Bye Bye XP?
Interesting that Avast is requesting an online survey this morning from its users who are still running the XP OS.
Of most interest is that they seem to be promising to provide modules and protection systems which will guard against XP vulnerabilities which may be exploited after Apr 8th.
A bold step indeed....
FOR
Of most interest is that they seem to be promising to provide modules and protection systems which will guard against XP vulnerabilities which may be exploited after Apr 8th.
A bold step indeed....
FOR
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Of most interest is that they seem to be promising to provide modules and protection systems which will guard against XP vulnerabilities which may be exploited after Apr 8th.
Avast is spouting utter bull, as is any other company promising to protect you after April 8th.
Without Windows being patched up, you are up
creek without a paddle. There is absolutely ***NOTHING*** Avast or anybody else can do to protect you against exploits that make use of vulnerable APIs and other aspects of the Operating System itself.... how many times do I have to repeat myself on that point ! 
Please don't allow them to pull the wool over your eyes with marketing/PR nonsense... for that is all it is.
The only place for XP after the 8th of April is the bin.
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I still have an OS/2 v4.5 virtual machine running.
I wish I was still as smart, maybe that's why I'm still hanging onto XP
.Mixture is espousing the right info, we need to let go and move on.....
Personally, I'm surprised Apple hasn't temporarily dropped its prices to near cost to capitalise on this enforced change by Microsoft. One might think this would be a good time for them to lock in new users to its products.
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Elite for the bbc micro still whips alot of the newer games.
None of us are actually saying he is wrong.
Just that he is living in cloud cuckoo land thinking that even a small minority of xp users are going to upgrade without something happening. And even if something major happens there will still be a load that won't change because they can't due to required software usage.
None of us are actually saying he is wrong.
Just that he is living in cloud cuckoo land thinking that even a small minority of xp users are going to upgrade without something happening. And even if something major happens there will still be a load that won't change because they can't due to required software usage.
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Over 25% of internet users disagree.
Where did they get the data ? Nobody asked me, and I'm an "internet user"
How many of the supposed 25% XP users are corporate/government users who are guaranteed to be moving away from XP in within 24 month.
How many of the supposed 25% have any sort of IT knowledge ?
etc etc etc ad infinitum....
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Personally, I'm surprised Apple hasn't temporarily dropped its prices to near cost to capitalise on this enforced change by Microsoft. One might think this would be a good time for them to lock in new users to its products.
I agree in principle it sounds like a great idea to do so but....
The problem is the business model doesn't really permit it. Since unless its an upgrade scenario (10.8->10.9 excepted), they don't charge for the operating system as such (unlike Microsoft where you can buy Windows off the shelf, or manufacturers pay royalties). With Apple the hardware subsidises the software. The cost of developing and maintaining OS X for desktops/laptops (and iOS for phones and pads) is paid for by the hardware.
Which is one other reason why people saying Apple is expensive are just spouting FUD ..... they use premium parts and don't cut corners in their hardware. On top of that, margins from the hardware go towards the software.
Also Apple probably know realistically that by the time they discount the business/government XP users, the stubborn users, the budget/developing country/"BOAC the Pensionner" XP users,that the number of new users they would gain from temporary agressive pricing is probably limited (in relative terms).
Apple are starting to make some efforts to start catering for those on a lower budget (e.g. the plastic versions of the iPhone 5) ... but they don't want to start cutting corners and going all cheap because that would risk brand integrity. I suspect we will probably eventually see a re-introduction of a plastic option for Apple laptops (and maybe even desktops, but I suspect they're waiting to see how the desktop game pans out in the industry).
Its a bit like saying BMW or Audi should go competing in the Ford Mondeo world. Sure a Mondeo is cheaper and it will get you from A to B.... but the cheapness shows in the parts and construction and it would be tiring to drive on long distance jaunts.
What people could look at doing under their own steam would be to get a WEEE recycling company to buy their computers (or just flog em on Ebay) and use the money from that to contribute towards the cost of buying an Apple.
