Windows XP Turns 10
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 25th Oct 2011 23:00 UTC
Windows Ten years ago today, Microsoft launched what would become the world's most popular desktop operating system - for better or worse. Its interface colours were... Interesting (trying hard to avoid bias here, folks, bear with me now). Its early performance was... Not always entirely up to par. Its security track record was... Well, it sucked hard in that department (I tried). We're ten years down the line, and thanks to Vista, way too many people are still using this relic.
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RE[3]: A great OS
by lemur2 on Wed 26th Oct 2011 04:00 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: A great OS"
lemur2
Member since:
2007-02-17

If he hasn't had any security issues, it's likely because he's set it up correctly. Automatic updates, a firewall, a limited user account and a non-brain-dead user is all it takes to make XP secure enough for most purposes.


Au contraire, there are approximately two million new pieces of malware written every year, essentially all of it is targetted at Windows. The very best anti-malware protection only rates a detection rate somewhere in the 90% range. This implies the creation 200,000 new pieces of undetectable malware for Windows every year. If Windows were indeed secure enough for most purposes, then there would be no point to all that malware-writing effort.

While some people are cautious enough to be able to avoid such malware, for non-expert people who use Windows in conjunction with the Internet (which is the majority of Windows users), eventually the chances are that their system will become compromised.

Of all of the non-expert home users of Windows of my acquaintance, who effectively had the task of looking after their own Windows systems, none of them managed to use Windows for more than a year at a time before their systems were compromised. Some of them have asked me to fix their Windows systems, and others just take their system to a computer store every so often and fork out money to have it "fixed".

Edited 2011-10-26 04:04 UTC

Reply Parent Score: 0

RE[4]: A great OS
by Icaria on Wed 26th Oct 2011 04:49 in reply to "RE[3]: A great OS"
Icaria Member since:
2010-06-19

Au contraire, there are approximately two million new pieces of malware written every year, essentially all of it is targetted at Windows.

Most of which is delivered via very specific means, has very specific vectors for attack and most of which gets tripped up by simply not having write access to system files. Unless you're dealing with a lot of sensitive information, you don't even need the anti-* software. As a precaution, it's worth installing a couple twice a year, running a scan and then removing them (since most people still running XP probably don't have the most robust hardware), though.

Reply Parent Score: 3

RE[5]: A great OS
by lemur2 on Wed 26th Oct 2011 04:59 in reply to "RE[4]: A great OS"
lemur2 Member since:
2007-02-17

"Au contraire, there are approximately two million new pieces of malware written every year, essentially all of it is targetted at Windows.
Most of which is delivered via very specific means, has very specific vectors for attack and most of which gets tripped up by simply not having write access to system files. Unless you're dealing with a lot of sensitive information, you don't even need the anti-* software. As a precaution, it's worth installing a couple twice a year, running a scan and then removing them (since most people still running XP probably don't have the most robust hardware), though. "

I'll say it AGAIN because it obviously didn't sink in: "Of all of the non-expert home users of Windows of my acquaintance, who effectively had the task of looking after their own Windows systems, none of them managed to use Windows for more than a year at a time before their systems were compromised. Some of them have asked me to fix their Windows systems, and others just take their system to a computer store every so often and fork out money to have it fixed."

To my mind, compared with my Linux systems, this is utterly abysmal. It may or may not be the fault of Windows that it is attacked so much, but regardless of where the fault is, the experience of non-expert self-supporting Windows users is lamentable. Despite having to pay appreciable ongoing costs for security software over-and-above the bare OS, their security is still compromised, they face a significant risk that their finances or identity might be stolen online, they have no privacy and are constantly spied upon, they are routinely bombarded by advertising, their systems work against them in terms of imposing DRM policies and the like, and they have to pay, and pay again, to maintain even this poor standard of service.

Edited 2011-10-26 05:03 UTC

Reply Parent Score: 0

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