Yesterday I was in Cincinnati, Ohio teaching a mini-version of my “Light it, Shoot it, Retouch it” workshop at the ProPhoto Expo (a really excellent event by the way, put together with the help and vision of none other than David Ziser himself), and during one of the breaks between sessions a very nice woman came up and told me how upset she was that Lightroom 4 wouldn’t run on Windows XP, and that she feared when Photoshop CS6 ships it won’t support XP either.
Here’s basically what I told her: It’s 2012. Windows XP came out in October of 2001 (more than 10 years ago—see the press release from Microsoft’s site above). It’s time to freakin’ upgrade! Then she said “But XP doesn’t have any bugs!” That alone was a sad statement — not for her, but for Microsoft as a company, and that she is so afraid of the problems that upgrading to a newer version of Windows will bring her, that she is mentally stuck using an OS from 11 years ago (but that’s an entirely different subject for another day).
Do you know how long 11 years is in technology terms?
This it what 2001 technology looks like and this is what we were using back then (below):
I doubt she’s still shooting a Nikon Coolpix 995, or using an old Nokia cell phone (that one shown above was the bestselling cell phone of 2001), or that she has a white antique iPod the size of a toaster, but yet….she’s still running Windows XP.
Microsoft doesn’t even support XP any more
So why do we think Adobe would or even should? I know there are pockets of people out there who are upset that Lightroom 4 won’t run on XP (when I did my last post about Lightroom 4, I heard from a number of them), just like I’m sure it’s very hard to find replacement parts for that DVIX player that someone still is using out there, but at some point these folks are going to have to leave the past behind, and upgrade their computer and OS, or they are literally going to be left behind by technology like Lightroom 4.
I would imagine that the woman I talked to has gotten more than her money’s worth out of her investment in Windows XP and a computer still old enough to run it, but at some point it’s decision time, and if I were her I wouldn’t wait another day. For everybody else still clinging to 2001 technology —- it’s time to freakin’ upgrade (and it’s time to upgrade that Nintendo Game Boy Color while you’re at it, too!):-)
do u have 2 b so rude about it!! “FREAKIN’ UNGRADE” if it ain’t broke…so the saying goes yea, I suppose there is a comment about me still using an AOL email address too
Dude! Really? AOL? (Lol!!!!). :)
I thought AOL and Twinkies were out of business.
I guess some people can’t get away from the catchy “You’ve Got Mail!”…
I upgraded from DOS to Windows, because I wanted all the cool features that the latest version of software from (pick any software manufacture) had to offer. That decision caused me to upgrade not only my application, but my OS and my computer. Well here were are again; if you want all the new features that the latest version of software has to offer, you have to be WILLING to upgrade whatever necessary to run that software. Otherwise, be content with what you have.
If it ain’t broke, why does she need to upgrade Lightroom? The older version still works on Windows XP, so why bother?
You want new features? Well, then you upgrade to get what you want, and that includes upgrading to the minimum supported system.
Your point is exactly right, Scott, but you are mistaken when you say that Microsoft no longer supports Windows XP. While mainstream support has ended, extended support for Windows XP SP3 continues until April 2014, per this chart:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/products/lifecycle
David, you are right for Service Pack3 but the next paragraph suggests to upgrade to W/7 for best performance but software manufactures are beginning to release products which will not work well or at all on XP. For 2 years I had problems after installing a Quadro FX 4800 gracias card untill I upgraded to W/7, no issues now.
Indeed. You and I agree. I recommend moving to Windows 7, which I find to be exceptional. I was just trying to address a falsehood presented as fact.
I am a Windows user and Scott is so right. The best move ever was upgrading to W/7, now I’m not limited to 3.5gb RAM like with XP and everything runs so much better. Does anyone think plugin manufacturers, camera firmwares, etc actually release with 10 year old software in mind? Save everything, flash your drive, buy W/7 and add some memory (up to about 170mb I think) and your life will be much better. You will fly at 64bit!
