RealTown's RealTalk

I've tried Open Office, a few years ago. Although it claims to be compatible, it is not perfect. It can read the files just fine, but when you save the file, it isn't perfectly readable by someone that has office. This will not work when you need to share documents with other people, 99% of which have office. So, I have office so that things work and are compatible.

If Open Office is working better than when I tried it out a couple of years ago, then all the better. But I need 100% compatibility with others that are running office. Believe me, I'm not first in line to line bill's pockets, and I want alternatives, but compatibility is higher on my list.

Mark Jay wrote in part:

"You WILL have to move to Vista.  At a point not all that far away you won’t be able to buy XP anymore and it won’t be supported anymore—this event horizon is MONTHS away rather than many years away." 

Hans O Oscarsson comments:

After I made my comment Mark says, in a lenghty response (btw, your market must be really slow - or you are suffering from severe insomnia to have all this time to spend on this issue):

" ….Although in fairness you ARE right—support WILL continue for XP forever—as long as there is a Microsoft Knowledge Base somewhere on the internet—but that’s not the kind of support that most users—especially REALTORS and others here would consider to be the kind of support they need and find useful and convenient."

So????

I read your comment Mark, twice, and some - not all - of your references - and NOWHERE could I find support for your categorical statement that Windows XP would not be supported within MONTHS from now!!!!  So what is your reason for scaring XP-users out of it?

Mark Jay responds:

My response must have been converted from “reply to list” to “private reply” so I’m sensing that whoever is monitoring the list felt my post was too long or didn’t agree with it either.  I’ll keep this response short because I don’t think anyone else knows what we’re talking about now.  The Microsoft and Wikipedia links I supplied in my response DO say that support for XP IS coming to an end—and in months rather than years. 

Here: take a look at the Wikipedia reference again: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP#Support_lifecycle

And here’s a quote from that article if you’re short on time:

“Mainstream support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 will end on April 14, 2009, four years after its general availability^[34]. As per Microsoft's posted timetable, the company will stop licensing Windows XP to OEMs and terminate retail sales of the operating system June 30, 2008, 17 months after the release of Windows Vista.^[35]

On April 14, 2009, Windows XP will begin its "Extended Support" period that will last for 5 years until April 8, 2014.^[36] First generation Windows XP (without Service Pack 2) is no longer supported; Microsoft ended the support for Windows XP RTM on September 30, 2004 and Windows XP Service Pack 1 and 1a on October 10, 2006.^[37]

So clearly; Mainstream support IS ending in months rather than years.  When most people—especially non-technical types—think of support, they think of phoning in and having their problem solved.  THAT support is going away in months rather than years.  XP like 98, 95, and even 3.1 ARE still and will continue to be “self supporting” as long as there is an internet FROM the internet but that’s not what most REALTORS would consider support.  People who are going to buy a new machine with six year old XP installed should know that rather shortly they won’t get the kind of help they’re used to.  THAT’S the answer to the “SO???” question you asked.

In 12 to 24 months someone who buys a new computer with XP installed and then in a few months adds a new printer or scanner and has some problem with getting things to work right will NOT be able to call the computer vendor or the peripheral vendor’s customer support line and get an answer beyond ‘we don’t support XP anymore but you can search our knowledge base’.  Suggesting that I’m trying to SCARE people out of using XP is a bit overblown but I’m sure some WILL and SHOULD be concerned about that issue if they haven’t thought about it yet.  Right NOW if you’re running a Win98 machine and buy a new printer and you can’t get the printer to work you will NOT get any support beyond digging through the internet at various sites and discussion groups.  The SAME thing will happen to XP in MONTHS rather than years….

And yes; the market IS slow and I don’t have insomnia I’m just an early riser.  It’s morning here and still dark….

Lastly—again--Vista is NOT a new operating system anymore.  It’s been out nearly a year with around 60 million copies installed on a world wide basis.  There is NOTHING wrong with or overly complicated and difficult about Vista.  Upgrading from XP to Vista is about like upgrading from 98 to XP.  If most of your current system’s software and hardware is a couple of upgrades back you’ll probably have to replace it.  THAT will never get any easier or much less expensive going forward so there’s little if any reason NOT to upgrade now rather than later except that acclimating to Vista and whatever other hardware and software necessarily coincident with that upgrade will take a little time.

…Still a little too long I guess….

Mark Jay, e-Pro

REALTOR and Mortgage Consultant

414-771-7713  Voice

262-853-6001 Voice

Fax number upon request

Southeast Wisconsin MLS Region

Mark@MarkJayRealty.com

Mark-

I guess people should know what the differences are between Mainstream Support and Extended Support in order to choose between XP and Vista. I've attached a table directly from Microsoft's website that explains the difference between the two types of support. For the most part, people can still get most of the support they need until april 2014.  Given that most people can get the support they need until April 2014, they can be assured that purchasing XP won't be a problem for 6 more years. By that time, most people will already replace their computer at least 1 more time, if not 2 more times in the 6 year period.

" ….Although in fairness you ARE right—support WILL continue for XP forever—as long as there is a Microsoft Knowledge Base somewhere on the internet—but that’s not the kind of support that most users—especially REALTORS and others here would consider to be

the kind of support they need and find useful and convienient."

Although I’m a practicing REALTOR, I maintain my certifications as a MSCE/MCT with Microsoft.  Microsoft policy is that they will support a product for 5 years.  Currently the estimate for discontinued support is 2014 if you have the last service pack.  In the past they have extended support, i.e. Windows 98 was actually supported for an additional 2 years.  There are no guarantees that this will occur.

Kathleen Murray