Last edited by mixture; 4th Apr 2014 at 13:57.
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None of us are actually saying he is wrong.
Just that he is living in cloud cuckoo land thinking that even a small minority of xp users are going to upgrade without something happening. And even if something major happens there will still be a load that won't change because they can't due to required software usage.
Its certainly inexcusable however for businesses of any size not to migrate (unless they're paying Microsoft for ongoing support of course).... of course there are edge cases, primarily with embedded systems such as ATMs and machinery control... but one would hope those systems have no ability to access the internet and are on locked down isolated networks anyway !
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Apple are starting to make some efforts to start catering for those on a lower budget (e.g. the plastic versions of the iPhone 5) ... but they don't want to start cutting corners and going all cheap because that would risk brand integrity. I suspect we will probably eventually see a re-introduction of a plastic option for Apple laptops (and maybe even desktops, but I suspect they're waiting to see how the desktop game pans out in the industry).
Furthermore, with W8 being a supposed flop (metro interface isn't for everyone), Apple should have further seized upon Microsoft's bad marketting of itself.
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as this puts it on the path of a race to the bottom
Unfortunately most home users (and indeed many businesses) do not realise that a low price point does not necessarily equate to value.
Apple should have further seized upon Microsoft's bad marketting of itself
There are other areas they should highlight too.
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Elite for the bbc micro still whips alot of the newer games.
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Interesting to read Mixture's put-down of the Mondeo versus other car brands. I'm curious to know if he's driven one this century. Shades of Win ME?
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Government signs £5.5m Microsoft deal to extend Windows XP support
Tee hee. I eagerly await these updates to fall off the back of a virtual truck
Tee hee. I eagerly await these updates to fall off the back of a virtual truck
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Interesting to read Mixture's put-down of the Mondeo versus other car brands
Surely Mr K, you are questioning neither our esteemed colleague's knowledge both automotive and computive, nor his right to express himself the way he does ?
OFSO (former owner of - among others - Mercedes, Range Rover and Porsche, and now very contented owner of current model Mondeo.)
Surely Mr K, you are questioning neither our esteemed colleague's knowledge both automotive and computive, nor his right to express himself the way he does ?
OFSO (former owner of - among others - Mercedes, Range Rover and Porsche, and now very contented owner of current model Mondeo.)
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Interesting to read Mixture's put-down of the Mondeo versus other car brands. I'm curious to know if he's driven one this century.
Rented one at an airport this very year.... did a 250 mile round trip. Frustrating and tiresome to drive. No doubt a car perfectly well suited for pottering around town for shopping trips.... but beyond that.
Rented a piece of German engineering at another airport.... happily drove that all the way from California to Nevada.
If I'm doing a mile munching trip, with a lot of time on motorways and country roads, I'd much rather do it in something that's the product of Germany.
(Anyway, you lot made me digress... the original post wasn't really a put down... it was a figure of speech, so to speak).
OFSO (former owner of - among others - Mercedes, Range Rover and Porsche, and now very contented owner of current model Mondeo.)
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Tee hee. I eagerly await these updates to fall off the back of a virtual truck
BBC Radio 4 this morning
This morning on BBC R4's "Today" programme (45 mins into the podcast), they rolled out Brian Blick (?), editor-in-chief of Computer Weekly, who IIRC basically said that there's not much of an issue and the threat is low. He really underplayed the threat.
ARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!
PBW
ARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!
PBW
Even dark clouds have silver linings.
All it will take is for one government to block it's citizens from using the internet via an XP based system. Then this government can spread XP borne virusi throughout the rest of the world as a means of hostage to all those still using XP.
Mass suicides among the unwashed destitute are sure to follow
All it will take is for one government to block it's citizens from using the internet via an XP based system. Then this government can spread XP borne virusi throughout the rest of the world as a means of hostage to all those still using XP.
Mass suicides among the unwashed destitute are sure to follow