It’s not that easy Ken – upgrading from a 32 bit to a 64 bit OS comes with some serious considerations:
1. Hardware expenses – you will undoubtedly need a new processor as even Intel Core 2 Duo procs from 4 years ago cannot reliably run a 64 bit OS. That means a new motherboard. That also means adding more RAM (because now you need 2GB to address the OS, not 1GB). Then add a video card. You’re talking some serious coin.
2. Software expenses – aside from the on-topic cost of LR4, there are other programs that would likely need to be updated. Office is just one example, but here’s a host of others: Adobe Acrobat, colorimeter software, Quicktime, Camtasia, Audacity (are there drivers), and more. DPP, Nikon Capture NX, and never mind all the plugins.
If you read Steve’s post upthread, he goes into much more detail on WHY the OS is still so solid (hint: stability, proven track record, etc.)
Bottom line reason why many don’t or have not is because they don’t have the sort of discretionary income as others do…and when these “others” start looking down their nose at those who can’t afford to upgrade, well…we won’t go there.
Hey, I had that Nokia phone! I also had Windows XP. When Service Pack 2 came out, it was so full of bugs that it caused me to switch to the Mac platform and I’ve never looked back. The notion that XP doesn’t have bugs is a faulty one, but I suppose that she just perceives it as stable for her needs.
Doesn’t matter. Time moves on and no company can afford to continue supporting its old products that are generations removed from the present. Even if she were willing to pay for support, it just wouldn’t make economic sense for Microsoft to do it, so it doesn’t make sense for any application vendor to support that old OS.
Technology doesn’t wait for anyone. If she wants to stick with an old OS, she has to stick with old applications, too. You can’t have it both ways.
I agree. Windows 7, I like it. Mac… not enough $ at this point. : )
That’s why I threw out everything PC and went MAC!
Ahem…you are aware that OSX Lion and LR4 will only run on 64-bit processors on Mac and thus leaves owners of 6 year old Mac Book Pro’s with Intel Core Duo processors in the dust, right?
And yes, I’m one of those awners and I’m not really happy about that decision since it basically means that a brand new camera will mean a brand new computer too if I want to continue using LR/PS with RAW files.
And no, life is waaay to short for starting jumping through hoops and create DNG’s from my RAW files before importing them into LR – thanks, but really – no thanks.
I have a MAC and will purchase MACs in the future for IOS stuff, but my next pro machine will be a high powered PC build for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. The new PC (truck as Jobs says) hardware tuned for Adobe products show unbelievable performance for great prices. Add a (or two) NEC PA271 27-inch 2560 by 1440 and you got an unbelievable machine.
The funny thing to me is that people still like to compare a ten year old OS with the newest Mac hardware/software. I think it would be more fair to compare Windows XP with Mac OS 9.2.
Well freakin’ put Scott!
Why upgrade? If it isn’t broke don’t fix it! I don’t want to upgrade my Mac to Lion because Lion won’t run Rosetta. I have some plugins that won’t run on higher than CS2, so I need Rosetta. I won’t upgrade!
I am a huge Scott Kelby fan but I too thought this was just a tad rude! You could have simply said that software companies eventually stop supporting older OS so you have to choose to either stick with what you feel is tried and true and not be able to get newer software or you must upgrade. You’re right about it being a sad commentary on Microsoft but not all of us can afford to transition to Mac nor do all of us want to make the transition. Personally, I don’t have that many problems with Windows.
I never mentioned the Mac.
I was at the show and standing right behind this lady when Scott was talking to her during a break. He was very polite and tried to nicely say it was time to upgrade. She wasn’t at all upset with what he told her. I think she understood that he was trying to help her out.
Her never mentioned Apple/Mac.
By the way Scott. Thanks for signing my book!
Rob with one “b”
I thought I understood that Lightroom 4 will only run on 64 bit computers. Am I wrong?? My computer is a 32 bit computer and it is only about 2 or 3 years old and was VERY disappointed to find that I would not able to go with the Lightroom upgrade.
Am I missing something??????
No, you are right – but check your computer again, I’m having a hard time believing that a 3 year old computer would have a 32 bit processor (unless it is an Intel Atom or something like that). After all, the last 32-bit processor Intel made was the Core Duo which was replaced by the Core 2 Duo during the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007.
