Windows XP's usage skyrockets, jumps from 28% to 29% during January
83 replies, posted
What really baffles me is how so many evidently terrible programmers keep getting employed to write corporate software when they can't even write good portable code.
[QUOTE=elitehakor;43809189]I dunno why you'd want to keep using XP for anything[/QUOTE]
I think the majority of these people are elderly and haven't heard of much or anything about the newer windows.
i saw a metrocard vending machine in the NYC subway a few days ago that was being restarted or something and it was using XP.
i think there was one somewhere else with win2000, a while ago.
I think one reason there's an increase in Windows XP users is because of the huge influx of off-lease Dell machines being put into circulation.
You can buy off-lease Dell computers by the pallet full from Dell warehouses around the country for dirt cheap, and many smaller brick and mortar computer stores do this. There are TONS of places that sell refurb Dell machines for $59-99 that have Windows XP, and also include a keyboard, mouse and monitor (usually.)
[QUOTE=wraithcat;43813762]The majority of cash registers and ATMs use either windowsCE, embedded or XP. Also it's secure. None of those machines are actually connected to the internet. There's no real infection vector, and they probably are so locked down that can't really run anything either.[/QUOTE]
Windows XP Embedded / POS Ready 2009 is secure until you do something dumb like try and run Windows update on them. But doing that usually ends up bricking the system so you won't have to worry about security issues.
But they are connected to the internet, because the ATM has to interact with a central bank server somewhere.
[QUOTE=FunnyStarRunner;43817319]I can think of a few places where using DOS would still be applicable.[/QUOTE]
DOS is still used in tons of industrial control systems, along with other things that we haven't had in the home PC market for years, like ISA slots and floppy drives. When you have precision machinery that requires real time control, you really can't afford to be going through tons of bloated APIs and OS on an unnecessarily expensive PC.
[QUOTE=I AM THE LAW;43818915]I think the majority of these people are elderly and haven't heard of much or anything about the newer windows.[/QUOTE]
There is literally nothing about Vista, 7 or 8 that I need. Nothing. I don't play games that require DirectX 10 or 11, and all of the software and such I use functions perfectly fine on XP, not to mention I have the OS tweaked beautifully and many years of files stored where and how I want them. I prefer the simpler, more speedy interface of XP to the later versions.
For me, 'upgrading' would a purely pointless waste of time and gain me absolutely nothing but a headache at having to reinstall EVERYTHING all over again and spend ages installing special programs just to get it back to how I want it. And I don't get the whole "You're holding back progress!" waffle. How am I doing that? Developers can (and do) make things exclusively for more modern PC's, there's nothing stopping them.
I saw an episode of how it's made that was filmed in 2011 and they were showing how fancy rugs were made. The robotic rug loom was controlled by an apple II and the rug patterns were stored on floppy disks
I use Windows XP because it's the only thing that my IBM Thinkpad T42 can handle, and I don't feel like switching to linux on it.
[QUOTE=Sobek-;43819127]There is literally nothing about Vista, 7 or 8 that I need. Nothing. I don't play games that require DirectX 10 or 11, and all of the software and such I use functions perfectly fine on XP, not to mention I have the OS tweaked beautifully and many years of files stored where and how I want them. I prefer the simpler, more speedy interface of XP to the later versions.
For me, 'upgrading' would a purely pointless waste of time and gain me absolutely nothing but a headache at having to reinstall EVERYTHING all over again and spend ages installing special programs just to get it back to how I want it. And I don't get the whole "You're holding back progress!" waffle. How am I doing that? Developers can (and do) make things exclusively for more modern PC's, there's nothing stopping them.[/QUOTE]
Okay fine. Just don't be "that guy" who bitches about developers "leaving me behind" and how its bullshit. No, they didn't leave you behind, you chose to stay behind. When you're three OS revisions behind, you have no room to complain. :v:
No worries mate, I don't complain, it doesn't bother me one bit. I've got a second hdd in my PC to boot from that has a Windows 7 install... I've probably used it twice to date. I played Sniper Elite V2 and BF3 on it a bit but that was all. I'm very happy with how I have everything set up, and ongoing official 'support' from Microsoft for my XP install is just about the least concerning thing in my mind...
People find it strange when they realise I still use XP, mostly because I used to be one of those people who was reformatting practically once a week, trying every new OS build and beta that came out, tweaking the living shit out of things etc etc. But a few years back I just stopped caring about the constant upgrade cycle and now I have my few little things that work just fine for me, and I'm very, very happy with my setup!
