Live data from Hacker News

My long goodbye to Windows XP (2022)

woodfromeden.substack.com

261–270 of 323 posts

Re: My long goodbye to Windows XP (2022)

#261
post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not how (modern) SW works. Ever heard of "new features and security improvements" ?

What? This is certainly how not updating Chrome works.

They even took "security" out. On Android: "Thanks for choosing Chrome! This release includes stability and performance improvements."

Re: My long goodbye to Windows XP (2022)

#263
post #225

So many problems with this piece >> My computer is also not some old rubbish. It has an Intel Core2Duo CPU with 4 Gb RAM. It was top of the line in 2009. Just because you had a top of the line PC in 2009 does not disqualify it from being 'old rubbish' in 2023. A Core2Duo is ancient at this point. >> The truth is I have never been hacked once in the eight years I have had this computer. Or something has been compromis…

> opening your CD-ROM drive automatically

Speaking of the CD-ROM drive, Windows XP is vulnerable to malicious CD-ROM discs thanks to AutoRun [1] and can be compromised just by inserting a CD, from which Windows XP will happily execute code automatically. Firewalls don't protect against that.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoRun#Issues_and_security

Re: My long goodbye to Windows XP (2022)

#264
post #57

This is not a sensible or technically sound thing to do. It is purely irrational. Win7 is already stuck on Chrome 110/111(?). You are not gaining much by doing this, and are assuming significant risk. Even if specific portions can be quantified away, it's the unknown unknowns that should scare you. Try a Linux distro again maybe? With some non-default themes and Wine, it really should make a better WinXP than WinXP.…

> It is purely irrational

My assumption is they like the UX of Windows XP better than later versions of Windows. I sympathize, because I think that flat software UI design has made computers less fun to use, but I just use theming software at the expense of the stability of my explorer.exe

Re: My long goodbye to Windows XP (2022)

#265
post #57

This is not a sensible or technically sound thing to do. It is purely irrational. Win7 is already stuck on Chrome 110/111(?). You are not gaining much by doing this, and are assuming significant risk. Even if specific portions can be quantified away, it's the unknown unknowns that should scare you. Try a Linux distro again maybe? With some non-default themes and Wine, it really should make a better WinXP than WinXP.…

This is a perfect example of modern day superstitions, in no way different from superstitions of stereotypical hairy cavemen sitting around the fire. You react to a program release that is mere three months old with a perfectly capable layout engine that has gathered enormous amount of functionality over who knows how many man-centuries across itself and its library dependencies as if you were told to drive an ox-car…

I feel like the author and everyone else in this thread probably uses computers differently

Re: My long goodbye to Windows XP (2022)

#266
post #43

I actually RTFA and was thinking, "this dude should upgrade and run Win7 like me," - and was pleasantly surprised to find he is. The only issue I've had was a few months ago Google Chrome now gives a small nag-bar on startup - supposedly dismissisable with a -flag, but the flag itself is either no longer functioning for some smirk sanctimonious reason, or more likely, hilariously not tested, and has since ironically…

Steam just announced[0] their client will no longer work on Windows 7 come Jan 1st 2024. I figured this would happen as soon as I noticed they adopted Chromium Embedded Framework, guaranteeing that Google's supported OSes become Steam's supported OSes. I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to play Steam games from 2004 (or whatever) on the OS they were designed for, when Steam won't even run on that OS anymore. I gue…

There's a steam CLI you can use to download the games without an interface

Re: My long goodbye to Windows XP (2022)

#267
post #225

So many problems with this piece >> My computer is also not some old rubbish. It has an Intel Core2Duo CPU with 4 Gb RAM. It was top of the line in 2009. Just because you had a top of the line PC in 2009 does not disqualify it from being 'old rubbish' in 2023. A Core2Duo is ancient at this point. >> The truth is I have never been hacked once in the eight years I have had this computer. Or something has been compromis…

> Even worse, the author's successor computer is a Windows 7 PC, which is already out of support

If Microsoft cared more about security, they would keep releasing such shovelware at modern editions of Windows.

Re: My long goodbye to Windows XP (2022)

#269
post #225

So many problems with this piece >> My computer is also not some old rubbish. It has an Intel Core2Duo CPU with 4 Gb RAM. It was top of the line in 2009. Just because you had a top of the line PC in 2009 does not disqualify it from being 'old rubbish' in 2023. A Core2Duo is ancient at this point. >> The truth is I have never been hacked once in the eight years I have had this computer. Or something has been compromis…

That's the thing. I'm an it professional. I've had a computer since I was 6 (30years ago). Couple of decades ago, I could be reasonably confident that my pc was safe. Today? I take above average precautions but I would never claim that my system is not pwned on some level. That feels like arrogance and hubris (as well as a little bit of "I played Russian roulette several times and I'm fine! It's dangers are overblown…

[deleted]

Re: My long goodbye to Windows XP (2022)

#270
post #46

"My belief is that computer security is highly overrated. [...] This can actually be quantifiable. [...] In 2021 Project Zero registered 10 0-days that concerned Windows. [...] None affected Windows XP." Clever! Security by running an OS which none of the exploit authors are targeting anymore.

sure in the tech industry we all know the best practices and more or less try to follow them, but in general I've found that I often have hardware that keeps working long past the desire of the corporate overlords to support it: - a windows 2000 laptop that I only stopped using (a while) after win2k stopped getting security updates, and the linux i put on it didn't work very well. - a flip phone that was gloriously g…

> a flip phone that was gloriously good at doing the only two things it knew how to do (calls and sms) that I had to stop using because it stopped having compatible towers to talk to.

That was the situation that finally prompted me to buy an iPhone.

Post reply on HN