Is any mapper still using Windows XP?

[greebo]

I'd like to see some binary demographics about the operating system our mappers are using. I'm thinking about dropping support for Windows XP with the next release of DarkRadiant. It's possible to maintain support for it, but it's kind of a nuisance. Besides, it's going to be dropped my Microsoft itself rather soon as well.

[Goldwell]

I remember when XP was called Whistler!

 

But yeah it really makes sense to get rid of it.. I mean who the hell would still be on it? and why. If your computers that old may as well just put a linux distro on it.

[RJFerret]

Didn't MS just announce earlier this week extending support for it? Negating nuisance would be nice though. That said, Win 7 here.

[Dunedain19]

Moving over to Win 7 soon. But currently still on XP, hence my vote.

[Bikerdude]

I'm not even using Win7 anymore on the main machine and will be upgrading to 8.1 in due course.

[grayman]

I'm using XP on the virtual PC I use for builds, but I don't use DR on it.

 

I use DR on Win7.

[Lux]

I remember when XP was called Whistler!

 

I remember when Windows Vista was called Longhorn! ...er wait that was Windo ...er... stupid Microsoft.

 

Win7 x64 here for both TDM and DR.

Edited January 17, 2014 by Lux

[Garrett2014]

Im still XP but not specifically a mapper... yet. I think though that there are too many OS releases by MS. They come out too frequently and what do they offer apart from emptyin your pockets ? I will continue to run XP long into the future and even if i build a new PC will continue to use XP untill more software supports 64 bit i really dont see the need to upgrade ! Direct X 11 i hear you say ! That could have been implemented into XP but MS didnt do that as it would have affected there new OS sales. Wake up people. Your being used! Microsoft are the Biggest Thieves amongst us!

[Sotha]

Are you aware that XP becomes hideously insecure once MS drops the support? Just upgrade to windows 7 or windows 8.1 and you will have an operating system until 2020 or 2023.

 

Or alternatively change to linux. Maybe after that 9 years, linux is a commonly supported game platform and we never need to pay microsoft anymore.

 

Operating system security is important than your hate towards microsoft.

[Bikerdude]

Operating system security is 'more' important than your hate towards microsoft.

That and the fact your sill running XP after all this time means the upgrade will be cheap if youi know where to look.

[Melan]

Or alternatively change to linux. Maybe after that 9 years, linux is a commonly supported game platform and we never need to pay microsoft anymore.

That's doubtful. I have been hearing Linux would soon become supported (and accessible for casual users) since the late 90s, but the breakthrough didn't happen for some reason.

[Sotha]

That's doubtful. I have been hearing Linux would soon become supported (and accessible for casual users) since the late 90s, but the breakthrough didn't happen for some reason.

 

Aye. But sometimes non-progress in the history is not a guarantee about non-progress in the future. I think the time is gonna be ripe. Many people use linux nowadays, it is not a esoteric nerd-OS anymore, but more mainstream. Everyone knows what linux is now, in the 90s nobody knew. And didn't Valve work on some linux-based console or something? Aand today there is already a huge amount of casual linux gaming.... In android mobile devices!

[RJFerret]

I think though that there are too many OS releases by MS. They come out too frequently and what do they offer apart from emptyin your pockets ?

 

And even faster with how badly Windows 8 flopped, "Threshold", expected to be Windows 9, is right around the corner. Thankfully it seems general consumers are finally seeing it's just a method to make the company money, and a new OS does nothing for you except run from the forced obsolescence of the previous if the company drops support--but MS has extended support.

 

Are you aware that XP becomes hideously insecure once MS drops the support? Just upgrade to windows 7 or windows 8.1 and you will have an operating system until 2020 or 2023.

 

You do know Microsoft just this week announced extending support for XP? Something like a third of PCs still run it! (2020 is only six years away and 2023 less than a decade, hardly a long enough time to be worth investing in, especially with Windows 9 impending.)

 

That's doubtful. I have been hearing Linux would soon become supported (and accessible for casual users) since the late 90s, but the breakthrough didn't happen for some reason.

 

And now with the decline of PCs as a whole, probably even less likely, as the general public moves to mobile devices and the OS becomes less relevant. We're sadly entering a world of fragmented brands all trying to sell apps (things that used to be freeware). You used to be on Windows to run everything/anything. Now just moving contacts from one Droid device to a new phone can be a nightmare for users.

