As you probably all know, Microsoft is ending support for Windows XP, which I have on a Dell E510. I know there are some on Beesource that are experts with computers so,..what do I need to do? I'm not too happy about spending the money for a new computer, but what do you recommend? Is AMD as good as Intel i3, i5 and i7? What do I need? I don't want to build a computer "from scratch". I use my computer mostly for internet browsing/info/E-mail etc. I would like a good photo editing software like Photoshop and maybe some video editing in the future. I don't do a lot of "gaming" but what I do is mostly stragety. What do you recommend? Is going to your local computer repair shop where they have computers for sale (usually AMD processors) as good as ordering through Dell or Best Buy? Thanks.
Windows XP?
1 - 20 of 27 Posts
Joined
·
118 Posts
You can get a computer that will get you on the internet just fine for cheap that has Windows 7. And thats all you need if you just do internet/email etc, but Photoshop and video editing puts you in a totally different place. Photoshop will cost you more than the computer itself unless you get a computer with an old version on it which is probably fine for most peoples needs. I would try Craigslist and see if you could find one. AMD processors are fine and usually cheaper for processing power. But there there are many levels you can compare AMD vs Intel processors but again, I don't think the average person will notice a difference in their basic computer usage. Buying through Dell is generally going to be painful unless you buy a prebuilt closeout model or something like that. Bestbuy is very good, and will beat anyones price on sam model, and they carry beginner and advanced level computers.
Joined
·
3,396 Posts
I am far from an expert, but am facing the same problem. I was told I did not need to upgrade the computer hardware, but did need to upgrade the Operating System, for security reasons. Perhaps that is an option for you. I prefer to buy from a local shop for business related computers, it is easier to get support when you have to have it. For personal I usually buy a dell online.
Windows XP will still run, I was never able to keep a PC alive as long as you have. If you are adventurous, you could download Linux Mint, and run it from a CD without changing your operating system. Its free, but be prepared to spend some time, or ask a friend to help.
Joined
·
8,315 Posts
My wife has a Dell with XP. The hard drive is going, so I bought another drive and dumped everything on it but never installed the new one in the machine. My thinking was that if it's time to give up XP there's not much to be gained by putting the new drive in and going through the process of reinstalling the OS.
The machine I'm using right now is running Windows 8. I haven't installed the latest, but I will say that it's a lousy system and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone.
You might look at something like the Chromebook or another netbook.
The machine I'm using right now is running Windows 8. I haven't installed the latest, but I will say that it's a lousy system and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone.
You might look at something like the Chromebook or another netbook.
Your computer will probably not run Windows 7... It will run Linux Mint or Ubuntu, which are free operating systems that will get you on the internet/email, but will probably have problems with photoshop/video edit..
I make my own computers and run AMD, they are as good as Intel and are cheaper... the local guy can probably answer your questions better than the box stores. I'd look for something with Windows 7 loaded, and at least 2 gb ram the more the better. don't have to go real expensive these days to get what you want, but I'd buy more computer than I think I need. I like to have HDMI port so I can hook it up to the tv if I want. Like it was stated before, the software can be pretty expensive. Best buy usually have sales, and they do fix the warranty issues.( I had a motherboard replaced under warranty) Windows XP will still run, but they are not going to support with security fixes so you will be more able to get problems such as virus.. some XP programs have trouble working on 7, but you can try "compatibility mode" to run the older programs.
Hope this helps, Andy
I make my own computers and run AMD, they are as good as Intel and are cheaper... the local guy can probably answer your questions better than the box stores. I'd look for something with Windows 7 loaded, and at least 2 gb ram the more the better. don't have to go real expensive these days to get what you want, but I'd buy more computer than I think I need. I like to have HDMI port so I can hook it up to the tv if I want. Like it was stated before, the software can be pretty expensive. Best buy usually have sales, and they do fix the warranty issues.( I had a motherboard replaced under warranty) Windows XP will still run, but they are not going to support with security fixes so you will be more able to get problems such as virus.. some XP programs have trouble working on 7, but you can try "compatibility mode" to run the older programs.
