Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx
That XP figure is extraordinary given that XP came on the market in 1999 (perhaps)?
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I think the last time I successfully upgraded an existing Windows installation was from 3.0 to 3.1. I recall trying to do it from 95 to 98, which was a fiasco, so I never attempted it again and only switched to a new Windows version when I bought a new computer.
For work-related reasons, and because I'm both a geek and gamer, I buy a new machine every two or (at the most) three years. I did, however, keep XP when Vista was around, in spite of buying a new box during that era. If I didn't switch machines relatively frequently, I'd still be using XP.
My mother (67) is a good example, too. She is perfectly happy with the machine she bought in 2001 and has no need to upgrade. I check occasionally, but all she does is mail and web browsing, and any attempts of mine to suggest a laptop failed.
The only time she displayed interest in switching to Windows 7 or 8 was when she had read that support for XP had been discontinued, which made her worry about security issues. She nearly bought a new desktop (did not consider the laptop or tablet I suggested), but then decided that if she uses a different AV program, she should be fine, besides, "There's nothing personal on my computer anyway." (I guess email correspondences don't count.)
She also was uncomfortable with the idea of having to re-install everything and to re-familiarize herself with a new environment, so once the fear factor wore off, the motivation to upgrade was gone. Now she continues using XP and will continue to use it until the hardware fails.
I imagine there are a lot of people like that. Plus those who use their computers occasionally, but more or less switched to tablets or phones for their personal computing needs.