After April 2014 Microsoft Windows XP will no longer be supported by Microsoft. It is definitely time to consider what to transition to and how. It is time to check out Ubuntu Linux.
With Windows XP – arguably the longest-lasting Microsoft operating system in widespread use – running out of support in April 2014 it is definitely time for business and home users alike to consider what they will transition to.
Windows XP was well-received when it launched, despite some initial concerns over its changed graphical style from predecessors Windows 95, 98 and 2000. XP enjoyed a stay of execution with Windows Vista turning many users off upgrading, and being an operating system Microsoft perhaps would prefer forgotten – along with Windows ME.
Windows 7 came – and has now gone – and included a “virtual XP mode” to entice Windows XP users to move along. Yet, a large contigent of XP users remained, and despite the solid experience Windows 7 delivered, the new Windows 8 has its detractors too, with many users concerned by the schizophrenic “metro” and “desktop” modes and apps.
Perhaps it is time to look beyond the Microsoft ecosystem; at least teams from StartUbuntu and XUbuntu hope you will, and to this end have produced a flyer in A4 and US letter sizes to gently lead people to consider Linux as a viable option.
Spruiking the benefits and interface of both Ubuntu and XUbuntu, the flyer lets prospective users know that, unlike a Microsoft operating system, you needn’t even install it to try it out – just burn to CD, boot from CD and you are in a live system using all your own hardware and without altering your hard disk in any way. It truly is a risk-free trial that lets you see how well it will work with your printer, Wi-Fi network and other devices, as well as familiarise yourself with the environment.
Check the flyer for yourself, or perhaps pass on to a friend who is still running an operating system that while comfortable, will no longer receive updates or security patches within two months.