Editor's Corner
Upgrading from XP: Will You Stick with Windows?
WXPNews.com
March 15, 2011
Much as we might hate to admit it, we all know that Windows XP's days are numbered. The question is just what that number is. As we noted in last week's newsletter, there are some who believe Microsoft will extend support for XP beyond the August 2014 date that is now its official "end of life." And even though XP still has somewhere around half of the desktop market share (depending on whose statistics you believe), it is steadily losing ground, mostly to Windows 7. Here is one set of statistics from w3schools.com, based on web trends and showing XP with 45.3% and Windows 7 up to 31.1%.
http://www.wxpnews.com/110315-Schools
Despite the trends, I know many of our readers have no plans to abandon XP unless/until Microsoft ends support, and a smaller number say they'll stick with it even after that happens. Most take a more pragmatic approach, reporting that they see no reason to upgrade until they get a new computer, which will almost certainly come with a new OS installed. And then there are those who have decided (or are seriously considering) that when they make the move from XP, it will be to a whole different OS platform.
Some tell me that when they get a new computer, it's going to be a Mac. Others are toying with the idea of going to Linux. Interestingly, these choices seem to be influenced at least in part by their experiences with their mobile devices. People who are telling me they plan to switch to Mac tend to have and like iPhones and/or iPads, whereas many of those who have expressed an interest in switching to Linux on their desktops are basing their impressions of that OS on their love of their Linux-based Android phones or tablets.
On the one hand, it makes sense to think that if you're happy with a particular phone OS, you would also be happy with its "big brother" desktop operating system. Some people have also noted that they think they would have better compatibility and an easier time of synchronizing data between their phones and desktop or laptop computers if they went "all Apple" or "all open source." On the other hand, the mobile experience is pretty different from the desktop environment and what works best on one doesn't necessarily work best on the other. Smart phones and tablets are all about touch, but if you've ever tried to get all your critical work done using an all-touch device, you know it can end up being a slow, clunky, frustrating experience.
There's a saying among some of my friends who belong to the Apple fan club that goes, "once you try Mac, you'll never go back." It sounds catchy, but lately I've heard from quite a few folks who have done just that. They were attracted to OS X for its slick, pretty interface and its alleged ease of use and security advantages. And there's no denying that the UI is elegant, but the complaint I most often hear from them is that it's not easy to use at all. Long-time Windows users lament that they aren't able to find any way to do things that they routinely and easily did on their Windows machines. Windows is more customizable, for instance. And for those of us who prefer to keep our fingers on the keyboard and off the mouse, Windows supports far more keyboard shortcuts. Most Windows users are also stymied by the limitations of managing files on a Mac. But it's not just those who have decades of "the Windows Way" engrained in our brains who find it easier to use Windows; I gave my old Mac to my cousin for her grandchildren to use, and after trying it, they both let it sit while they fought over the Windows machine, because it "wouldn't do as much."
I'm sure I'll get lots of mail from people telling me they find OS X easier to use than Windows, and that's fine. Ease of use is often a matter of personal preferences. Just don't assume that because the Apple commercials tout how easy-going the Mac guy is, that you'll really find him easier to get along with, on a daily basis, than the PC guy.
As for security, the idea that OS X is inherently more secure has been pretty much blown apart in recent "Pwn to Own" hacking contests that have taken down the Mac computers handily. Sure, Macs do get fewer viruses and are attacked less often, because with only a small portion of the operating system market, they present a much less attractive target to virus writers and attackers. If your goal was to infect as many computers as possible, would you focus on creating attacks for the OS that runs on fewer than 10% of the computers out there, or the one (Windows) that runs on closer to 90%? Even so, the bad guys are now coming up with malware that infects both Windows and OS X, such as the new variant on a Random Access Trojan (RAT) called darkComet, that can infect both platforms.
http://www.wxpnews.com/110315-Ober-Gizmo
And if you think Apple products don't have security vulnerabilities, think again. This month, Apple patched a record 62 vulnerabilities in its Safari web browser, most of which could be exploited to allow remote code execution:
http://www.wxpnews.com/110315-Bugs-in-Safari-Update
What about Linux on the desktop, then? Unlike the Mac, for which you pay a premium, some distros of Linux can be downloaded at no cost whatsoever, and you can install it on low cost PC hardware. That's certainly attractive to those on a tight budget. Traditionally, the problem with Linux is that it hasn't been easy to get installed or to use. True Linux geeks like to spend a lot of time at the command line, and enjoying doing things like compiling their own kernels and writing their own device drivers - not things that the typical consumer really wants to do. Recent distributions of Linux, though, such as Ubuntu and Mint, make it (relatively) easy. The Linux desktop, which not so long ago looked pretty "rough" in comparison to Windows and Mac, is now much more sophisticated, too, and has user interfaces that are designed to be familiar to Windows and/or Mac users. Some distros are made specifically for new Linux users, such as PinguyOS:
http://www.wxpnews.com/110315-Linux
One of the problems with Linux is the phenomenon known as "fragmentation." There are so many different distributions and none of them are exactly alike, that it can be confusing to users. If you thought the six editions of Windows 7 had your head spinning, just take a look at all the choices you have with Linux; there are reportedly more than 600 different Linux distros, although not all of them are currently active. This fragmentation, along with the fact that there is no "official" support resource for most of the distros, probably accounts for the inability of Linux to gain much market share on the desktop (most stats put it at under 5%). This site lists the most popular desktop offerings (59 of them):
http://www.wxpnews.com/110315-Fragmentation
Of course, these three aren't your only choices when it comes to a desktop operating system. Google is still working on Chrome OS, a completely web-based operating system that would run on very low powered devices and do most of the computing "in the cloud." The problem with that is that it's Internet- dependent; if you can't get online, your operating system becomes essentially useless.
http://www.wxpnews.com/110315-Chromeos
And that's not all. This article lists 10 alternative desktop operating systems, some of which are still in early stages of development. Of course, trying out one of these is only for the brave of heart and the ultra-curious; you probably aren't going to be using it on your main productivity machine anytime soon, but it can be fun to experiment:
http://www.wxpnews.com/110315-Alternative-OS
Tell us what your plans are, when XP finally goes the way of the dinosaurs? Will you hang on as long as you can, even after Microsoft ends official support? Will you just throw away your computer and go back to pen, paper and slide rule if you can't have your XP anymore? Will you upgrade to Windows 7 (or whatever the current version of Windows is at the time)? Will you switch to Mac? Will you give Linux a whirl? Are you waiting for a web- based "cloudified" OS like Chrome? Pinning your hopes on a desktop version of HP's webOS? Let us know your thoughts and opinions. We invite you to discuss this topic in our forum at
http://www.wxpnews.com/110315-Discuss-T ... PNews-Here