Any point in upgrading 2003 DELL PC running WIN XP (SP3)...?

[Pipal Pani]

Is there any point in replacing / upgrading my current DELL DIMENSION basic spec: PENTIUM 4 / 2.53Ghz / 1.5GB RDRAM running WIN XP (Service Pack 3) MS Office 2000, Firefox / Kaspersky Internet Security etc.? I use the PC both for work (do a lot from home) and general use. Not into any serious photo / video-editing etc.

Back in early 2014 when MS finally ended support for XP, I did get quite worried what with all the media hoopla. I had already found the PC a bit slow with 512MB of RAM, especially when MS Security Essentials was running a daily scan, when it basically became unusable for 15-20 minutes. But fine for most applications except when browsing the web when I would often find a Windows message informing me that I was running out of memory when running IE8...?! I looked into buying a new PC with WIN7/8 but with my limited budget, I was especially worried that all my software acquired over the past 10 years or so would have to be replaced also. However, I managed to find an additional 1GB of the quite hard to find RDRAM for the DELL on Ebay for €25.00. Once that was in, everything became much more fluid. In fact, it was like having a new PC. Ran the PC without any "up to date" antivirus for a few months before getting Kaspersky Internet Security. I do have a Toshiba 500MB external USB hard disk which I use for backups - important stuff is backed up once every 2 weeks or so. No problems so far.

So, I'm wondering if many others out there are also quite happy to run an old PC. Or should I (we) be worried?

[Keef]

There is a risk running XP, in that it's not being updated any more. The tech gurus will advise you strongly not to take the risk. That said, if it's working adequately for your purposes and you're very careful, you may be OK.

But have you looked at more up-to-date second hand machines?

I bought a 3-year-old IBM ThinkPad on Ebay, complete with Windows 7 top-of-the-range version, MS Office 2010, and all the bits for £50 a few months ago. That was cheaper than repairing my own ThinkPad (whose display had packed up). All the software from the old machine installed on the new one with no problems, so I'm happy.

[OFSO]

Buy a Linux Mint (note: Mint, not Ubuntu) DVD, stick it in, try it for a week running off the DVD, then load it permanently. It is very WIN like (an insult I know but there we are) does everything WIN does, uses far fewer resources and is far less likely to attract naughtiness. In fact it is only SWMBO who is keeping the blasted WIN XX running on this PC, even thought it has Linux Mint on another drive in ze box......

[rgbrock1]

Running Windows XP, regardless of the service pack version, is quite the security risk. You can probably continue using it as is and an upgrade to Win 7 is probably not advisable but you should keep the risks in mind when using that PC. Or, as OFSO pointed out, try Linux Mint on it.

[glad rag]

Buy a Linux Mint (note: Mint, not Ubuntu) DVD, stick it in, try it for a week running off the DVD, then load it permanently. It is very WIN like (an insult I know but there we are) does everything WIN does, uses far fewer resources and is far less likely to attract naughtiness. In fact it is only SWMBO who is keeping the blasted WIN XX running on this PC, even thought it has Linux Mint on another drive in ze box......

Any reason for not using Ubuntu ofso?

I eventually installed Ubuntu on my old quad core Dell machine: It is lightning fast now that a decade plus of win bloating has been removed.

gr