The end of Windows XP support: Any thoughts or rememberences?

[Wouter52]

This was my desktop in October 2008 (:

 

 

I love those days! When windows 8 came I switched to Elementary OS :P

[JaykeBird]

As a tiny kid, I played around on my family's Windows 95 computer, and it was through that that I learned how Windows as an OS worked, to an extent. Although Windows 95 was what introduced me to computers, it was Windows XP that got me into computers.

 

Before I finished elementary school, my family got a (then-)new Compaq computer running Windows XP, and we set it up in the kitchen, CRT monitor and all, and gave it a whirl. We really didn't think too much of it really... We were more or less the average middle-class family, buying a computer because everyone else had one. I remember going through AOL and having to wait for it to connect to the modem and all that stuff... although honestly, I don't remember doing much on the Internet other than talking to my grandmother over AOL Messenger... Another thing I fondly remember is playing my mom's Cher CD on repeat in Windows Media Player, just to watch all the fancy visualizations.

 

In middle school, my family bought Office 2007 and put it on our PC. My brother, sister, and I had a lot of fun with it. Each of us had our own little folder on the desktop where we saved all our wacky Word documents and PowerPoint presentations in, and we'd have days where we just shared our works with each other, like a movie day. Then came the day I broke PowerPoint. I somehow found the EXE file and found the "program compatibility" options in the Properties dialog. I remember wondering what this new thing was, since they didn't have such a thing on Windows 95. So I turned it on, and put PowerPoint in compatibility mode for Windows 98. ... It didn't run after that. And by the next day, I forgot about it, and so I couldn't undo it. It wasn't until 1-and-a-half years later that I stumbled across the feature again and disabled it.

 

A bit after that, I installed Visual Studio 2008 on that computer, and started building small program after small program, continuing to add to each project until the computer's 512 MB of RAM couldn't handle it anymore, so I abandoned the project and moved to a new one. I bought a book that taught how to code in Visual Basic and it had a web browser example, so I made that, and then turned it into a decently functional browser, and began using that full-time, rather than running through Firefox.

 

All in all, that PC's been a source of many memories. It's still around, and (probably) still works, but I haven't touched it in years, having migrated to this Windows 7 laptop I'm currently using. My mom wants to just get rid of the old PC, but I'll probably convince her to bring it to my apartment instead, so I can continue to look at it and think of the good ol' days.

[casper2]

 

[Mike Loney]

I have spoken in my earlier post pages back on what I think moreso of XP in the modern world - basically it no longer belongs unless locked down and disconnected from the internet. But as also a Linux user I hope I didn't sound to negative (I didn't bash the current versions of Windows despite the unfriendly UI in 8/8.1 - and that's because I see that MS is trying and they may just succeed like they have before). I may look like a Linux fanboi and yes around my friends I tell MS jokes, but hey, deep down inside Windows and Linux are both system components - Windows an OS, Linux a kernel plus GNU tools and even more that makes up your typical distro. Therefore when push comes to shove, I have a side of me that is still interested in Microsoft. I use Linux and Windows both essentially on a daily basis. Both have strengths and weaknesses. And I've even defended Microsoft, Windows, Linux, and my PC. Here's an example, - some Apple fanbois were laughing at my laptop calling it bulky (go figure, college campus has a lot of those elitist Mac users on it, though I'm not saying all Apple users are snobs). I told them I'd rather have it than a Mac. Cannot remember how the rest went. Anyhow, back on topic.

 

XP was a great OS when it came out. May not have been entirely good out of the box with the Internet (IE6 - yuck!) but MS has improved IE and now I use it on ocasion without major issues, but it'll hang once in a while like any piece of software. SP2 made it good with some tweaks at having some security fit for the world at the time. And on the themes - how I must admit I loved them! Royale, Royale Noir, (didn't like Zune), and good old WIndows classic. My desktop was pretty weak at handling themes, but hey it was a start! Pretty version of Win2K, but it also done something important - it popularized a halfway decent version of Windows (although I prefer 7), compared to 9.x this thing was rock solid like 2K and user friendly. When I started using Linux, I even themed it a few times to look like XP. And the Luna theme - although cartoonissh, at least it wasn't dead shades of gray. Windows XP was my first OS I tweaked myself and learned on. It wasn't perfect, but it's role was important. Later I even themed it to look like Vista a bit with icons and cursors but the Royale Noir theme. Perfect compromise between speed and looking great. Better than Luna for sure. Learned to update and maintain it. So although it's your time to go XP, we'll surely miss you. :cry:

[KoL Veteran]

Man I remember we were releasing themes almost every day hehe. Loved the VS scene here. Great times!

[Dot Matrix]

Wait, is that THE KoL? ^

[MtnDewCodeRedFreak]

Oh and I realized something weird.

 

XP has been there with us in the old times in 2001.  Back then, Windows 3.1 and 95 was at its last breaths of support, NT 4.0, 98/98 SE and Me was still supported, and 2000 Pro was released a year before..

 

Now, XP is in its last breath of support today, and it saw Windows Vista, 7, and 8/8.1 from 2001 (when Vista was in development) to 2014.

 

I must say, XP is like the "middle child" between the old times (2001) and the new times (2014).

[Dot Matrix]

I must say, XP is like the "middle child" between the old times (2001) and the new times (2014).

There is nothing inherently "new" with XP at all. If anything, Vista would be the "middle child" between the old (2001), and new times (2014). It was the OS that first made the drastic changes to what we have today.  

[Andre S. Veteran]

After using Windows 98 and Me for several years, I was extremely impressed with XP's stability, which introduced the NT kernel to consumers. Now the OS detected processes when they hung up and allowed you to easily shut them down, rather than hanging itself! No more double CTRL-ALT-DELETEs to reboot every so often! 

