Need Some Help - Upgrade For Windows With XP Expiring Support

I need some help here. First here is what I am running...

Mac Pro - 1,1 - 2006
Snow Leopard 10.6.3
Boot Camp 3.2
Windows XP Pro - 32 bit

Windows is not going to support XP as of April 2014. This leaves me with a lot of problems trying to figure out what Windows software solution will work out the best.

According to Apple my 1,1 Mac Pro won't work with Boot Camp 5 (I am not even sure 4 will work). They say I can't use 64 bit Windows software, even if I wanted it, on my platform. This means I can't install Windows 8 if this is correct. Is it?

If that IS correct what are my options?

It appears Vista is already not supported, is that correct? If so it makes no sense buying this software for use.

That leaves Windows 7. I have also read that they are going to stop support of Windows 7 in January of 2015. That leaves me in the same boat as Vista and XP.

I don't want to get rid of a perfectly great computer just because of this Windows crap. I would go exclusively on the Mac side but I have a lot of programs that run strickly on the PC side.

IF it is Windows 7 as an only option, in order to install it according to Boot Camp instructions I have to install Vista first so I don't have to reformat the Boot Camp partition. I have a lot of information on the PC side I don't want to have to reinstall if I have to reformat the Boot Camp partition. This would mean I have to buy TWO Windows software programs that are or will be obsolete within a year.

Any information to the contrary or any idea's which way to go with this mess? Running out of time.

Thanks in advance,

Clark

When is the last time you had any support for XP? Just because they stop supporting it, does not mean it quits running on your computer. It will continue to run just as it does now until your computer dies - by hardware or software means. Running an 8 yr old computer, it might be time to start considering a new one rather than considering how far you can upgrade it. At best, you are 2-3 operating systems behind in both Windows and OS X.

Agree with bobtomay. Windows XP is not all of a sudden going to drop dead and quit working on your machine and neither is Vista (if you have it). Quit listening and reading Microsoft propaganda about XP and Vista. They would love for you to buy a newer operating system from them. And don't believe everything you hear about support for Windows 7. It'll be around way past 2015.

bobtomay said:

When is the last time you had any support for XP? Just because they stop supporting it, does not mean it quits running on your computer. It will continue to run just as it does now until your computer dies - by hardware or software means. Running an 8 yr old computer, it might be time to start considering a new one rather than considering how far you can upgrade it. At best, you are 2-3 operating systems behind in both Windows and OS X.

Click to expand...

Hi thanks for replying.

Usually once or twice a month they send out security updates for XP. I realize it will still function on my computer but the target risk for every online hacker at least quadruples once they stop the security updates. Going online in the Windows platform is what concerns me.

As far as upgrading my computer... I live on a fixed income. I am not doing commercial work anymore so I can't justify spending 3 - 5 thousand dollars on a new one even if I had it. Mine runs great and is still fast enough for me.

As far as the software, XP is still one the most stable Windows system software options available today.

On the Mac side... What does Lion, Mountain Lion or Mavericks do that Snow Leopard doesn't? As I said I don't run commercial projects anymore so what is the benefit to justify the cost?

I realize I need to find an upgrade solution, thus the post. I just want a solution or at the least the options for what I am running now.

Clark

I would at least update to 10.6.8
As was already said it will still work just use Firefox instead of IE as they will support XP till 2015 and use something like Avast or AVG for your AV.

For the system you have, personally, i think you have the best 2 OSs available.
I'd keep what you have on it - except for updating to 10.6.8.
I realize there's not a whole lot to worry about on the OS X side, but why have you not updated that along with all the security updates for it?

As for the malware out there - the AV companies are going to be supporting XP for awhile - too big a percentage of users for them not to. Continue using best practices, no torrenting of illegal stuff, opening email attachments you don't know what they are (or at least scanning them first), etc.

And, if you're not doing commercial work any more, you don't need a $3-5,000 computer.

bobtomay said:

For the system you have, personally, i think you have the best 2 OSs available.
I'd keep what you have on it - except for updating to 10.6.8.
I realize there's not a whole lot to worry about on the OS X side, but why have you not updated that along with all the security updates for it?

As for the malware out there - the AV companies are going to be supporting XP for awhile - too big a percentage of users for them not to. Continue using best practices, no torrenting of illegal stuff, opening email attachments you don't know what they are (or at least scanning them first), etc.

And, if you're not doing commercial work any more, you don't need a $3-5,000 computer.

Click to expand...

Thanks Bob and osxx,

I actually have the 10.6.8 update on the Mac side. I just took the number I listed off of the disk. Sorry for the misunderstanding on that, I should have checked the actual running version. I also am using the free virus software AVAST on the Mac side and also using Firefox browser software on both platforms.

I don't like the Safari and detest the IE browser on the PC side and use it only for checking XP updates. I use the Mozila Thunderbird email client for both sides also.

On the PC side I am using BitDefender Total Security virus software (all up to date).

I am not well versed on the PC side and how Windows software works. Although I am protected by BitDefender I assumed that the XP software updates were also of some kind of protection not provided by a virus software thus my concern over losing that aspect from Microsoft and opening myself up to harmful hackers or virus's.

If you don't believe this would be a problem I certainly don't want to spend extra money for newer Windows system software as I have stated before that I believe the XP is their most stable system to date.

I never torrent and stay away from illegal sites. What I am doing is that I have been selling a few items on eBay and I do a lot of research online and visit a lot of unknown sites to garner information. One of the other reasons I work pretty much on the PC side is all my Mac software was killed when they went to the new Mac platform after the Power PC.

I use Photoshop still quite a bit and also Illustrator occasionally and although these older versions won't translate to the new Mac systems they DO still work on the PC side using the XP software. Thus my buying the Intel Mac some years ago to keep my hand in the *mix and also most of the normal internet software and such demanded I upgrade.

Thanks for your help people,

Clark

*I started out commercially in the early 90's (on a quadra 700 when they first came out and eventually bought a Power Computing Power Tower Pro) as an illustrator, graphic designer and merged into the web design aspect in the mid 90's. I ended my career in the early 2000's.

Currently it may work just fine but as with other apps and OS's things get to a point where its forced obsolesce .