Intel: PC sales weak as many businesses stick with Windows XP

.zdnet. ^ | March 14, 2015 | Sean Portnoy

[dennisw]

Intel's recent results suggest a slowdown in firms leaving the ancient OS behind and upgrading to new systems. Why won't they update?

Most interesting detail that emerged from Intel's lackluster first quarter financial results had nothing to do with mobile, the company's white whale. Instead, it concerned something so old that it almost seems laughable in the same week that the very 21st-century Apple Watch dominated headlines. Per ZDNet's own Larry Dignan:

In a statement, Intel said it cut its first quarter outlook because of "weaker than expected demand for business desktop PCs and lower than expected inventory levels across the PC supply chain."

Intel cited for that weaker demand: a slowdown in companies upgrading from Windows XP systems. What's particularly interesting about this is that the move away from the ancient OS helped drive some of Intel's better results in 2014. Read this

What that suggests is a potentially intractable problem for both Intel and Microsoft: businesses that still manage to operate fine, thank you very much, with an operating system that's nearly 15 years old. It's the desktop equivalent of the guy who still uses a flip phone and doesn't care if you have an app that can identify a song on the radio in three seconds or can stream the Super Bowl live on your smartphone.

But it's even worse, actually, because that inertia isn't one guy: It's firms with potentially dozens or hundred of employees that have their productivity disrupted while new systems are installed and training is implemented. Then there's the issue of the need for an updated OS. What does Windows 7 or 8 (or 10) do that compels these stragglersto upgrade?

Microsoft's decision to emphasize its new Start screen over the old desktop when it launched Windows 8 did it no favors,

[minnesota_bound]

I might try it but it asks to sign up.

[cynwoody]

The world market for TV was saturated,everyone who wanted a color TV had one ,or a dozen.Sales falling.So with stroke of a pen make users replace hundreds of millions of fully functional,useful devices;pretty cool!Especially if YOU stand to get filthy rich.

Most of the TVs in the affected area were hooked up via cable and were thus unaffected. As for the remaining rabbit-ear connected ones, they could continue to be used via a cheap converter box (that is, if they weren't ripe to be replaced anyway).

The reason the government needed to be involved was that the over-the-air spectrum is a limited natural resource which was being wasted by obsolete technology.

[dennisw]

Believe it or not Firefox is lighter with memory usage than Chrome and Internet Explorer. Firefox draws fewer system resources. I can see this via task manager>>>> processes>>>>>memory usage.
But without me deploying flash block it would be really tough to open 25+ tabs the way I like to. Flash is a super burden. Steve Jobs was right on this and hated flash. No flash on Apple mobile devices.

One trick I use is to re-boot Firefox once a day via>>>> task manager >>>>then a cold shut down

I then restart/restore Firefox to EXACTLY the 25+ tabs I had open with the help of session manager extension. This restoration gets rid of accumulated memory usage and gives you a clean start as far as your draw on computer memory

===task manger is permanently pinned to task bar for quick access

=== I always install these three Firefox extensions:
a) track me not
b) flash block
c) session manager

==== there are Chrome versions for all three extensions

===== google got wise to me using track me not so now I use Bing search and google search when I have to and know that it will give me better results than Bing. IOW I use google only for my crucial searches

[daniel1212]

Using Windows XP SP3 32 bit with the best Pentium 4 processor 4 GB ram installed --- lets say it can deploy 3gb at most The most recent version of Firefox

I used to have about 130 on average with that type of HW which i ran about 10 hours daily for about 7 years, with about a dozen docs open and other heavy apps. Of course, the RAM gets used up the more you open or access tabs, which makes Memory Restart :: Add-ons for Firefox - Mozilla Add-ons useful.

But as i would use of RAM often enough that i had to unload RAM, i prayed i could get a 64 bit HW, and was able to get a upgrade to W/8 for 29.00 with a (wait 6 months for) rebate, and now run WTP build 10049, and MS indicates a free upgrade for W/8 users this summer, thank God.

W/8 is much like XP if you use Classic Shell, which improves W/10 as well, but both offer improvements.

