I'm a bit miffed to have discover over the weekend that my netbook - a Samsung NC10 - is running XP. I bought it less than four years ago, for goodness sake, and now it has been rendered obsolete by MS.
So, what to do.
Since buying an iPhone, I don't use it much. The iPhone provides the portable computing which was the main reason for buying the NC10 - with 3G dongle.
On another thread Mark suggests keeping an XP computer for doing non-secure activity. I guess that excludes using it for logging in to email. Computer therefore useless.
1. Upgrade to Windows 8 (7?). Seems a bit pointless, as the second-hand value of the computer is about £30 (ebay) and the new software will be as much as that. Would it work, anyway?
2. Use Ubuntu - to add to the Open Office software that's already on there. No idea whether I'd be up to either (a) installing it, or (b) operating it.
3. Buy a new one. If so, what. Requirements are low - internet, Office. It doesn't have to be a netbook (indeed, it should be bigger). Budget: as little as possible.
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The best thing you can do with a Netbook is run Lubuntu on it, it is a stripped down version of Ubuntu and on netbooks it works brilliantly.
Been using it for years and it is flawless. It will be much much faster than XP.
XP was still sold for netbooks until about 2010 until Windows 7 starter replaced it. At the time Vista was too heavy to run on netbooks.
lubuntu.net/
If all you're doing is use the web and office I see no reason you need to use Windows. I run Windows 7 on my main machine, Windows 8.1 update 1 on my office PC and Lubuntu on my netbook and office PC (dual boot). I also it on VMware.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Mon 14 Apr 14 at 14:59
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Thanks. Should this worry me?
"Please note that the final and the current release of Lubuntu is 11.10 which will be supported until April 2013."
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I am not sure where you read that, I use 12.10 and the current version is 13.10
lubuntu.net/
14.04 should be out in May I would have though.
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In terms of installation it should be easy just make sure you back up anything you don't want to loose. Then the easiest thing to do is tell the installation to repartition the drive into Linux format.
It is very easy to use, you will probably have to install Open Office but that is very easy to do with the built in package manager. It works a bit like the apps store on Apple. In fact these appeared on Linux well before apple introduced it on the Iphone.
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Its probably just me. But I do not get on well with Linux. It turns using a computer into irritating hard work as far as I am concerned.
Nothing is compatible, nothing seems to install easily and there's never the little programs I want to do something with which are easy to find, install and use on Windows. Its just not for general use, for me.
Even having to decide about partitions irritates me.
Clearly Rattle finds it quite different and gets on well with it. Who knows which camp you would fall into, but its not for me.
Insofar as my meaning of confidential, I meant I would not do anything on an XP machine that I would not do in an internet cafe.
So, I would happily browse the web, read my email, do some work, upload photos etc. etc.
I would not do anything like internet banking, nor would I store any sensitive data.
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I would not use Linux on my main computer, as I said I run Windows 7 SP1 and 8.1 on my main machines I work on. All use my netbook for is web surfing so Linux is perfect for that.
I would not recommend a person switch to Linux if it is their main machine.
I am hoping to buy a Thinkpad 12" soon and I am not sure what I will run on that, probably Windows 7.
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>>easiest thing to do is tell the installation to repartition the drive into Linux format.
Oh dear. I think you've lost me now.
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It will make sense when you try to install it :). Do you know how to make installation media either on CD/DVD or a USB stick?
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The mere fact that you had to write that sentence is why I fear Linux is not for "normal" use.
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>> Its probably just me. But I do not get on well with Linux. It turns
>> using a computer into irritating hard work as far as I am concerned.
>
My antipathy towards Linux for non techie users is well known and oft spouted on here.
If it were me I would buy one of these
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Acer-Aspire-One-D255E-Intel-Atom-Windows-7-Starter-10-1-Faulty-Laptop-2117-/321373966499?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item4ad36190a3
To get the win 7 starter key fixed to the bottom then bin it - and then download a copy of win 7 starter for my working netbook and use the key I have just bought.
Legal? no. Will anyone ever know? no.
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>>If it were me I would...
What you propose sounds even more incomprehensible than partitioning a disc, or:
"Do you know how to make installation media either on CD/DVD or a USB stick?"
I don't doubt my ability to do these things; I doubt my ability to find somebody who can explain how to do these things without using incomprehensible jargon!
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>>What you propose sounds even more incomprehensible than partitioning a disc,
To install a valid operating system you need the operating system itself, in this case windows, and a code (license key) which will allow the installation to function properly.
A license key is the code which if valid confirms that you have the right to use this operating system.
