Windows 8

If you, our readers, are representative of the population as a whole, then about 40% of you are still clinging to Windows XP. Windows XP is the longest running version of Windows ever. This is due, in large part, to Microsoft getting caught with its britches down when the Netbook frenzy was just starting in 2009. Windows Vista was Microsoft’s operating system that year, and Netbooks weren’t powerful enough to run Vista.

Microsoft was losing out because it didn’t have a new operating system that would run on under-powered netbooks. Microsoft’s answer? They dusted off Windows XP and allowed netbook manufacturers to install its 2001 operating system — you guess it: Windows XP.

To make a long story short, this gave all of you using XP another five years. Why? Because Microsoft’s policy is to support its operating systems for five years. When netbooks were big in 2009 and Microsoft allowed Netbook makers to install Windows XP, they agreed to support XP for another five years. So those of you who are still using Windows XP theoretically can get updates for XP until 2014. However, Microsoft is going to make it tougher and tougher on you. Many new Microsoft products (like Internet Explorer 9) won’t run on Windows XP. Microsoft has toyed with the idea of not allowing XP users to deploy Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows XP. They want you to upgrade to Windows 7.

Within the next two years, those 40% of you who are clinging to Windows XP are going to either upgrade to newer version of Windows (which is problematical because your current PC may not run Windows 7), buy a new computer with a newer version of Windows on it, or risk all kinds of problems by using an out-of-date operating system which is no longer supported by Microsoft (you’ll get no more security updates, fixes, etc.).

So what should you do? Should you wait for Windows 8 or should you buy a Windows 7 computer?

Windows 8 will be vastly different from any other version of Windows ever introduced. It will have a steep learning curve for those of you using XP. Unless your familiar with smart phones and/or tablets, you’ll find Windows 8’s Metro UI confusing – it looks more like a smart phone than Windows. Windows 8 will be made for touch screens and tablets as well as smart phones – a one-operating-system-fits-all, kind of thing. As of right now, Windows 8 will allow you to use the more traditional desktop, but doing so rather limits all the new things Windows 8 can do – for instance the gesture-based desktop.

We’ll be covering Windows 8 in more detail as soon as the official beta release is available (in February). We’ve been burned too many times by early versions of Windows which turn out to be vastly different from the final version. So rather than give you our opinion of Windows 8 based on early developer’s versions, we’ll wait until we get our hands on the beta. Betas are usually much closer to the final version than are early developers versions.

If you’re still using Windows XP, you’re going to have to make a move within the next two years – or risk all the security hazards of using an unsupported (and antiquated) operating system. If you’re an XP user and you’re thinking about changing computers this year, we recommend you wait October of this year – right before the introduction of Windows 8.

Why? Computer manufacturers and retailers will be selling off Windows 7 computers to get rid of them to make way for Windows 8. And if you time it right, you can get a new Windows 7 computer with a free upgrade to Windows 8 when it’s released late this year. Windows 7 is leap from Windows XP – but it still looks and feels like Windows. You’ll have some learning to do, but not nearly as much as you will if you jump from Windows 7 to Windows 8.

You’ll have some time, then, to get used to Windows 7 and then upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 8 later on – using your free upgrade certificate you’ll get if you buy a computer right before a new version of Windows is released. So you’ll get a great deal on a new computer when retailers and manufacturer are hurrying to get rid of Windows 7 computers – and you’ll get free version of Windows 8 to install when you’re ready. You’ll get the best of both worlds. Let’s face it – Windows XP is very old and you’re going to have to make a leap sometime.

Microsoft says every Windows 7 users will qualify for the upgrade version of Windows 8. That doesn’t mean it will be free :-).

Oh yes. You could get a Mac instead of Windows. However, you’d have a pretty steep learning curve with Mac as well. It’s always something, isn’t it?

One more thing: Windows 8 Consumer preview is scheduled to be released on February 29, 2012… if you are brave enough to try it.