As you may or may not have heard, Microsoft is ending support for Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003 on April 8th of this year.
What does this mean for you?
If you have no Windows XP machines, or machines with Microsoft Office 2003, you may ignore this message.
However, if you have even one Windows XP machine, or Virtual Machine in use, you need to understand what Microsoft means by this.
Microsoft will create no further security or critical updates for Windows XP or Office 2003. Your computer will still work, but will become much more vulnerable to security attacks and viruses. Note that you may even get a popup warning from Microsoft, alerting you to the end of support.
Why is Microsoft ending support?
At the time of this article, Windows XP is 12 years old. Three versions of Windows (desktop) have been released since. Technology has moved on.
What can you do?
1) Upgrade directly from Windows XP to Windows 8.1:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/upgrade-from-windows-vista-xp-tutorial
If your current PC meets the following requirements, you should be able to upgrade directly. Note that your experience running Windows 8.1 on an older PC may not be as quick or responsive as you are accustomed to.
- Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster
- RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
- Free hard drive space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
- Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
2) Purchase a new device:
- Tablet: Since Windows XP was created, the technology landscape has changed significantly. If your needs only include daily tasks, such as email, web browsing, note taking, and media consumption, a tablet is the right device for you. A tablet has many advantages, and can be less expensive than purchasing a full desktop system.
- New Windows PC: If you have specific applications that require a Windows desktop, you can purchase a new Windows PC, and migrate your applications and documents.
- New Macintosh Desktop: Over the past decade, the Macintosh has proven itself, even for general business use. With options like Microsoft Office for Macintosh, Apple’s own iWork Suite, and even Google Docs, a more secure, nicer desktop experience can be had by all. If you purchase your new Mac at an Apple retail store, an Apple Genius will even transfer your PCs data for you.
Whether you choose to upgrade your existing PC, or migrate to a new device, SofTouch Systems can help. Contact us today to discuss your options in more depth.
Why put your documents at risk? Migrate away from Windows XP today.
