UK Gov ends

[timster]

The government has ended a custom support deal for Windows XP, despite some public bodies still using the aged operating system.

 

Microsoft stopped issuing security patches and updates for XP last April, encouraging users to transition to a newer operating system.

 

However, Whitehall coughed up

[BinaryData]

Wait wait, they went from XP to 8.1? Going from XP to 7 is a by far a better idea, and rather a sound one.

Though, it's nice to see someone actually caring about upgrading. =/

[DConnell Member]

Wait wait, they went from XP to 8.1? Going from XP to 7 is a by far a better idea, and rather a sound one.

Though, it's nice to see someone actually caring about upgrading. =/

 

8.1 will do fine. It runs everything that 7 can, is a bit faster and more secure, and has a later "expiration date" than 7. If these agencies are still running a 14 year old OS, then moving to the version that only has 5 years of support life left is not the best idea. They'll still be running 7 in 2025!

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

Wait wait, they went from XP to 8.1? Going from XP to 7 is a by far a better idea, and rather a sound one.

Though, it's nice to see someone actually caring about upgrading. =/

 

Why is going from XP to 7 a better idea? Windows 8 is supported for an additional three years and works great, even on older hardware.

 

We have a lot of Core2Duo's with 4gb of ram from 2007 that were running XP upgraded to 8.1 perfectly fine.

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

Training older users to be actually useing the OS properly?

Windows 7 would provide same (more or less) experience.... While win8 will be extremely different. Without stuff like classic shell.

They would be better off to wait a tiny bit for win 10 is the age of the OS and support is your main reasoning.

Actually it will be more usable on desktops too

Going with 8.1 is puzzling for both points I discussed.

[Noir Angel]

My GP's surgery has finally transitioned from XP to Windows 7, but a lot of the computers in the NHS haven't yet, which is just stupid. Windows 7 is a far superior OS to XP, I can understand them skipping 8.x for now but they should at least try transitioning to 7

[DConnell Member]

Training older users to be actually useing the OS properly?

Windows 7 would provide same (more or less) experience.... While win8 will be extremely different. Without stuff like classic shell.

They would be better off to wait a tiny bit for win 10 is the age of the OS and support is your main reasoning.

Actually it will be more usable on desktops too

Going with 8.1 is puzzling for both points I discussed.

 

Half the users I've dealt with were practically unaware of the Menu's existence. They launched everything and stored literally everything on the desktop itself (despite my warnings that their files should be saved on the server to be backed up.) For them, I could have set 8.1 to boot to desktop, dropped icons for their programs on the desktop and they'd never know the difference. No need for Classic Shell whatsoever. Same thing is probably true in this case.

[Dot Matrix]

Good Riddance!

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

Training older users to be actually useing the OS properly?

Windows 7 would provide same (more or less) experience.... While win8 will be extremely different. Without stuff like classic shell.

They would be better off to wait a tiny bit for win 10 is the age of the OS and support is your main reasoning.

Actually it will be more usable on desktops too

Going with 8.1 is puzzling for both points I discussed.

 

You would be surprised what people found the most confusing when we went from XP to Windows 8.1, the "lock screen" and how to actually shut the PC down.

 

Users perceived the lock screen to be a loading screen, so sat there staring at it. That could be disabled by group policy however.

 

I did set the start screen to only display the "desktop" button, I also disabled the hot corners and forced Windows to boot directly to the desktop.

 

So essentially users logged in and got a Windows desktop with the shortcut's they were familiar with from Windows XP. No one really had many issues after that, I gave some users a shortcut to shut down the PC, however that's about it.

 

It then struck me although i made good use of the start menu, the average user never really touched it. I was actually surprised with how well people took to Windows 8 after a basic crash course in what had changed.

[Intersect]

it would save the tax payer millions if government departments had a software assurance agreement with Microsoft rather than expensive contracts with the likes of HP and Dell to provide new hardware and windows licences, Im glad they are ditching the XP support contract. 

[Anibal P]

Half the users I've dealt with were practically unaware of the Menu's existence. They launched everything and stored literally everything on the desktop itself (despite my warnings that their files should be saved on the server to be backed up.) For them, I could have set 8.1 to boot to desktop, dropped icons for their programs on the desktop and they'd never know the difference. No need for Classic Shell whatsoever. Same thing is probably true in this case.

 

You should see some of the travesties I've seen, so many files on the desktop they're overlapping each other, 5-6 IE icons all pointing to the same site. All it takes is one hardware failure and they start over, good thing most are finally getting the hint and placing stuff in their H drives, like they're supposed to do. did have one person get mad because the XP to 7 transition "erased" their files, and I wouldn't move them out of the H drive, did show her how to make shortcuts to the files instead

 

and there was the one that "could not work" till all her icons were exactly where they were before, but couldn't tell anyone what went anywhere, bluntly told that one to get used to the new layout and got off that call ASAP 

[BinaryData]

8.1 will do fine. It runs everything that 7 can, is a bit faster and more secure, and has a later "expiration date" than 7. If these agencies are still running a 14 year old OS, then moving to the version that only has 5 years of support life left is not the best idea. They'll still be running 7 in 2025!

 

Refer to earthworm's quote.