Hope this helps, Andy
Joined
·
623 Posts
i spent my entire life and career in the music industry and i can tell you that there are plenty of high to low end recording studios upset about the XP BS ! XP was always the most stable and versatile OS for protools,ableton and so on etc. unless u use mac of course. which is what i went with when we upgraded our facility. i bought one system and i was transformed. i then bought a used macbook from an old client and i havent looked back since. my view is if ur gonna upgrade...upgrade to MAC. there are too many positives with them. im no expert but i am a consumer.
Joined
·
285 Posts
As has been stated you won't have any issues for a while, maybe never, so no need to rush out and go crazy. Take your time and gather all your info on your machine such as video card maker/model, and do the same for sound, wireless, so on. Then shop around for windows 7 drivers for them. Some xp drivers will still work on win 7. If that leads nowhere, then look into a MB replacement, if you like the machine. If not, go shopping. Like one said, stay away from win 8 until they fix it. As far as AMD vrs Intel, they are both good, but I have always found I could buy more power/speed for the $ with AMD. Personally I would run that xp system till it dies!
Thanks everyone for their input and advice about this issue! Although I haven't commented on Beesource in general lately (I'm having a problem; emotional/psychological) with making comments to mysterious names/handles on Beesource with people (I assume they are real people), I knew I could depend on Beesource members to guide me in the right direction so I don't spend a lot of money I don't have,..or worse,..make a fool of myself. 
Windows XP will continue to run and your computer will continue to perform as it does at the present time. The world will not come to an end for those that have XP computers on April 8, despite all of the scare tactics to drum up new sales. It is really only businesses that have to worry about it and the possible security issues that may develop.
The Windows updates and patches will cease to exist. The only versions of Internet Explorer that presently run on XP are out of date and should have been replaced with modern browsers like Firefox, Opera, or Chrome for security while browsing. Outlook Express should be upgraded to a modern mail client like Thunderbird or simply use webmail clients like Gmail.
Hackers will probably not even worry about trying to hack XP any more than they have over the last 14 years.
As long as you have a modern browser installed, modern and up to date antivirus and internet security packages, you should have nothing to worry about. Always keep Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Shockwave, and Java software up to date also as many hackers tend to slip viruses and malware in that way also.
Linux flavors are an option, most have an interface to make ease of interaction similar to Windows. But the options for software are limited and there is a whole new learning curve to the software that may intimidate many novice users.
Windows 7 has been dropped for sale by MS also, but there are still companies out there offering it as a downgrade option on new computers. Since the patch for Windows 8.1 came out, many of the issues have been solved with the interface that was a problem with 8. It would be the route to go on a new computer.
As far as new computers, there are a number of processors out there. Any of them will probably have much more computing power than your present one. As long as you are just doing normal internet and some regular software programs, any will do the job.
The more powerful processors and graphics chips will be for high end photo editing, gaming, and other programs that tend to maximize the usage of a processor.
The Windows updates and patches will cease to exist. The only versions of Internet Explorer that presently run on XP are out of date and should have been replaced with modern browsers like Firefox, Opera, or Chrome for security while browsing. Outlook Express should be upgraded to a modern mail client like Thunderbird or simply use webmail clients like Gmail.
Hackers will probably not even worry about trying to hack XP any more than they have over the last 14 years.
As long as you have a modern browser installed, modern and up to date antivirus and internet security packages, you should have nothing to worry about. Always keep Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Shockwave, and Java software up to date also as many hackers tend to slip viruses and malware in that way also.
Linux flavors are an option, most have an interface to make ease of interaction similar to Windows. But the options for software are limited and there is a whole new learning curve to the software that may intimidate many novice users.
Windows 7 has been dropped for sale by MS also, but there are still companies out there offering it as a downgrade option on new computers. Since the patch for Windows 8.1 came out, many of the issues have been solved with the interface that was a problem with 8. It would be the route to go on a new computer.
As far as new computers, there are a number of processors out there. Any of them will probably have much more computing power than your present one. As long as you are just doing normal internet and some regular software programs, any will do the job.
The more powerful processors and graphics chips will be for high end photo editing, gaming, and other programs that tend to maximize the usage of a processor.
Yes what jd said. I am a software developer. I still believe that XP was one of MS's best. If your computer is still running it, why change until the computer dies?
If you are not a computer geek, I probably would not mess with Linux. Open source is a great concept, but not always a great practice.
When you do replace your computer and if you decide to go with a Windows system, Microsoft has a history of every other OS being a lemon and the next one being a nice system.