As you install the OS you are asked at some point to type this in.
When you buy an operating system you are essentially paying for this license key and the operating system is given to you on a disk for convenience, since one can just as well legally download it from the internet, from Microsoft's own site in fact.
Clearly this code or license key is thus is around £100 or whatever the going rate is.
All computers have such a code either printed on them, or on a sticker stuck to them. Obviously since you have paid for the operating system in the price of the computer.
If you buy the broken computer above, for a £10 or whatever it is, then you will now be the proud possessor of a valid license key and can throw the computer away (keeping the sticker).
You can then download the operating system from the internet, and when it requests the code, you have one to type in.
You are breaking the licensing rules in that you are using the license key on a different computer to that for which it was supplied. This would be all but totally undetectable and most unlikely that anyone could or would do anything about it even if they knew. Unless you were doing it in bulk, of course.
*However*, in the case of XP (and I think Vista) there were special versions which were just for certain Netbooks and the netbook license key shown on the sticker will work with only that version. And that version is somewhere between difficult and impossible to find to download.
I have no idea if that is true of later versions of windows.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Tue 15 Apr 14 at 13:15
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Thanks, that's indubitably comprehensible.
When you say 'download from the internet' do you mean a file-sharing site... don't think I'll be going there...
Windows 7 seems to have long-since disappeared from MS's site, I've already checked; £99 to upgrade to 8.1 which I have no doubt would cripple the system.
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windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/answers?tId=7d964b05-2be9-4800-bc7f-3ca30356fc3d
There are many sites which hold "official" copies, or at least Microsoft are happy for them to do so, the above is one.
You do not need to resort to file sharing sites.
They usually download as an .iso file. That will need copying to a CD which you can then boot and install from.
Its not difficult or complex, say if you need help with that.
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>> Its probably just me. But I do not get on well with Linux. It turns
>> using a computer into irritating hard work as far as I am concerned.
>>
>> Nothing is compatible, nothing seems to install easily and there's never the little programs I
>> want to do something with which are easy to find, install and use on Windows.
>> Its just not for general use, for me.
>>
Like he said. again.
As I always say, I just want an OS not a new hobby.
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>> I bought it less than four years ago, for goodness sake, and now it has been rendered obsolete by MS.
I know how you feel. My 11yr old Advent PC with Win XP on it is now obsolete too. Things just aren't built to last any more ;)
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Even I think 11 years is an acceptable lifetime...
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>> Even I think 11 years is an acceptable lifetime...
Don't tell that to the PCs that still have Windows 3.11, 95 and 98 running some of our equipment at work. Thankfully none of it is hooked up to the internet though.
Pretty sure I read somewhere the other day that there are a lot of cash machines that are still using Win XP as well.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 15 Apr 14 at 21:41
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>> Pretty sure I read somewhere the other day that there are a lot of cash
>> machines that are still using Win XP as well.
>
Yes but its not the retail version of XP, has many access and user accessible features removed, and is not connected to the internet. (some may use the internet as a carrier but it would be point to point over a secure VPN)
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UK Govt has just paid Microsoft £20m for a year's security support on XP for hundreds of thousands of PCs in NHS & Other Govt Departments.
XP support is withdrawn UNLESS you can cough £millions for support.
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>> XP support is withdrawn UNLESS you can cough £millions for support.
Thought about writing for the Sun or the Daily Mail?
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 16 Apr 14 at 08:57
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If it really is only £20m for continuing support for XP across govt then it looks like a bargain. In my last job one building alone had, occupied by one dept and it's agencies had over 2000 workstations.
The cost of replacing XP will be far larger and is a move that's been put off year on year. A lot of people only moved over from NT in 2008/9. The cynic in me wonders if this deal is a sweetenr for Govt staying with MS products rather than following Francis Maude's publicly suggested option of Open Source.
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>> 2008/9. The cynic in me wonders if this deal is a sweetenr for Govt staying
>> with MS products rather than following Francis Maude's publicly suggested option of Open Source.
That threat is only ever used to get your MS costs reduced.
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>> UK Govt has just paid Microsoft £20m
5.5million actually
www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26884167
tinyurl.com/mtdwpel - www.computerweekly.com
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The extended support cost for XP is $200 per device, raising to $500 next year. The deal the UK government has agreed is a good price.
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Cheaper to move to Windows 7 (not 8!)...?
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>> Cheaper to move to Windows 7 (not 8!)...?
Not for a large organisation that has not completed their upgrades in time. The NHS should have but haven't for whatever reason. How many PCs/laptops do they have? A million?
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XP here too - RattleandSmoke