[QUOTE=Keitaro;43819148]I use Windows XP because it's the only thing that my IBM Thinkpad T42 can handle, and I don't feel like switching to linux on it.[/QUOTE]
You could technically toss in a Pentium M 755/765 and 2 GB of RAM and probably get decent performance, except for the GPU.
[QUOTE=Keitaro;43819148]I use Windows XP because it's the only thing that my IBM Thinkpad T42 can handle, and I don't feel like switching to linux on it.[/QUOTE]
That was basically the same reason I used it on my old laptop. Hell, it struggled with that, it used to be running Win2K; it was a fucking [I]T23[/I] :v:
[QUOTE=meppers;43819131]I saw an episode of how it's made that was filmed in 2011 and they were showing how fancy rugs were made. The robotic rug loom was controlled by an apple II and the rug patterns were stored on floppy disks[/QUOTE]
Around 3 years ago, I visited a signmaking company that used a IBM XT clone to control the CNC signmaking robot.
Pattern were loaded onto it with a 5,25" floppy and the entire operating system also ran off a second 5,25" floppy.
Reason they kept using it were that it used a one-off ISA card that apparently only worked with the CPU used in a IBM XT.
I've heard that they've replaced it with a windows XP machine connected to a arduino with a one-off "shield" now, progress :v:
[QUOTE=meppers;43819131]I saw an episode of how it's made that was filmed in 2011 and they were showing how fancy rugs were made. The robotic rug loom was controlled by an apple II and the rug patterns were stored on floppy disks[/QUOTE]
There's probably no way at all to update it, and you can't expect a factory to replace all their equipment every few years
[video=youtube;IoPpC0GlTVo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoPpC0GlTVo[/video]
This is all I have to say. Microsoft Sam is the best.
I use the XP.
[QUOTE=lazyguy;43813707]Why does it have loading screens
[editline]6th February 2014[/editline]
And adverts
[editline]6th February 2014[/editline]
And pay-for-premium
[editline]6th February 2014[/editline]
And of course it's a damned Metro 'app'
[editline]6th February 2014[/editline]
BLOOD NEEDS TO BE SHED[/QUOTE]
Solitare is even worse.
Our till systems where I work also use XP still and we sell computers for fuck's sake.
[QUOTE=elitehakor;43809189]I dunno why you'd want to keep using XP for anything[/QUOTE]
because fuck everybody thats why
Technology always gets better and people will still use the older ones. Mostly because it saves money. To compare a long time ago many old guns were upgraded to use new firing mechanisms with little else being changed about the guns. Likewise many of the cars we use aren't the newest or smartest bit of driving kit available - but we use it because it works and is cheaper than whatever is the newest. Gradually at some point everyone will make the switch to newer technology and generally during this period we upgrade to something that's usually outdated because it'll become cheaper anyway.
I wouldn't be surprised if in 10 or 5 years we're driving cars made during 2014 and chances are we'd start seeing more electric cars on the road by then.
[QUOTE=wraithcat;43813762]The majority of cash registers and ATMs use either windowsCE, embedded or XP. Also it's secure. None of those machines are actually connected to the internet. There's no real infection vector, and they probably are so locked down that can't really run anything either.[/QUOTE]
There was a Defcon talk about hacking ATMs
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1KfSSDh3gU[/media]
Coincidentally I was planning to upgrade our entire lot to 7 this spring when one of my task group's old HP systems failed a few weeks ago. I had a wonderful excuse to prototype all the changes I wanted to make on its useless husk before applying it to everything else.
Upgrading Windows is extremely fun if you're a techie/autistic. I recommend it.
[QUOTE=redBadger;43809923]many businesses don't want to upgrade because it'll cost them $10 to do so and that's way too much for them to afford.[/QUOTE]
there's a lot of software that just doesn't run above windows XP. my dad either had to a) spend like 50,000 dollars on new software that works on 7 or b) hang onto a few windows XP laptops
[QUOTE=ultra_bright;43809348]All the computers in my school run on XP.[/QUOTE]
the same was true for ours [B]until they fucking replaced the entire fleet with shitty macs for no reason[/B] and [I]didn't replace the software[/I], so we have a bunch of awkwardass computers running osx with 0 security and next to nothing on them, because "apple masterrace hue !" or something.
[QUOTE=CommanderPT;43809070]I saw a cash register boot up at a local supermarket yesterday and it was showing the fucking Windows XP logo. Sounds super secure for something that is supposed to handle money. :v:[/QUOTE]
The tills at my place run windows 2000
[QUOTE=lordofdafood;43833875]The tills at my place run windows 2000[/QUOTE]
I think most do, they're not connected to the internet so it's not a problem for them
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