For Windows XP Users - April 8th, 2014 - End of Support

ATMs Face Deadline to Upgrade From Windows XP
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-16/atms-face-deadline-to-upgrade-from-windows-xp

When ATMs were introduced more than 40 years ago, they were considered advanced technology. Today, not so much. There are 420,000 ATMs in the U.S., and on April 8, a deadline looms for nearly all of them that underscores how sluggishly the nation’s cash delivery system moves forward. That’s the day Microsoft (MSFT) cuts off tech support for Windows XP, meaning that ATMs running the software will no longer receive regular security patches and won’t be in compliance with industry standards. Most machines that get upgraded will shift to Windows 7, an operating system that became available in October 2009. (Some companies get a bit of a reprieve: For ATMs using a stripped-down version of XP known as Windows XP Embedded, which is less susceptible to viruses, Microsoft support lasts until early 2016.)

Inside every ATM casing is a computer, and like all such devices, each one runs on an OS. Microsoft’s 12-year-old Windows XP dominates the ATM market, powering more than 95 percent of the world’s machines and a similar percentage in the U.S., according to Robert Johnston, a marketing director at NCR (NCR), the largest ATM supplier in the U.S.

(More at above url)

 

What is the most economical way to upgrade from XP to 7?

 

If your hardware is too old, might be to get a new rig. To replace XP with W7 on your existing rig, you'd want to be sure W7 drivers for your peripherals and mobo are available. If they are, just buy a copy of W7 and do a fresh install.

 

Not true, at JPM Chase, bankers can browse most external websites.
Even tellers can browse certain websites. Dont know about other banks.

 

Any reason to go with W7 over W8 on a new system ?

 

LOTS of reviews of W8 say it's "rubbish".

Planning to use W7 until its EOL, myself.

You can still get W7 on new workstation machines at HP and Dell.

 

Was forced from XP to 7 recently. There are obvious improvements but nothing too revolutionary if you exclude the visuals, luckily you can almost make it feel like XP.
That said, expect some older software to not work (even in compatibility mode). Therefore it makes sense to be prepared to use the older piece of software in either VirtualBox/VMWare or Microsoft's own version of virtualization, which for me had major performance issues.
Be prepared to buy extra memory for a smoother experience and possibly a completely new PC if your current one dates before 2008, when most processors lacked virtualization extensions.
I would advise against moving to Windows 8 as it features too many bugs and problems as of now, plus the bells and whistles aren't worth it for the typical trader.

 

I went with Win7, and couldn't be happier. It's pretty much XP with some minor tweaks. Expect some of your older programs to not work with the 64 bit version.

Schaefer

 

Some don't work even with the x86 version.

 

Welp that sucks! Now, I'm going to have to build me a dedicated XP gaming machine, just to play my older games, such as, Crysis, Far Cry, etc., and stay off the internet.

Schaefer