ReactOS Forum

If the "final" end of support date for XP and the ensuing fiasco over a newly discovered vulnerability is any indication, there are plenty of vulnerabilities left for people to continue finding. Even worse, some of the security issues discovered in newer versions of the OS also exist on XP but will no longer be patched. For that matter, the majority of issues patched over the years have afflicted XP as much as the newer systems. As time goes on, the number of exploits available to black hats will only increase as issues are discovered and left unfixed. Your network security is only as strong as your weakest link and XP is most certainly vying for that dubious honor.

I'll certainly take that into account.

Just to add a small point, I do need to have an internet-facing XP system. Some of what I do is to create internet portals for this and that and during development I need to test the result on the most widely-used systems. I have to have an XP system with FF, Chrome, Safari and IE6+7/8 to see how an internet application/site operates on that system. I have to support users on XP systems doing the same and I need to match that environment. I could try emulating this or that or running the same apps on a different o/s version but there will always be an occasion where it is the exact match of o/s and app that causes the actual problem. It may be a pain but XP will be here for years to come. I support companies using .5 MIP uVaxes from 1988 to handle vital aerospace functions. We expect those systems to be functioning still in 30 years time. On this basis XP has plenty of life in it yet.

No consumer OS is designed with that kind of lifespan in mind. That companies keep trying to use them like so is part of the problem.

"Trying to use it" - you've slightly missed the point.

Evidently since I'm not seeing it.

Sorry, perhaps we are at cross-purposes due to the different use of language. One of my clients has a scanning device that costs several thousand pounds and there is no driver for it after XP. The outlay is too great for him to buy a current scanner that is no better just to run from Windows 7/8.

He isn't "trying" to run software under XP, he simply has no choice.

When I say "companies" I am really not referring to the people who buy such industrial equipment, I am referring to the companies that make them. They're effectively cheaping out on proper design and planning when they try to stick some critical piece of software for systems that have expected lifespans of decades on consumer systems that have expected lifespans of A decade on the generous side. That these manufacturers can get away with it is indicative of the lack of effective competition to force them to up their game. Hopefully in the near future the commoditization of what used to be extremely expensive processes will inject some genuine quality into those processes and the instruments involved.

Understood - I knew we were at cross-purposes. Language is a pain sometimes, especially English. I speak it as my first tongue and it still leads to ambiguity.

Jessey wrote:
Here are some places that I have noticed that still use XP:
walmart
target
walgreens
lowsyo
hy-vee
save a lot
sears

I suppose these stores use Windows Embedded POSReady 2009. It is indeed a Windows XP derivate for point-of-sale cash machines with default support until 2019. Embedded POS Ready licenses were only sold in combination with cash machines. The German ct computer magazine even had an online article about how to change a XP Professional license to a Embedded POS Ready 2009 license by manupulating the registry - resulting in further updates to 2019, but at your own risk (most POS systems have a very limited hardware). The legal aspect of such a manipulation is at least doubtful, if it is not illegal at all...

Nevertheless, I still have a standard XP professional system running, and sometimes I still receive some updates. Not that often as it used to be a year before, but I suppose that the most severe bugs and security problems are still secretly fixed by MS.

They are common DRM updates only and probably made to cease DRM to allow existing installations to continue with WPA/WGA servers down.

Hi!
I'm from Argentina, and I work with Oracle Applications. (I want to try them in RactOS in this days)

The thing is that fo some legacy applications you NEED Windows XP. For example, there is some applications such as Oracle e-Bussines Suite 10 and 11. Some Oracle Discoverer versions, and some Oracle ADI version. And there is a lot of places where they are using a Virtual Machine with Windows XP to run this Apps.

Best Regards.
Jorge Abreu.