The [PC World article] is mostly a bunch of FUD.
Their 3 points are:
1) [Productivity]. Well, my XP machine does what I need it to do. E-mail, Internet, Word Processing. I also have a machine with Windows 7, and that is NOT any more "productive" than XP. As far as automatic maintenance, those are things that I want to do for myself.
2) [New technology]. Well, if I get a new computer it will of course have a new OS. But for my present XP machine, my technology works FINE and will continue to work fine (printer, monitor). I don't need Bluetooth and I don't need USB 3.0 or beyond.
3) [Security]. That's a laugh. The biggest virus is the Windows OS itself. Most of the Microsoft security issues can be avoided by NOT going online with Internet Explorer, by NOT by using a Microsoft e-mail program, and by NOT using MS Office--- (PLENTY of alternatives for all of these).
3a) And machines should be protected by hardware firewall, updated software firewall, closed ports, updated AV, possible separate malware defense like MalwareBytes, system hardening (HIPS) tools, and by NOT using IE or Outlook (as above).
3b) Smart behavior, of course, and stay off any site you wouldn't want your wife to see. And don't open any e-mail that doesn't seem to make sense.
3c) Take advantage of new protections like the free defense against Cryptolocker malware .
»
www.foolishit.com/vb6-pr ··· prevent/3d) And use a Hosts file manager such as Hosts Man.
»
www.abelhadigital.com/hostsman-----
So where is the OS in all of this?
There's a science fiction story in which 3 male astronauts from the 20th century are time-warped into a future world in which only women survive.
The women tell those 3 men that they won't be useful.
The men protest that they can help protect the women.
But the women say, "We've studied your history. The only protective role for men in society was protecting against OTHER men". So the women make the astronauts drink poison.
Microsoft Updates are largely like that too.
Of course machines should be kept updated where possible. But after next April there is NOT going to be open season on XP machines PROVIDED THAT the machines are reasonably protected---
----As any machine should be ANYWAY, even if running Windows 7 or Windows 8 !!