XP was a great system. The follower Vista not so much. They tried to do too much in too short of a time frame and got it wrong. The next one Windows 7 fixed the issues and was what Vista was trying to be. Then out comes Windows 8 again Microsoft trying be too much to too many and came out half baked. I am sure that Windows 9, if that is what it is called will be the next great OS.
My mothers computer recently died. She does not do enough to warrant the kind of computer that I would need. We simply got her a refurbished computer through Wal-Mart online. It cost $200 without the monitor. It came with Windows 7 Pro. A big plus. I did not want to deal with Windows 8.
For myself, I will probably wait for Windows 9 service pack 1. Even the cleaned up OS, they do not get the first release quite right. Those little issues are usually taken care of in the first service pack.
By the way I have a Microsoft subscription (the company I work for, paid for it as a perk) so I can download and use what I want. I run xp on my old computers that the kids use and the newer ones use Windows 7. The latest is not necessarily the greatest. Use what works the best for you.
An old computer can be helped if you clean it up, remove software that you do not use. Defrag it. There is a product you can download for free called ccleaner. The name actually stands for "Crap" cleaner. But they decided to clean up the name as well.
If you decide to buy photoshop, you probably don't need to buy the full suite. You can get photoshop elements for about 100 bucks. It is a stripped down version but still does a ton of stuff. You can goto adobe's site and download the trial version for a month to try it out and see if it will meet your needs.
Todd
Todd
Joined
·
5,183 Posts
I have the exact same dell e510 with xp, and after using my wife's win 8 machine I decided to keep it as long as I can. Since it has been getting pretty sluggish and out of hard drive space I put in an SSD and maxed out the RAM. For about $120 it is indescribably faster, and has plenty of space. I figure I'm good for at least a couple of years. Highly recommended upgrades - would be even more dramatic on a newer machine with multi core processor, but a mechanical drive - like a 3 yr old $200 laptop for example.
Anyway, much faster now but no need to learn new software when what I have does what I want. Don't worry about xp as mentioned. MS just wants to sell you something you neither want nor need. Just keep all of your other software up to date.
Barry - you can clone the hard drive and increase the partition size all at once using (free) ease us todo backup - no need to reinstall everything. But keep your repair disc handy in case it munges the master boot record like mine did. Easy fix if you are prepared, booger if you're not. The thing is though you don't modify the old hard drive so you can always fall back to it.
Anyway, much faster now but no need to learn new software when what I have does what I want. Don't worry about xp as mentioned. MS just wants to sell you something you neither want nor need. Just keep all of your other software up to date.
Barry - you can clone the hard drive and increase the partition size all at once using (free) ease us todo backup - no need to reinstall everything. But keep your repair disc handy in case it munges the master boot record like mine did. Easy fix if you are prepared, booger if you're not. The thing is though you don't modify the old hard drive so you can always fall back to it.
There have been a lot of opinions on Windows XP. It is true that Windows XP was a very good OS. From a security stand point, it is time to replace XP. Windows XP is simply not as secure as Windows 7, Windows 8 has even more security enhancements. The modern versions of Linux get a good check mark as well being easy to use.
Shane
Shane
Joined
·
8,315 Posts
Thanks David. I'll look into that, along with the memory upgrades. She's got an iPad that she loves, but the Dell has her quilting stuff on it and she has to have that.
Now if I can just get rid of the "rootkit.boot.pihar.c" on my other machine I'll be in Fat City...
Now if I can just get rid of the "rootkit.boot.pihar.c" on my other machine I'll be in Fat City...
I had a Dell GX620 computer at work that I had to do something with to remain "compliant" as it was running XP. After some searching I did as one of the earlier posters did. I installed a solid state drive, used the old drive as an extra and loaded Win 7 pro. All I can say is wow. Talk about breath life into an old dog. Boot time is less than 15 sec and some of the programs I use (UPS) load in less than 15 sec (used to take 1min 10 sec). Cost $115 for 250g ssd, $130 for OEM Win 7 pro.
Joined
·
2,770 Posts
It seems lots of beeks are closet computer guys.
I would look at the Raspberry PI for a cheap solution. http://www.raspberrypi.org/
I would look at the Raspberry PI for a cheap solution. http://www.raspberrypi.org/
1 - 20 of 27 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!