微
軟公司(Microsoft) Windows XP操作系統的默認背景是一副春日景象——湛藍的天空上漂浮著棉花糖般的朵朵白云，綠草茵茵、水仙成簇的山丘連綿起伏——真希望這幅景象可以一直持續下去。同樣的，對于Windows XP操作系統，很多人也希望它可以一直運行下去。由于Windows XP操作系統在2001年推出后大受歡迎，微軟公司將對該系統的支持延長至了創業界記錄的12年。然而，隨著4月8日即將到來，XP系統的艷陽天將不復存在。
微軟Windows XP操作系統
屆時，微軟公司將不再向Windows XP的用戶提供支持，并不再提供安全更新，這將令Windows XP上搭載的軟件易于受到新型病毒的攻擊。使用XP系統的電腦仍可工作，但是“春光明媚”的背景圖片將成為假象。不管對工作還是娛樂而言，XP系統都不再安全。
微軟公司負責結束XP系統支持的新聞發言人湯姆‧墨菲(Tom Murphy)表示：“我們的建議是，你應該放棄XP。這是毫無疑問的。”微軟公司宣稱，Windows 8.1是一款“非常時尚的操作系統”。 Windows 8.1是微軟公司在觸控界面領域的最新力作。
自從Windows XP開始風靡以后，其他的操作系統也不斷地涌現了出來。目前在市面上除了Windows 7以外，還有微軟公司的競爭對手蘋果公司(Apple)和谷歌(Google)研發的操作系統產品。XP系統的原有用戶應該何去何從呢？我權衡了每一種可能的方案。
微軟Windows 8.1操作系統
升級至Windows 8.1
如果你對微軟希望每名用戶都升級至Windows 8.1的意圖持懷疑態度的話，那么你可以訪問網站amirunningxp.com。該網站能夠對用戶是否安裝了Windows XP進行檢測，它會馬上建議XP系統的用戶升級至Windows 8.1或者購買全新的Windows 8.1電腦。
視頻：後Windows XP時代：微軟用戶該去哪兒？
微軟將於4月8日正式停止對Windows XP操作系統的支持和安全更新。在此之後，微軟用戶們該何去何從呢？視頻中，《華爾街日報》科技專欄作家Joanna Stern將指引你度過這一段“黎明前的黑暗”。
微軟將於4月8日正式停止對Windows XP操作系統的支持和安全更新。在此之後，微軟用戶們該何去何從呢？視頻中，《華爾街日報》科技專欄作家Joanna Stern將指引你度過這一段“黎明前的黑暗”。
Windows 8.1的升級DVD售價120美元，微軟已經與一個名為Laplink的支持服務團隊聯手，推出了免費進行文件轉移的服務。
如果你的電腦未能滿足系統要求，或者你不愿為系統升級之事費心，你當然可以購買一台新電腦。但是，我對向XP用戶推薦Windows 8.1頗感猶豫不決。微軟對Windows系統進行了大刀闊斧的改革，把深受用戶歡迎的傳統桌面換成了由不同顏色的磁貼構成的開始界面，這些磁貼代表的是不同的程序、文件和服務。你仍然可以回歸到傳統桌面（按桌面鍵），但是“開始”菜單已經不在傳統桌面上了。
在鼠標和鍵盤的使用感受上，Windows 8.1的表現要好于Windows 8，并且即將推出的更新版本還將帶來更友好的鼠標使用體驗，比如應用程序內的系統關閉按鍵等。微軟監察員、多款Windows指南的作者艾德‧博特(Ed Bott)表示，用戶應該直接升級至Windows 8.1，今后的更新將令系統越來越像Windows 7。
微軟Windows 7操作系統
升級至Windows 7系統
然而，對于守舊派的Windows粉絲來說，Windows 8.1帶來的變化可能太大了，這也是為什么我認為Windows 7對XP的原有用戶來說更合適。
盡管微軟聲稱，Windows 8.1比Windows 7更高效、更安全、更可靠，但是Windows 7的大多數功能都與Windows XP處于相同的位置上。你能夠在Windows 7中看到傳統桌面、值得信賴的回收站和開始菜單。
問題在于，在微軟推廣Windows 8的過程中，Windows 7越來越難覓蹤跡了。但是，仍然有兩個方法可以獲取Windows 7。第一個方法—也是最好的方法—就是從電腦廠商的官網上購買一台Windows 7台式電腦或筆記本電腦，這些廠商包括宏基(Acer)、戴爾(Dell)、惠普(Hewlett-Packard)和聯想(Lenovo)。電腦廠商并未對Windows 7電腦進行大張旗鼓的宣傳，但是通過搜尋電腦廠商的銷售官網，你一定可以找到這些產品。微軟和上述電腦廠商也仍將為Windows 7提供支持。戴爾的Latitude 3330和宏基的Aspire V3都是售價在700美元以下的不錯選擇。
如果你不想購買新的硬件，事情就棘手多了。微軟不向任何人出售盒裝的Windows 7操作系統光盤。如果你從新蛋網(Newegg)等電腦產品網絡銷售商那里購買99.99美元的Windows 7版本的話，你不會得到微軟的技術支持。不過，在2020年前，你都會獲得安全更新。
蘋果OS X Mavericks操作系統
轉移到非微軟陣營
當然，如果你想走出微軟世界，外面的天地也很精彩。
如果你愿意支付比一般Windows電腦更高的價錢，那么你可以選擇蘋果公司搭載了OS X系統的Mac電腦。你需要學習才能掌握OS X系統，但一旦你熟悉了該系統，你會發現它擁有很多很好的功能。蘋果公司還向新Mac用戶提供免費的店內課程。
Chromebook更便宜些，因為這款筆記本只能運行谷歌的瀏覽器。如果你只需要閱讀郵件、瀏覽網頁的話，那么宏基的C720型Chromebook就非常強大了，并且它的售價只有200美元。
對于電腦高手來說，他們可以選擇Linux操作系統Ubuntu，該操作系統可以在更老的Windows XP電腦上良好地運行。然而，安裝Linux系統需要一定的耐心，并且很多熱門的程序無法在該系統上運行。
你最好的選擇就是購買一台Windows 7電腦。無論你選擇哪種辦法，都不要悲傷：你總是可以將春光明媚的背景用作電腦桌面。
Joanna Stern
（本文版權歸道瓊斯公司所有﹐未經許可不得翻譯或轉載。）
How To Survive The Windows XPiration Date
The default background for Microsoft's Windows XP operating system -- a perfect blue sky full of cotton-candy clouds above rolling hills with impeccably trimmed grass and daffodils -- is the spring day we wish could last forever.
And fittingly, many people wish the operating system would last just as long. Introduced in 2001, Windows XP became so successful that Microsoft extended its support for an industry record of 12 years. Yet come April 8, XP's sunny day is over.
At that time, Microsoft will cut off all user support and halt security updates, leaving the software vulnerable to newly discovered attacks. XP computers will still work, but the 'Bliss' background image will just be a facade. The operating system will no longer be a safe place to work or play.