 

It was far from perfect, but it was a major step forward and certainly the single largest technological leap for a consumer-oriented version of Windows since, well, Windows was introduced. 

 

Windows XP also made major strides in usability and security, particularly with SP2.

[+jamesyfx Subscriber²]

I remember instantly making a decision on what a person was like depending on which Windows XP colour theme they used.

 

I think there was Luna, Silver and Olive Green. :p

 

Luna = Normal

Silver = Tacky

Green = WEIRDO

 

:rofl:

[MtnDewCodeRedFreak]

There is nothing inherently "new" with XP at all. If anything, Vista would be the "middle child" between the old (2001), and new times (2014). It was the OS that first made the drastic changes to what we have today.  

 

Right but then ... think about it.

 

If Vista was the "middle child" then it'd have "seen" 2000, through say, Windows 9 (when it'll be released next year presumably), but Vista hasn't been with much older OSes like 3.1, 9x/Me and NT4.  Get what I mean?

 

It was XP that has been with older OSes dating back to 3.1 when 3.1 and 95 was at its last breaths of support and now when XP was at its last breath of support today, it has "seen" Vista, 7, and 8/8.1.

[cetla]

Farewell to Windows XP

[Denis W. Veteran]

Definitely remember the days when Neowin's XP VS subforum was kicking and alive!

 

Other than that. I remember the days when I longed to have a copy of Pro, thinking it was that much better than the copy of Home Edition of my then-new Vaio. I was hit with Blaster once but that's about it really.

 

Had some grief with hardware failures but that was really due to the hardware and not XP itself.

 

As for screenshots. Take a look at these early beauties:

 

 

 

 

 

This one was a friend's screenshot but somehow ended up in my collection of old screenshots:

 

[sinetheo]

Many diehards refuse to upgrade.

 

People like these who swear by outlook express will keep using it

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2139352/true-confessions-from-windows-xp-faithfuls-why-they-refuse-to-move-on.html

[LimeMaster]

Green = WEIRDO

I liked XP's Olive Green theme: :p

[123456789A]

I initially enjoyed running XP on a brand new Pentium 4 with IDE cables that were manufactured on 9/11/01. At the beginning, it was really nice except for the UI colors. So, I got into theming and creating icons... I noticed a lot of the really nice quality high res icons were originally created for the Mac so I started learning more about OS X. After XP became a security concern (I was never affected, but cleaned enough malware off peoples machines to know it was real), I actually switched to Macs in 2005. Of course then after swearing off Windows, in 2011 I experienced Windows 7 and came back over to Windows for the most part.

 

Now I am using Windows 8.1 and can't understand why people would still hold on to XP in 2014. That's 13 years ago!

[Praetor]

Now I am using Windows 8.1 and can't understand why people would still hold on to XP in 2014. That's 13 years ago!

 

because people are poor, because it works, because why pay for something new when my hardware handles XP alright, because all the expensive, poorly coded websites and applications in my enterprise/shop/home just happen to work only in IE6 or in XP (never mind the lack of productivity because of the sluggishness of running those), because people just LOVE the start menu and can't live without it (even if they don't really use it), because <insert any excuse in here>.

 

the fact is: there are too many excuses, too many people still wanting to run an 13 year old ancient OS and too many short vision people that kill the innovation one company needs to have.

 

i liked XP allot, but i've moved on, years ago; die hard XP fans should also think if they prefer to use an outdated OS that lacks many things; if so then go back to Windows 2000 or 98SE let them be it,eventually they will upgrade.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Praetor

[menifred]

I remember installing and using Windows XP Professional x64 Edition at the beginning of the x64 era (at least for clients).  I don't miss it though.

[Dot Matrix]

If people want to run XP, let them. That's on them. One of two things will happen: They'll eventually upgrade, or they'll just eventually fall off the face of the Internet. Either way, XP won't matter anymore, and that'll Microsoft to finally focus on better things.

[-T- Member]

I had some fun times using Windows XP, especially the theming which was awesome. I think I used Chaninja's theme for most of the time, only alternating to an OSX theme.

 

I don't miss it though

[brlmedia]

Wow, going back! Still have my two home edition upgrades I purchased on day one GA, and my plus pack!! Such great things you could do with xp. Outlook express rules haha! Gonna fire it up in a VM after work for ol times sake!

[AnotherITguy]

XP / SERVER 2003 were good operating systems for their day, with SERVER 2003 Microsoft opened their eyes to security. This bore fruit in the form of the Trustworthy computing initiative which ground to a halt the development of Server 2003 to check every line of code, which I applaud Microsoft for doing. However, it is no longer 2003, or 2007, its 2014. Windows 8.1 / Server 2012 r2 are robust workhorses that with a few more tweaks here and there will become even better.

 

R.I.P XP, you served us well old friend.

 

 

FIRST XP MACHINE:

 

Pentium 4@ 1.8Ghz

1GB of PC2700 DDR

80GB IDE Hard drive

DVD Burner

Geforce 6200

Windows XP Home Edition X86

Onboard sound.

 

"The good ole days"

[Anibal P]

Glad to see that steaming POS finally die, only extremely few users at work are stuck on that garbage, can't stand it one bit

[Hum]

 

Now I am using Windows 8.1 and can't understand why people would still hold on to XP in 2014. That's 13 years ago!

Ah, because XP still works, and there is no reason to throw out a perfectly good computer.

And not everyone is in love with Windows 8. ;)

[NEVER85]

Ah, because XP still works, and there is no reason to throw out a perfectly good computer.

And not everyone is in love with Windows 8. ;)

 

Not very well, especially today.