgrading once again.

As I have mentioned before I have been running Windows Vista on my PC for two years now. While some performance issues do exists Vista has received more negative publicity then is really warranted. I bring this up to give perspective to what I’ve seen of Windows 7. Having spent some time with the beta version, Windows 7 feels more like a polished Windows Vista then a truly new operating system. Windows 7 is noticeably faster and has user interface improvements but overall the core components remain the same. The product seems like it should have been released as a Service Pack instead of a full-fledged release. Windows 7 seems more like a publicity stunt: release last year’s model with all the kinks worked out to negate all past negative publicity. Whether this is the case or not it will be interesting to see if Microsoft can learn from their mistakes when Windows 7 is released late next year.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department