'Our guidance is that you need to get off XP. It's really that black and white,' says Tom Murphy, Microsoft's spokesman handling the end of XP support. The company's party line is that Windows 8.1 -- the latest in Microsoft's foray into touch-friendly interfaces -- is a 'fully modern operating system.'
Since Windows XP first gained popularity, other alternatives have arisen. There's Windows 7, of course, and offerings from Microsoft's rivals, Apple and Google. Where is the best place for an XP refugee to go? I've been weighing each option.
Moving to Windows 8.1
If you have any doubt that Microsoft wants everyone to move to Windows 8.1, just visit amirunningxp.com. Designed to detect if users are running Windows XP, the site immediately suggests XP users upgrade to Windows 8.1 or buy a new Windows 8.1 computer.
Lots of computers from the age of XP can technically run the latest version of Windows. You just need a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of hard drive storage. The biggest catch is your display has to have 1024 x 768 resolution. You can download the Windows Upgrade assistant to see if your system meets the requirements.
The Windows 8.1 upgrade DVD costs $120, and Microsoft has teamed up with a backup service called Laplink to offer a free and easy way to transfer files.
If you don't meet the system requirement, or view the upgrade process as a hassle, you could, of course, buy a new machine. But I am ambivalent to recommend Windows 8.1 to XP users. Microsoft revamped Windows, replacing the beloved classic desktop with a Start Screen of tiles that point to programs, files and services. You can still get to the desktop (there's a Desktop icon), but there's no Start menu in the corner.
Windows 8.1 is better than the original Windows 8 when it comes to the mouse and keyboard, and a forthcoming update will bring even more mouse-friendly enhancements, such as a close-window button inside apps. Ed Bott, Microsoft watcher and author of many Windows guides, says people should make the jump to 8.1, and that the next updates will make the system more similar to Windows 7.
Moving to Windows 7
Still, Windows 8.1 may be a radical change of pace for old-school Windows lovers, which is why I think Windows 7 makes a lot more sense for XP exiles.
Despite Microsoft's arguments that 8.1 is faster, safer and more reliable than Windows 7, everything in 7 is mostly in the same place as it was in Windows XP. You'll find the traditional desktop, the trusty Recycle Bin and the Start Menu.
The problem is that, in its Windows 8 push, Microsoft has made Windows 7 harder to come by. But there still are two main ways to get it. The first and best choice is to buy a Windows 7 laptop or desktop from select manufacturer websites, including Acer, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo. They aren't featured prominently, but go digging in the business-products sections of the companies' sites and you'll find them. Microsoft and the PC makers still provide support, too. Dell's Latitude 330 and Acer's Aspire V3 are both good choices under $700.
If you don't want to buy new hardware, things get trickier. Microsoft doesn't sell box copies of Windows 7 anymore. And if you buy the $99.99 version sold by online computer suppliers like Newegg, you don't get Microsoft support. You will get security updates until 2020, however.