 

I would avoid Windows 8 like the plague given how much people I trust hate it. An OS shouldn't get in your way, it should get out of your way. Trying to run an OS designed for mobile use on a PC is just painful for users. Windows 9 is slated to bring back the Start menu and desktop functionality (putting apps back into windows). Ironically, in December, apparently Windows 7 saw nearly as much growth as the free 8.1 update! (Although that's still tiny, apparently less than 4% of Win 8 folks took the free 8.1 upgrade.)

 

If they do get Windows 9 out early Spring next year, that might be the thing to leapfrog to, saving money as well as the hassle and pain of upgrading in the meantime, with guaranteed security support for XP until at least then. It sounds like April will be the time they are expected to announce if "Threshold" officially will be "Windows 9" as expected.

[Garrett2014]

I didn't want to start an argument and I feel, as a consumer, we are often let down by these corporate non entitys that promise us a better life and give us increased complexity and often as not decreased reliability with increased costs to endure. I have, in the main, turned my back on investing my time, money and energy in the next bigger,better,greater new marketing hyped up product. I just look at the 'History' Win 98 sucked until Win 98 SE came out, XP sucked untill i think SP2 appeared, Vista ...ditto untill we got drivers for older hardware. You know there was a time when you bought items from shops and they did what was written on the box ! Anyway i guess my opinions on MS,Consumerism and our Society and hell life in general should be expressed elsewhere. Thanks for your feedback all.

[Xarg]

Support Ends April 8th, 2014

 

According to the MS site as of time of writing. If they've extended it again, their site doesn't reflect it.

 

 

Using win7 x64 myself.

[lost_soul]

They haven't extended support for the OS, they've extended the length of time that they will provide updates for Security Essentials on XP. http://www.itpro.co.uk/operating-systems/21413/windows-xp-support-for-security-essentials-extended-to-july-2015

[PranQster]

It will be interesting to see if Linux users who run DR via wine require the XP support or not. I'll have to check how DR runs when wine is set to Win7 mode, since it defaults to WinXP mode.

I just tried that and noticed no difference.

Edited January 19, 2014 by PranQster

[LDAsh]

If the game works on XP, then it's only reasonable that the tools should still work on XP. Not everyone can afford to buy Windows 7 just for the fancy UI features which actually many Radiants have issues with. Not supporting it anymore because it's "kind of a nuisance" seems a little bit sad to me.

[Springheel]

If the game works on XP, then it's only reasonable that the tools should still work on XP

 

Why? At least 99% of our users probably never touch the editor, so it wouldn't affect them at all.

 

Not supporting it anymore because it's "kind of a nuisance" seems a little bit sad to me.

 

This is a fan project. If it's a nuisance, and it doesn't affect the majority of our user base, what would be the movitvation for someone to devote their free time to it?

[SeriousToni]

Drop the support for a system that is outdated - there's no reason to still rely on XP.

[Garrett2014]

I have too disagree, There seems to be an elitist vein on these forums , one which I will try to enlighten. Fact of the matter is many people still use XP, dont feel the need to upgrade and in some cases dont have the capital to do so even if they wished. Personlly i expect to build new pc sometime in the next year or so and when i do so I will be in the market for a suitable OS. Im more than likely going 64bit. I do realise that in some areas a higher demand is put on hardware due to increasesd softare complexity ! However I still think the system im currently using is a damn good system and although it has XP installed as an OS its more than capable of most tasks. I really dont see the NEED to be upgrading to be honest but i do like gaming on the PC where, for whatever reason, more demands are put on the hardware over time. A lot of the time its SOFTWARE that is poorly desighned and optimised that slows pc's down to the point where the hardware companies can say its time for you too buy a new PC. Your old one is too slow ! This is a lie, one that operating system providers like microsoft dont challenge as their operating systems are often provided in the bundle with any new PC you buy ! This helps bolster their profits and sales figures. Meanwhile a perfectly decent PC is relegated to the skip .. This really gets my goat as in an age of austerity , where global resources are being consumed at a rate thats not sustainable we are still throwing away hardware thats perfectly ok for many uses and injecting funds into corporate giants that dont give a stufff about the consumer they are feeding on, apart from keeping them satisfied and therby protecting their reputation and their products sales figures! And before someone accuses me of hate I say that this is not the case. I dont HATE companies. Thats insane. I HAVE common bloody sense however and can see when im being lied too though and I dislike being dissrespected in this way ! In time I do think future releases of TDM should drop support for XP but I dont feel that time is now! When an OS can provide a significant and noticeable improvement in my day to day computing experiance then i will likely upgrade. I try to keep my expenditure on a new PC to once every 5 years. Im past that time limit already but i didnt see many games companies relaeasing games that wouldnt run on XP when Vista was released so put off upgrading. Win 7 seemed to be a bit off a non event and I HATE the Win8 interface so im sticking with XP for now, as I am sure many are ! If 1/3 of users still use XP you can expect that the other 2/3 off users are office clones ! Offcourse there will be percentage who want the latest so that they can develope professional softare thats current and i appreciate this but then there will be another percentage of the general public that simply fall prey to the hype or scare tactic's of Security ! Ok Im not going to discuss the relationship between terroism and the security industry's profits here ! Ok I think ive said enough PLEASE dont drop XP yet ! Its a vernerable and reliable work horse, maybe it has some issues , but i would hardly say its day is done. Ok Im biased maybe, and realise that this is a FAN operated or managed software project and as such impacts upon peoples free time I truly believe that now is not the time to discontinue support. The word nusciance was mentioned. This suggests it would be a relatively minor issue to keep XP support ? How much time and how difficult this would be is outwith my ken and i guess ultimately the decision lies with the person or persons involved who are doing the actual work but if i can help at all i will. Im wanting to get into mapping as i currently have the time to do so and I use XP :/

