Why are Windows XP users still clinging to the past?

[MidnightDistortions]

There might be people like me who uses both XP and W7.. some stuff like printing will only work on my XP machine so that might account for some of the people still running XP. It does the job for these people and it only stands to reason they will keep on using it, even if they already have W7 or W10.

All these people care about is that the OS works and their machine is working. Eventually though they will have no choice but to upgrade when the hardware starts to fail.

[smallhagrid]

Exactly !!:

Hmm, the only thing stranger than folk (like me) sticking with Win XP is the obsessive insistence by others to pressure us to change to Win 7 or 8 or 10. Usually these people are the same ones who defend "internet freedom" and oppose attempted draconian rule by governments. Well guys, we also have "freedom of choice" so live with it. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Very well said.

Toe-may-toe vs. toe-mah-toe all the way.

Folks who pressure others seriously just need to learn to MYOB.

[smallhagrid]

These kind of threads/topics are very good, and I, personally get a kick out of them:

Steven36 says XP is "obsolete". It could be considered "obsolete" only if later versions did something of value that XP doesn't. They don't.

Amigaspace implies that later versions work faster and more efficiently. They don't. His assertion that "If 7, 8 and 10 were less efficient than XP, there would be no Microsoft today" ignores the fact that, to many tens of millions of users, newer = better, period. The fact that Microsoft has earned staggering sums by selling users new systems that gave them nothing of value that they didn't already have, tells us only that many, many users are ignorant and/or irrational.

At the same time - they all sadly seem to devolve into bashing matches between folks with differing strong opinions.

That is the correct word:

OPINIONS.

Whatever mikr0$0ft insists upon is not the words of some supernatural diety - it is just those people wanting more $$$.

Aside of that - you've got a big, shiny fire-breathing PC that is better, faster, newer - and above all - better than mine ?!?

That is terrific for you.

I'm sure you have a bigger penis and a better sex life than I do too - and these are all great things and I wish you well with ALL.

Just enjoy them now and don't tell me what you say that I MUST DO - because that is totally not great of anyone.

Here's some old news for all you young whippersnappers:

I develop and run FORTRAN programs for engineering and scientific calculations. And I can just hear people who don't know any better saying, "You'd expect someone who's still using XP to use FORTRAN." The fact is that for serious engineering, scientific, and mathematical work, there's still no better language than FORTRAN.

This old guy had the options of becoming a COBOL or FORTRAN programmer before there were CRTs - back when all of it was done using punchcards & teletypes to reach monster machines isolated in clean rooms the size of whole buildings.

That choice was turned down. Bad financial move, but otherwise, just fine.

Had I done that, today I'd be in much better shape in lots of ways than I am - and very well employed too.

I chose a different path and do not regret it, nor do I envy those who have done well.

As such I must express agreement with CPowell46:
XP remains just as viable as FORTRAN for those who use them.

For anyone wishing to keep XP who is afraid of bad things happening there is also a very easy, simple solution that I use myself:

LUbuntu with VMPlayer and XP in a VM.

Runs marvelously well and if it is damaged is utterly simple to recover.

Many good Linux methods exist which will allow for a minimal host OS on good h/w with whatever OSes one desires running very well as guests.

Some newer windows versions have hypervisor stuff built in as well - but I claim no experience of those as they do not interest me.

Anyone who desires REAL reliability in their PC deserves to be open minded enough to try such a stable OS as the host - then they can do whatever they want in well isolated, almost totally safe VMs.

Even trying out spyware-10 in a VM would be better as it would allow full control over any connections it may have whilst not forcing itself down the PC owner's throat.

Suggestion:

How about trying to help one another instead of competing, bashing and flaming ??

Peace out.

[CPowell46]

Using FORTRAN makes me an "old guy"? If I knew Latin, would I be an "ancient guy"?

[smallhagrid]

Very cute !!

Not knowing what makes a man ancient instead of merely old - and not knowing latin - I cannot answer that - but it IS funny !!

(T'was about 40 years ago when that choice for college study was offered to THIS old guy...)

Thanks for the giggle & Best Wishes.

[CPowell46]

I don't know why computer science departments have stopped teaching FORTRAN. If you can find FORTRAN courses at all, they'll be in the school of engineering and in the physics, astonomy, and chemistry departments.Of course, you can learn it on your own. I did...took three days.

[smallhagrid]

This may seem funny but all those years back I was convinced that things would not stay stuck to punchcards & teletypes for very long...

As time passed I always noticed that as soon as a bunch of folks learned to code -thisaway-, it would become urgent for them to re-learn how to code -thataway- over & over again.

As a result I chose to avoid coding as a career choice all those years ago and I'm still glad I made that choice.

Nowadays I see my next career move as a permanent dirt nap, so taking up anything to make some $$ is off my menu anymore.

(It is much more fun to stay still whilst watching most folks run around in circles all the time !!)

Thanks and Best Wishes.

PS:
I find the title of this thread sadly amusing because even that is needlessly condescending & critical;

It implies errors in judgement by the very words it is made of=> "Why are Windows XP users still clinging to the past?"

By that same reasoning, folks who have ANY habitual behaviour are acting in error, for example those who have smoked for years can be said to be 'still clinging to the past', as can folks whose SAME careers are now decades long without change - even those who have chosen a single political category to adhere to or a certain soda they prefer to drink, or the simple preference of Ford over GMC...

In all these instances people are 'still clinging to the past'.

IMO, to infer that such choices makes them somehow wrong, is just...wrong !!

[CPowell46]

I'm not sticking with XP because I'm "clinging to the past". I'm sticking with XP because (a) no later version of Windows gives me anything I want that XP doesn't give me, so I have no reason to switch to any of them, and (b) later versions use much more disk space and RAM (what they do with it, I can't imagine), so, as a matter of principle, I wouldn't use them unless they gave me something quite substantial that XP doesn't.

The newer versions are just newer; as far as I'm concerned, they are not better in any way. If someone prefers 7 to XP for subjective reasons, and isn't bothered by inefficient code, I won't argue with him.

[CPowell46]

Disregard the smiley face; I have no idea where it came from.