Windows XP Why keep XP?

[peahouse05]

Hello All
Have not posted in a while but I see that XP is not to be supported much longer. I have it on a laptop for only one reason, that is to be able to use Outlook Express for email and therefore avoiding all the adverts surrounding webmail. I understand that there will eventually be no updates for XP but my question is - will Outlook Express still work?
Thanks in advance
peahouse05:

 

[EvanDavis]

What version of Outlook Express are you currently using ? Outlook Express 6 support ended in September 2004.
If you upgrade your OS you don't have to use Outlook Express. Windows mail is ok'ish and does the job, or you could go open source and use something like Mozilla Thunderbird

 

[Quadophile]

My suggestion to you is do not wait till you can do nothing about it.

There are few options that you can use and you may have to spend some time learning how to navigate through a new email program. open source is cross platform and what Evandavis suggested is an excellent choice for you to consider. Do a bit of reading and check out Thunderbird, its been there for a long time and is being used by millions who need email program on their desktop.

 

[peahouse05]

Thanks for the replies
I will certainly look at the choices you have suggested
Cheers
peahouse05

 

[exmoor]

i have xp on my laptop and will keep while the pc is still working.
then may upgrade to windows 7?

 

[peahouse05]

Thanks for the replies
I have Windows7 and 8 on other machines so it's just a personal preference for Outlook Express - wife and daughter both use webmail. Can I ask who 'owns' Outlook Express and why was it ditched by Microsoft?
Cheers
peahouse05

 

[EvanDavis]

Can I ask who 'owns' Outlook Express and why was it ditched by Microsoft?

Microsoft own Outlook Express. And it wasn't ditched. More like ran its course like most other products and came to an end in favor of a newer better product Windows Mail, in the same way Outlook Express replaced Microsoft Internet Mail and News.

 

[Quadophile]

Outlook Express was replaced with Windows Live Mail, OE will not work with any of the three operating systems i.e Vista, Win 7 and Win 8. I doubt anyone owns Outlook Express as it is no longer being supported by Microsoft who owned it and possibly now is shelved in favour of Windows Live Mail.

The trend nowadays is webmail as it is easy to setup and no worries about any backup or switching from one computer to another, you have access to your webmail from any computer and all your data is saved online.

 

[nivrip]

Can I ask who 'owns' Outlook Express and why was it ditched by Microsoft?
Cheers
peahouse05

I'm sure it's still "owned" by Microsoft.

It was ditched because Microsoft felt that their newer email system, Windows Mail, used in Vista, was better. Windows Mail has also been ditched and has been replaced by Windows Live Mail, used in Windows 7 & 8, which I assume Microsoft feel is a further improvement.

That's their logic anyway.

 

[peahouse05]

Thanks for that- very interesting
Will continue to use it until it fails - XP or OE or both - when I joined PC Review I described myself as extremely tight - nothing has changed. I have three copies of XP and will work them to the end.
Cheers
peahouse05

 

[Quadophile]

peahouse05

I have a feeling that you may be very comfortable switching to Linux as Win Xp support will end soon. You do not have to be a geek to do that. You can try it as a software alongside your Win and see how you do with it. I am providing a link to that for you to try.

Ubuntu is an open-source Linux distribution operating system, and if that sounds like geek to you, it shouldn't. If you've only ever used Windows, the idea of trying a new operating system might sound a little scary. But with Wubi you can download and try Ubuntu easily, and with the knowledge that you can go back to Windows whenever you like.


Read more: Wubi - CNET Download.com http://download.cnet.com/Wubi/3000-2094_4-10701841.html#ixzz2RPpu2rN3

​

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WubiGuide

 

[peahouse05]

Hello Quodophile
Thanks - I have Linux Mint on an OCR SSD drive and from what I remember (very difficult these days) will work on any machine with none of the restrictive Microsoft crap. I will look into the email systems previously suggested and try them on an old Sony laptop with a terrible clunky keyboard.
Cheers
peahouse05