[daniel1212]

Ghostery is good too, it blocks all the nasty little trackers that websites deliver along with what you want to see. It's not unusual to see anywhere from 10-20 trackers on some websites (e.g. theblaze.com has 17).

But Ghostery only shows Goggle Analytics for this site. No pop ups etc., thank God. All of which is rare for this type of site.

[daniel1212]

I then restart/restore Firefox to EXACTLY the 25+ tabs I had open with the help of session manager extension.

The Session manager extension has been a help, as there are many tabs i want to get back to or regularly go to. But often i have to close some to keep them under 150 or so.

I also use the "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -no-remote -p option to run other profiles. Thank God for options and helps for good uses.

These are my extensions now:

Most links.

Tab Mix Plus 0.3.8.6 https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tab-mix-plus

Session Manager 0.7.5 https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/session-manager/

savewithurl - 0.2.11 version for Firefox 2.0 - 5 https://nic-nac-project.org/~kaosmos/savewithurl-FF5-0.2.11.xpi

Menu Editor http://menueditor.mozdev.org/

Googlebarlite https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/latest/492/addon-492-latest.xpi?src=search

FindBar Tweak https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/findbar-tweak/

ColorfulTabs https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/colorfultabs/?src=search/

Send Tab URLs https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/send-tab-urls/?src=ss

Copy as HTML Link https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/copy-as-html-link/?src=search

Google/Yandex search link fix https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/google-search-link-fix/

Xmarks Sync https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/xmarks-sync/?src=search

BBCodeXtra is an extension, which adds to the context menu new commands to insert BBCode/Html/XHtml codes in an easy and fast way... https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/bbcodextra/

Lazarus: Form Recovery https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/lazarus-form-recovery/

Converter https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/converter/

FlashGot https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/flashgot/?src=search

Google-translator-for-firefox/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-Us/firefox/addon/google-translator-for-firefox/

FT DeepDark https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ft-deepdark/

Noiascrollbars https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noiascrollbars

Classic Theme Restorer https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/classicthemerestorer/

Memory Restart https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/memory-restart/

stay-Open Menu https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/stay-open-menu/

TabMixPlus enables multiple tab rows, and reducing width, both unseen in Chrome or IE, and Colorful tabs helps. I find the FT DeepDark best, with the NewScrollbars (aka NoiaScrollbars), which should be standard.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

The same thing can be done with a Win7 computer and a copy of VMware Player, which is free for personal use and nominal cost for commercial/business use.

Sounds like a very good option if the system will run on your ‘puter acceptably.

[dayglored]

> Sounds like a very good option if the system will run on your ‘puter acceptably.

If you think back to when XP was all the rage, 1GB of RAM was still considered a decent amount, and multi-core processors were still relatively new and expensive. XP ran just fine in 1GB with a single core.

So there's no reason why a dual-core processor with 2GB or more of RAM couldn't run XP in a VM, splitting the RAM and cores between VM and host.

Granted, it'll surely run better if you have 4GB RAM and can split that in half for the VM and host. But it depends on what you need the XP VM for. Chances are it's only one or two applications at a time, because everything else is running in the host OS.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

I have an old emachines laptop that was originally designed for XP but had Vista installed when we bought it (for nearly nothing at a Best Buy Black Friday sale). Still use it when on the road and still runs Vista, but the problem is that 1. Vista sucks and 2. it will only take 2 GB of memory so it’s very slow running Vista. I have been thinking of “upgrading” it to XP when I have the time.

[Foolsgold]

All those menu changes on the Windoze and office are crazy and I’m a guy who uses macros.

I have even begun hating the touch screen.

for years I would blow a gasket if anyone so much as touched my screen. Now, I am obliged to touch it so I can quickly access programs and features.

I hate finger prints on my screen.

I miss the right click, seems touch screen is difficult to find the tools sometimes.

[dennisw]

I had a laptop from that era that came with Vista and the internet buss (at slick deals) was to take it back to XP.

-—you will need the XP drivers
BUT
-— also XP did not come with SATA drivers and you should have an SATA hard drive in that emachine

—— you can probably find XP with all SATA drivers at some torrent site

or for SATA >>>> http://archive.news.softpedia.com/news/Install-Windows-XP-On-SATA-Without-a-Floppy-F6-47807.shtml

[Vendome]

Tell me about it...

