From XP to Windows 8.1

[droj]

I finally took the plunge a week before Microsoft told us that XP support (security updates) was to be extended for another year after all. Before loading the new OS I knew pretty well what might work on it and what wouldn't. Installation was a breeze, and well within a day I'd got it how I wanted it and was au fait with the interface. Maybe it helps to be bloody-minded about these things?

A lovely and efficient OS, it seems to me, except that its font management facility is rather poor - solved by installing Printer's Apprentice. Libre Office covers the modest wordprocessing and spreadsheet functions I need, and various 32-bit legacy apps installed and are running fine on the 64-bit OS. I'm still waiting to see if my antique copy of InDesign runs bug-free though, since officially it was held not to work on W8.

What's been sacrificed? Mainly, I think, my SCSI film scanner connection. I did fiddle about tediously for a workaround but gave up. I keep a reserve P4 desktop machine running Ubuntu 32-bit for emergencies, and will probably try hooking the scsi card and scanner up to that.

 

[landwomble]

Bear in mind that MS are *only* releasing AV signature updates for XP for a slightly extended period. They are *not* going to be releasing any security patches post 8th April. The OS will be completely unsupported after that date bar AV signatures. This means you still did the right thing!

 

[trencheel303]

I'm still using office 2003 on here, and despite that I don't use most of it's "metro" features, I don't regret paying to upgrade my laptop from Windows 7 to Windows 8. With Start8 installed it just feels like a better more mature version of Windows 7.