Windows XP is Gone, Should You Be Concerned?

So if you've been paying attention to the news, or the tech blogs, or your cousin who everyone in the family turns to when their computer breaks, you might be aware that Windows XP, one of the most popular computer operating systems since 2001, has reached the end of its life. If you are not using Windows XP (Apple users, Linux users, and anybody using Windows Vista, 7, or 8) feel free to stop reading, everybody else, your computer is in serious danger.

No, “End of Life” doesn’t mean your (outdated) Windows XP computer is going to stop working. No, this doesn’t mean you HAVE to upgrade… but your decision not to is a serious risk.

First and most importantly, you’re probably asking “what exactly does ‘End of Life’ mean for an operating system?” It means that Microsoft, the company that develops and maintains Windows, will no longer be providing any updates for XP (Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 are still fine). These updates are sometimes cosmetic, sometimes functional, and sometimes a fix for an error that was found in the operating system.

Programmers who develop parts of Windows XP make mistakes on occasion. Hackers like to exploit these mistakes, and so it is the programmer’s job to patch their mistake as soon as it is discovered. End of Life means that the programmers will no longer be fixing mistakes; as soon as one mistake is uncovered it can be used forever. Once one tiny hole is found, your computer will not be safe ever again.

That being the case, why then, would Microsoft do that? Why would they dump an operating system used by over 25% of world computers? The long answer is complicated, but generally boils down to two things: (1) Microsoft wants to make money off sales of newer operating systems (Namely Windows 8, the most current OS on the market) and more importantly (2) Windows XP is dreadfully, hopelessly, irreconcilably obsolete.

When Windows XP hit the market in 2001, most computers had hard-drives of maybe a few gigabytes, and certainly less than a gigabyte in memory. Today even low end hardware is several times large and several times faster, and every programmer and web designer expects users of their products to have machines that powerful.

In keeping with that, Microsoft developed newer operating systems to keep up with growth (Vista, 7, and 8), but as said before, programmers make mistakes. These operating systems develop just as many issues as XP did before it. By dropping support for the most obsolete of these, Microsoft can dedicate those developers to other tasks, namely fixing issues in more recent systems.

 Why then, should you upgrade? Do you do your banking online? Do you use email, facebook, or any other form of social media? Do you do sensitive work on your computer? Is your computer connected to the internet (yes, it is, if you’re reading this article)? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your computer is at serious risk.

Many people hesitate at the concept of losing their old programs, or their data. Others balk at the concept of having to spend more money upgrading to a fancier machine they don’t need. 

The problem with that argument is that people fail to consider that a computer is a different tool than say, a hammer. Your hammer continues to work even if a newer, better hammer is invented. Computers don’t work that way. Your computer (at least on the internet) only works because other people using computers can communicate with your computer effectively. End of Life implies that in the near future, that’s going to change.

You can transfer your files, and most of the programs you’re using can probably be obtained on a newer operating system. Low-end machines are already better than anything running Windows XP, and there’s a good possibility you don’t even need a new one. It’s unfortunate, but if you want to keep using your computer, you’re going to need to change.