Windows XP still exists. It came out 13 years ago and a third of the world’s computers still use it. If we look at the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) is responsible for practically every patient in the country, the stats are startling. 85% of computers still use Windows XP. The stats for the United States are not much better.
In technology terms, Windows XP is a relic. And now it’s time to move on. If you’re still holding out, we’re going to discuss why now’s the time to make the long overdue migration.
Microsoft Doesn’t Want Your Business
Microsoft announced that it would be stopping support for Windows XP in April 2014. This means no patches, fixes, or updates will be available. In short, viruses and malware will be free to ravage this operating system. If you’re connected to the Internet, you’re in an extremely vulnerable position.
Bigger companies that still want to use Windows XP will be forced to pay $200 for their first year of continued support, then $400 for the second, and $800 for the third.
This is a firm message that Microsoft wants you to leave. If you want to put yourself at risk of hack attacks, keep using Windows XP.
The Productivity Argument
The newer Windows 7 system, for example, is simply more productive than its Windows XP counterpart. You can see this with the Aerosnap feature.
Aerosnap automatically snaps any open windows so they fit together on the screen, rather than overlapping each other. Its little things like this that reduces the amount of time you spend on pointless tasks.
Other productivity saving options includes stacking windows from the same program on a single icon to prevent unnecessary spacing on the bottom toolbar. It makes it easy to select your window when you have a range of different documents open.
Even saving 30 seconds per day can have a big impact on productivity in a business in the long-term. 30 seconds for ten workers equals five minutes per day. This adds up to 1500 minutes, or 25 hours, saved over the course of a year.
New Technology
Think about all those new technologies that you’ve missed out on by using Windows XP for so long. Yes, you can still plug a USB 3.0 device in and it would work. That’s the beauty of backwards compatibility, but it’s automatically slowed down due to the time in which Windows XP was designed for.
In the case of USB 3.0, the speed at which data transfers is actually the rate of USB 2.0. This is just one example of the drawback for items that are backwards compatible.
Bluetooth, wireless printers, and cordless keyboards will all provide challenges in finding the right drivers since they are not being developed for Windows XP anymore. You could spend days just trying to make this work.
Security, technology, and productivity are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the disadvantages of not upgrading from Windows XP. There are so many more disadvantages, but aren’t these three enough to convince you to upgrade?
Contact us today if you need help upgrading your systems.