I just happened to come across this and thought it fit well with the topic at hand:

Why Switch from Windows Me to XP?

QUESTION: My father, a senior citizen, has been using Windows ME for the past few years, while I've been using WinXP Home Edition for the past two.

He's had a number of annoying problems with ME, and though I've tried encouraging him to make the switch to XP, we live too far apart for me to help him load XP. As well, he needs convincing of the advantages to switching to XP. Consequently, he's been reluctant to make the switch.

What would you say to him, to convince him to making the switch ? -- Dave W.

ANSWER: No matter their age, most folks are more comfortable with the "devil they know" - that is, even if they're having problems with an operating system or software application, they're reluctant to invest the time and trouble it takes to learn a whole new one.

There are several good reasons to switch from a Windows 9x-based operating system (which Millennium Edition is) to XP, which is based on the much more secure NT code but, unlike earlier NT-based operating systems that were made primarily for business use, is also easy for consumers to use. In today's virus and worm infested, attack prone computing environment, security is probably the number one reason to make the move. XP includes security features (such as the more secure NTFS file system, a built-in firewall, and many more) that ME doesn't have.

After security, reliability is a good reason to switch. XP is more stable than any 9x-based OS because of the kernel (the core operating system files) on which it runs.

Another big issue is support. Most of Microsoft's focus in providing updates and fixes is on their current OS, which is XP. For example, the improvements to Internet Explorer that are included in XP Service 2 aren't available for IE running on other operating systems. These include security and convenience features (such as the built-in popup blocker).

Your dad might have heard horror stories from people who upgraded and experienced hardware incompatibilities. I'd recommend that before he upgrades, he download the XP Upgrade Advisor from the Microsoft Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/advisor.mspx). This is a program he can run to make sure his hardware and software are compatible with XP.

 

All joking aside & I'm sure most of Paul's comments are as tongue-in-cheek as mine. Neither of us is half as daft as we make out & in my case there are perfectly good reasons for not updating to this miraculous OS named Windows XP. I'm sure that Paul has equally valid reasons.

Number one is the cost which I can ill-afford on a fixed income. Simple as that.

Number 2 is my antiquated system which already does all I need perfectly well so why would I wish to change anything? I doubt that installing XP would be worth the bother as it's unlikely to improve system performance for the use I put it to.

Number 3. It's quite likely my old video card will be incompatible & there's no way of getting updated drivers for it. Better the devil you know.

Number 4 is just as important, bearing in mind that I'm not made of money. Despite what anyone says, WinXP has to be registered in order to use it, whether this be online or over the telephone. This is a well-known fact. AFAIK the registration covers installation to one machine only. If & when I decide to purchase a brand new machine I'll be forced to have WinXP or whichever new OS they dream up to replace it. There's doesn't seem much point in having to purchase the darned thing twice.

PS. As for extra security, I seem to recall that, due to an oversight, WinXP is far more vulnerable to viruses & hackers than Win98 ever was. http://www.tunexp.com/news/windows-story-324.html

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You're missing my point. Maybe the crafty old chap is planning to treat himself to a brand-spankin' new, all singing-&-dancing rocket powered machine with all the bells & whistles for Christmas. If this is the case he's naturally saving his WinXP for that. It wouldn't exactly be sensible to install it to the old one now would it?

Of course, I could be completely wrong about this, as I usually am. He could just be a typically awkward old fogey like me.

The point Doug and Paul are missing ........... once purchased the licence agreement only says that it has to be installed on one machine at a time ......... Should you upgrade to a new machine you just transfer everything across and phone up for a new code at no extra cost, provided you reformat the old machine with another operating system........ In theory (and I'm not condoning this) you could have it on several machines. Only one of them would be legitimate ....... all of them  could be updated with the patches and service packs.

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Not if I get it custom-built to my own specs by my usual supplier. However, in the unlikely event that I do get a new machine I would naturally ask him to install WinXP in order to run the latest hardware. Until that time I'm quite happy with my current "old faithful" just as it is.

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...true... ...!

Nothing frightens me more than having to 'phone Uncle Bill, (on the wrong side of the "Pond"), and get him out of his bath, to ask him for his permission to install, and use, his favourite Super-Dooper new operating system..... .... ....!

With my "old" Win '98 I don't have to go through all that flippin' rigmarole... ... ....!
...and it saves me an expensive 'phone call... 8)...!

...and you know how much I love all my occasional system crashes, etc... 8)... ...!

Cheers Congo... ...!

Paul.

This is hillarious!

I'm mostly with you Fozzer, I like that old crap.

I sold my Xbox because it was just to complex.

But really, you should get XP!!!