[SeriousToni]

You can get Win7 64 bit for 30 € on ebay, amazon, ...

[Melan]

Could you please break your posts into paragraphs? They are much more readable that way.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Melan

[New Horizon]

I have too disagree, There seems to be an elitist vein on these forums , one which I will try to enlighten. Fact of the matter is many people still use XP, dont feel the need to upgrade and in some cases dont have the capital to do so even if they wished. Personlly i expect to build new pc sometime in the next year or so and when i do so I will be in the market for a suitable OS. Im more than likely going 64bit. I do realise that in some areas a higher demand is put on hardware due to increasesd softare complexity ! However I still think the system im currently using is a damn good system and although it has XP installed as an OS its more than capable of most tasks. I really dont see the NEED to be upgrading to be honest but i do like gaming on the PC where, for whatever reason, more demands are put on the hardware over time. A lot of the time its SOFTWARE that is poorly desighned and optimised that slows pc's down to the point where the hardware companies can say its time for you too buy a new PC. Your old one is too slow ! This is a lie, one that operating system providers like microsoft dont challenge as their operating systems are often provided in the bundle with any new PC you buy ! This helps bolster their profits and sales figures. Meanwhile a perfectly decent PC is relegated to the skip .. This really gets my goat as in an age of austerity , where global resources are being consumed at a rate thats not sustainable we are still throwing away hardware thats perfectly ok for many uses and injecting funds into corporate giants that dont give a stufff about the consumer they are feeding on, apart from keeping them satisfied and therby protecting their reputation and their products sales figures! And before someone accuses me of hate I say that this is not the case. I dont HATE companies. Thats insane. I HAVE common bloody sense however and can see when im being lied too though and I dislike being dissrespected in this way ! In time I do think future releases of TDM should drop support for XP but I dont feel that time is now! When an OS can provide a significant and noticeable improvement in my day to day computing experiance then i will likely upgrade. I try to keep my expenditure on a new PC to once every 5 years. Im past that time limit already but i didnt see many games companies relaeasing games that wouldnt run on XP when Vista was released so put off upgrading. Win 7 seemed to be a bit off a non event and I HATE the Win8 interface so im sticking with XP for now, as I am sure many are ! If 1/3 of users still use XP you can expect that the other 2/3 off users are office clones ! Offcourse there will be percentage who want the latest so that they can develope professional softare thats current and i appreciate this but then there will be another percentage of the general public that simply fall prey to the hype or scare tactic's of Security ! Ok Im not going to discuss the relationship between terroism and the security industry's profits here ! Ok I think ive said enough PLEASE dont drop XP yet ! Its a vernerable and reliable work horse, maybe it has some issues , but i would hardly say its day is done. Ok Im biased maybe, and realise that this is a FAN operated or managed software project and as such impacts upon peoples free time I truly believe that now is not the time to discontinue support. The word nusciance was mentioned. This suggests it would be a relatively minor issue to keep XP support ? How much time and how difficult this would be is outwith my ken and i guess ultimately the decision lies with the person or persons involved who are doing the actual work but if i can help at all i will. Im wanting to get into mapping as i currently have the time to do so and I use XP :/

 

Nobody is talking about dropping Winxp support for TDM, it's for the Dark Radiant editor.

[Garrett2014]

Sorry my bad. I dont want support for XP removed from the dark radiant either.