Moving to a Non-Microsoft Camp
Of course, there are other places to go if you venture outside of the world of Microsoft.
If you're willing to spend more money than the average Windows PC, there are Apple's Mac computers, which run OS X. That system will take some learning, but once you get the hang of it, it has a ton of great features. Apple also offers free classes for new Mac users at its stores.
Chromebooks tend to be cheap since they just run Google's browser. If you just need email and the Web, Acer's C720 Chromebook is plenty powerful -- and only costs $200.
For the extreme computer literate, there are Linux options like Ubuntu, which run fine on older Windows XP computers. However, installing Linux requires patience and many popular programs won't work there.
You're best bet is to buy a Windows 7 computer. Whatever path you do choose, don't be sad: You can always bring that perfect spring day wallpaper with you.
And fittingly, many people wish the operating system would last just as long. Introduced in 2001, Windows XP became so successful that Microsoft extended its support for an industry record of 12 years. Yet come April 8, XP's sunny day is over.
At that time, Microsoft will cut off all user support and halt security updates, leaving the software vulnerable to newly discovered attacks. XP computers will still work, but the 'Bliss' background image will just be a facade. The operating system will no longer be a safe place to work or play.
'Our guidance is that you need to get off XP. It's really that black and white,' says Tom Murphy, Microsoft's spokesman handling the end of XP support. The company's party line is that Windows 8.1 -- the latest in Microsoft's foray into touch-friendly interfaces -- is a 'fully modern operating system.'
Since Windows XP first gained popularity, other alternatives have arisen. There's Windows 7, of course, and offerings from Microsoft's rivals, Apple and Google. Where is the best place for an XP refugee to go? I've been weighing each option.
Moving to Windows 8.1
If you have any doubt that Microsoft wants everyone to move to Windows 8.1, just visit amirunningxp.com. Designed to detect if users are running Windows XP, the site immediately suggests XP users upgrade to Windows 8.1 or buy a new Windows 8.1 computer.
Lots of computers from the age of XP can technically run the latest version of Windows. You just need a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of hard drive storage. The biggest catch is your display has to have 1024 x 768 resolution. You can download the Windows Upgrade assistant to see if your system meets the requirements.
The Windows 8.1 upgrade DVD costs $120, and Microsoft has teamed up with a backup service called Laplink to offer a free and easy way to transfer files.
If you don't meet the system requirement, or view the upgrade process as a hassle, you could, of course, buy a new machine. But I am ambivalent to recommend Windows 8.1 to XP users. Microsoft revamped Windows, replacing the beloved classic desktop with a Start Screen of tiles that point to programs, files and services. You can still get to the desktop (there's a Desktop icon), but there's no Start menu in the corner.
Windows 8.1 is better than the original Windows 8 when it comes to the mouse and keyboard, and a forthcoming update will bring even more mouse-friendly enhancements, such as a close-window button inside apps. Ed Bott, Microsoft watcher and author of many Windows guides, says people should make the jump to 8.1, and that the next updates will make the system more similar to Windows 7.
Moving to Windows 7
Still, Windows 8.1 may be a radical change of pace for old-school Windows lovers, which is why I think Windows 7 makes a lot more sense for XP exiles.
Despite Microsoft's arguments that 8.1 is faster, safer and more reliable than Windows 7, everything in 7 is mostly in the same place as it was in Windows XP. You'll find the traditional desktop, the trusty Recycle Bin and the Start Menu.
The problem is that, in its Windows 8 push, Microsoft has made Windows 7 harder to come by. But there still are two main ways to get it. The first and best choice is to buy a Windows 7 laptop or desktop from select manufacturer websites, including Acer, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo. They aren't featured prominently, but go digging in the business-products sections of the companies' sites and you'll find them. Microsoft and the PC makers still provide support, too. Dell's Latitude 330 and Acer's Aspire V3 are both good choices under $700.
If you don't want to buy new hardware, things get trickier. Microsoft doesn't sell box copies of Windows 7 anymore. And if you buy the $99.99 version sold by online computer suppliers like Newegg, you don't get Microsoft support. You will get security updates until 2020, however.
Moving to a Non-Microsoft Camp
Of course, there are other places to go if you venture outside of the world of Microsoft.
If you're willing to spend more money than the average Windows PC, there are Apple's Mac computers, which run OS X. That system will take some learning, but once you get the hang of it, it has a ton of great features. Apple also offers free classes for new Mac users at its stores.
Chromebooks tend to be cheap since they just run Google's browser. If you just need email and the Web, Acer's C720 Chromebook is plenty powerful -- and only costs $200.
For the extreme computer literate, there are Linux options like Ubuntu, which run fine on older Windows XP computers. However, installing Linux requires patience and many popular programs won't work there.
You're best bet is to buy a Windows 7 computer. Whatever path you do choose, don't be sad: You can always bring that perfect spring day wallpaper with you.
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