Windows XP users face end to Microsoft support
Windows XP went on sale back in 2001 and Microsoft has provided support for the popular operating system ever since. But that support ends today with the software giant stating “the time has come for us, along with our hardware and software partners, to invest our resources toward supporting more recent technologies so that we can continue to deliver great new experiences.”
This means technical assistance for Windows XP will no longer be available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP.
If you continue to use Windows XP after support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Also, as more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimise for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter greater numbers of apps and devices that do not work with Windows XP.
Windows XP support ends today 8th of April 2014
It is thought some 20-25% of Microsoft users are still using XP and the security implications are startling. Effectively every security issue found after 8th of April will never be repaired leaving your computer at risk to anyone who might wish to take advantage. Malware writers go for the easy pickings and XP has just become that. It is so much easier to infect systems running on an old Windows XP operating system compared to the latest version of Windows 8.1
As soon as a manufacturer stops supporting either its hardware or software it is really time for you as the customer to move on. Windows XP has always been popular and is still widely used primarily as Vista was so bad, if you have a PC or Laptop using XP or Vista it is either time to trade it in for something newer or upgrade the operating system to Windows 8.1