{"id":1144,"date":"2014-01-10T13:44:12","date_gmt":"2014-01-10T18:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelinuxstartup.com\/?p=1144"},"modified":"2020-11-10T09:54:38","modified_gmt":"2020-11-10T14:54:38","slug":"is-there-a-fourth-option-to-the-sinking-windows-xp-ship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelinuxstartup.com\/2014\/01\/10\/is-there-a-fourth-option-to-the-sinking-windows-xp-ship\/","title":{"rendered":"Is There a Fourth Option to the Sinking Windows XP Ship?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bill is a Windows XP user that has been using Windows for many years. He has used Windows 95 and Windows 98 before switching to Windows XP. You could say that Bill is the typical Windows user that has had problems with Windows over the years. Bill has had problems with viruses, bloatware, and programs not responding. Every once in a while\u00a0 Bill’s screen turns blue with white writing on it. This is known as the “blue screen of death”. Bills computer is also sometimes just outright slow. Over the years Bill has learned to accept these problems as normal when using his computer.<\/p>\n

Recently Bill has realized that his Windows XP computer will no longer be supported by Microsoft. It is approaching end-of-life. Bill has done a little bit of research and realize that there will be no more technical support or security updates from Microsoft. Bill has also come to realize that this loss of support will come from others application vendors as well. Examples of this can be Microsoft office and QuickBooks just to name a few. You hardware will no longer be supported for Windows XP meeting that if bills mouse was working then when he buys a new one it could possibly not work with Windows XP.<\/p>\n

Options for Bill<\/strong><\/p>\n

While doing his research group has come to the conclusion that he has three options: Switch to Windows 7, buy a\u00a0new computer with Windows 8, or buy a Mac.<\/p>\n

The first option, switching to Windows 7, could make Bill’s computer run slow because of his old computer hardware. It can also be hard to find a Windows 7 installation disk because of the new Windows 8 having been released. Microsoft will also end mainstream support less than one year later on January 13, 2015 for Windows 7. Bill has also never really cared for the design of Windows 7.<\/p>\n

The second option, buying a new computer with Windows 8, would cause Bill to buy a new computer when there is nothing wrong with his old computer. It would not cost as much as buying a Mac but Bill still feels it is throwing money away. Bill would also have to learn the new Windows 8 tile interface. He has also heard a lot about things about Windows 8.<\/p>\n

The third option, buying a Mac, but also cause Bill to buy a new computer when there is nothing wrong with his own computer. It would also cost more money than buying a new computer with Windows 8. Bill does not like this option because he feels it would be wasting money and does not want to be sucked into Apple’s closed environment.<\/p>\n

Which Options Are Looking Good for Bill?<\/strong><\/p>\n

All of these options are going to cost Bill money that he does not want to waste. Bill is also going to have to learn a new operating system with every one of these options. Bill is also looking at having to get a new computer even though there is nothing wrong with his old one.<\/p>\n

What If Bill Had Another Option?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What if Bill had another option that is free and would not cause Bill to buy a new computer? Bills computer would be more secure without viruses and would be much faster and stable. This option would be great for Bill cause it runs well on old hardware such as his Windows XP computer. Though could also customize it the way he wants it and never have to pay for software such as anti-viruses or malware protection programs. All of the software would be in one searchable place allowing Bill to pick exactly which applications he wants to install for free.<\/p>\n

This Option Does Exist<\/strong><\/p>\n

In case you do not know, this fourth option for Bill does actually exist. This option is Linux. Linux is a free operating system that can be installed on almost any computer or device that does not have the typical problems a Windows computer has.<\/p>\n

Who Else Uses Linux?<\/strong><\/p>\n

As it turns out there are too many governments and organizations that use Linux to name. Just to name a few:<\/p>\n