[Fresh Wind]

I will try Ghostery again but I am worried about blocking sites.

It doesn't block sites, but depending on how you configure it, it will sometimes block some features of sites. If it causes problems, it's easy enough to temporarily pause the blocking to see if Ghostery is causing the problem, or to whitelist the entire site.

[Elsie]

This IS in the RELIGION forum; right??

Intel: PC sales weak as many businesses stick with Windows XP .zdnet. ^ | March 14, 2015 | Sean Portnoy

Posted on ‎4‎/‎7‎/‎2015‎ ‎1‎:‎54‎:‎12‎ ‎PM by dennisw

Intel's recent results suggest a slowdown in firms leaving the ancient OS behind and upgrading to new systems. Why won't they update?

Most interesting detail that emerged from Intel's lackluster first quarter financial results had nothing to do with mobile, the company's white whale. Instead, it concerned something so old that it almost seems laughable in the same week that the very 21st-century Apple Watch dominated headlines. Per ZDNet's own Larry Dignan:

In a statement, Intel said it cut its first quarter outlook because of "weaker than expected demand for business desktop PCs and lower than expected inventory levels across the PC supply chain."

 

 Barna: Catholic membership weak as many people stick with Protestantism

Posted on ‎4‎/‎8‎/‎2015‎ ‎7:40:23 AM by ELSIE

Barna's recent poll  results suggest a slowdown in folks leaving the ancient OS behind and upgrading to new systems. Why won't they update?

Most interesting detail that emerged from Christianity's lackluster first quarter financial results had nothing to do with indulgences, the company's white whale. Instead, it concerned something so old that it almost seems laughable in the same week that the very 21st-century New World Translation  dominated headlines. Per FR's own ELSIE:

In a statement, Rome said it cut its first quarter outlook because of "weaker than expected demand for what we are selling and lower than expected inventory levels across the human supply chain."

[Elsie]

And... there was NO way that HD could have EVER made it over the airwaves; using the old design technology.

It HAD to come in the higher frequency spectrum.

Every bit of data now comes to my house via light.

[Fresh Wind]

It’s a tool, not a temple.

People need to keep that in perspective.

[steve8714]

Later updates on some of my PCs do not give me an internet options icon nor tools. I have no idea how to make sites compatible, including OWA, so I cannot open attachments on emails.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

So there's no reason why a dual-core processor with 2GB or more of RAM couldn't run XP in a VM, splitting the RAM and cores between VM and host.

True. But if the legacy hardware is thin to begin with, you could have to upgrade, by maxing out the RAM slots at least.

Still won’t be costing much, compared to the $5K the original comment complained of.

But if it costs very much, you could be ahead to get a (modest) modern computer. In which case the Mac Mini would of course become an option to consider.

[hoosierham]

Well not true for the rural areas;but then modern America doesn’t give a S#@t about rural Americans who still think hard work and frugality are virtues.

Out here in the rural areas we didn’t use rabbit ears,we use(d) large antennas a tall poles and antenna towers ,many standing 40 or 50 feet high.
Of course we could all just PAY $100 a month for satellite TV -shouldn’t be a problem since city people think nothing of spending $100+ monthly for cable TV. I don’t think much of it either. Suckers. Paying lots of money to watch the same shows with more commercials than we watched years past for free.

And we STILL need those big outside antennas since the wonderful digital TV signals are much weaker than the outdated analog,plus the digital TV breaks up or blues out the picture in times of storms,passing aircraft,won’t allow you to watch a weak station,etc.

I have a message for those who would mandate everything be digital-and my message only uses ONE digit.

[cynwoody]

When I was a kid, we had one of those towers. And we had two set-top boxes. One controlled the antenna rotator, and the other was a UHF converter. We could swing the antenna to point at Chicago and get VHF. Or point it at South Bend and get UHF (I don't recall if there was a Channel 57 back then).

Today, the bigger problem in rural areas is high-speed internet. If you have that, you don't need broadcast TV, either over the air or over cable or fiber.