Why is going from XP to 7 a better idea? Windows 8 is supported for an additional three years and works great, even on older hardware.

 

We have a lot of Core2Duo's with 4gb of ram from 2007 that were running XP upgraded to 8.1 perfectly fine.

 

Refer to earthworm's quote.

Training older users to be actually useing the OS properly?

Windows 7 would provide same (more or less) experience.... While win8 will be extremely different. Without stuff like classic shell.

They would be better off to wait a tiny bit for win 10 is the age of the OS and support is your main reasoning.

Actually it will be more usable on desktops too

Going with 8.1 is puzzling for both points I discussed.

 

My mother is the prime example of "standard" computer users, and a good example for reasons why you shouldn't go from XP to 8.1. It's too large of a jump. The Operating Systems are NOTHING a like, the UI is the biggest issue. I bought her a new laptop and it had 8.1, the downgrade license wouldn't work, so I used my own personal copy and installed that.

 

My point is; I would have waited until 10 came out, because 10 combines 7 and 8, and looks like 7, with a few tweaks. It'd have a longer contract that Windows 7, and 8.1.

 

I let my mom play with 8.1 for about 10 minutes, before I heard "I'M GOING TO BREAK THIS PIECE OF ****! DO WHAT I WANT YOU PIECE OF ****!". I took it away, and installed 7. =/

[DConnell Member]

 

My mother is the prime example of "standard" computer users, and a good example for reasons why you shouldn't go from XP to 8.1. It's too large of a jump. The Operating Systems are NOTHING a like, the UI is the biggest issue. I bought her a new laptop and it had 8.1, the downgrade license wouldn't work, so I used my own personal copy and installed that.

 

My point is; I would have waited until 10 came out, because 10 combines 7 and 8, and looks like 7, with a few tweaks. It'd have a longer contract that Windows 7, and 8.1.

 

I let my mom play with 8.1 for about 10 minutes, before I heard "I'M GOING TO BREAK THIS PIECE OF ****! DO WHAT I WANT YOU PIECE OF ****!". I took it away, and installed 7. =/

 

And my 77 year old mother had no problem with 8 whatsoever. I think I even get fewer questions with 8 than I did when she was on XP or 7.

[Raa]

Wait wait, they went from XP to 8.1? Going from XP to 7 is a by far a better idea, and rather a sound one.

Though, it's nice to see someone actually caring about upgrading. =/

That's what I've been doing for all my customers and at work. Going to start evaluating Win 10 for rollout next year, fun times!

[philcruicks]

My mum, who you would not call super technical loves 8/8.1 its deff a Marmite OS.

 

Like people have said no point going to 7 just to delay the problem a few years, get up to date and get on with it, the modern interface although changing in 10 is not going away and users will have to learn, just as they did when 3.1 changed to 95.

 

To be honest if I were some of these companies I'd hold out for 10 and do a rapid deployment when that's released, prep now, collect laptop/pc specs, work out which can and can't be upgraded etc..

Get all users to backup desktops and other non network stored files, test your apps with some select users with the beta.

Then at release, do a final roud out testing for a few weeks and then start do to a rapid deployment cycle with SCCM/WDS, hire in some contractors for a week or 2 to help troubleshoot etc... and off you go, full length of support on a new OS that's a bit friendlier to win XP/7 users.

[BinaryData]

And my 77 year old mother had no problem with 8 whatsoever. I think I even get fewer questions with 8 than I did when she was on XP or 7.

My mom's not a technical person at all. She attempted to build a rabbit cage one time, looked like a house a child built, but my brother and I have an engineer's mindset. She could relate better to 7 than 8.1. It was too drastic of a change.

 

That's what I've been doing for all my customers and at work. Going to start evaluating Win 10 for rollout next year, fun times!

I've chosen to upgrade to 10 when it comes out. I'm hoping that Microsoft will release ISOs with the images.

 

My mum, who you would not call super technical loves 8/8.1 its deff a Marmite OS.

 

Like people have said no point going to 7 just to delay the problem a few years, get up to date and get on with it, the modern interface although changing in 10 is not going away and users will have to learn, just as they did when 3.1 changed to 95.

 

To be honest if I were some of these companies I'd hold out for 10 and do a rapid deployment when that's released, prep now, collect laptop/pc specs, work out which can and can't be upgraded etc..

Get all users to backup desktops and other non network stored files, test your apps with some select users with the beta.

Then at release, do a final roud out testing for a few weeks and then start do to a rapid deployment cycle with SCCM/WDS, hire in some contractors for a week or 2 to help troubleshoot etc... and off you go, full length of support on a new OS that's a bit friendlier to win XP/7 users.

 

Like I stated before, I put her on 7 because 8 was too much for her. She was lost as hell. I have more questions about 8.x than I did about 7. Plus, I'm a lot more familiar with 7, than 8. I love 8, but for some reason it gives me ulcers. Haha.

 

You're expecting companies to think outside the box. The company I work with, did exactly that, then turned around and bought brand new Lenovo T440s, which mind you SUCK.

[Dot Matrix]

There isn't anything wrong with Win8.1. Windows 7 is in extended support, and deploying it now would mean upgrading again in just a few short years, whereas Windows 8.1 is still enjoying mainstream support, and is quite a stable and tried OS.