My computer is about 5 maybe 6 years old. Bought it with XP 32 bit. The processor is a dual core 6600 and after research discovered it would also run 64 bit. Now it has two hard drives. 64 bit Windows 7 and the 64 bit OS allowed me to double the ram to 8gb. Maybe do some research on your system, its alot cheaper to upgrade than to replace.
Aactually Microsoft is still sending security updates etc out for Windows Xp and will continue to do so until sometime in 2014. There are many, many people and companies still plugging along with Windows XP. Although it would be great to see everyone jump at the latest OS this is not always viable to everyone. Many existing computers can’t handle a new OS and not only software has to be upgraded a new computer needs to be purchased. Simply telling people to upgrade is well beyond many peoples budgets. Just saying , never take it for granted everyone can simply do a major upgrade.
Heaven help anyone using an out of date computer and OS to try and process today’s high megapixel photos. I’ve found upgrading every three years rapidly recoups the cost in terms of time savings!
Computers sold in Fall of 2010 with Win XP SP3 were not out of date in early 2012, nor they are today (Jan. 2013). That is still less than 3 years.
Even a netbook with Intel Atom CPU (those produced in 2010 are not supported by Win7) can do a reasonable job in managing collections with LR while on the road.
Besides, not everybody needs/uses 22 MPs images. Even 8-12 MP is more than sufficient for many situations. And some users of LR recoup NO money from their photos (or other uses of their computers).
I think you’re right, Scott. Hope you told her nicely though. :)
She was actually very sweet and we both had a laugh about the whole thing. I’m pretty sure she’ll be upgrading, but our chat was very friendly and fun.
I knew it! An honourable man indeed!
The point that is being missed is that MS, in its wisdom, made it very difficult for the average user to upgrade to Windows 7. I went through personal down time trying to make the upgrade and make things work with W/7.
Sure, I agree, XP was old technology but it was, of all the choices available from MS, the most stable and a lot of time, resources and effort have been invested in tuning systems to work and maintaining a business as a sole proprietor.
Scott, it isn’t so easy. XP was (and is) a very stable os and you can stil find it in many business environment. Microsoft lost reliance with Vista, cause Vista was a scrap. Step by step Microsoft get back the trust with Win7. But this is the reason why so many people use an eleven year old os.
The LR4 beta is what finally motivated me to upgrade my 2008 iMac from Leopard to Snow Leopard. But boy do I have sympathy for the windows people who want to stay with XP. I have to use Windows at work, and MS Vista was such a nightmare that we were begging to go back to XP. Because of that, I think the “it’s from 2001” argument leaks a little water. As late as 3 years ago my company was still selling new boxes with XP installed because of customer dread of Vista. The good news is that Win7 does seem better and provides a real path forward. My 0.02.
What!? There’s a Windows XP!?? I’m upgrading from my Windows 95 to that tomorrow! Thanks for the cool tip!
Windows 7 is a pretty good OS and it have less problems than Vista.
haha, you’re right Scott, I really ran around with this iPod, and a coolpix 995 and 5000 ;))
haha, you’re right Scott, I really ran around with this iPod, and a coolpix 995 and 5000 ;))
Microsoft don’t support xp? I’m still getting security upgrades so guess they are :) I mostly use mac now though anyway
That’s kind of a problem now days. The amount of updates and upgrade Software / Hardware go through is crazy. Not everyone can keep up with it, cause mainly it’s costly. Secondly, sometimes it’s not even needed. It’s a little sad for people when they know their loved software is updated and their system can’t support the new version. One must agree that an upgrade or buying an new system / software is very costly. Unfortunately there is not other way. I guess this is one of reasons why many people turn towards the deadly word – piracy. Well just my thoughts.
Scott, the looks is very cool. Some updates on the portfolio as well, isn’t it.
We still stick to XP for all our machines at work. All new boxes are downgraded to XP to ensure consistency across the company. With thousands of computers IT try to ensure they all use the same operating system, and some of the machines are well over 10 years old.
Well said Scott.
Can’t understand why she would want to stick to XP. Yes, Vista was a train wreck, but Windows 7 has been quite stable, even since release.
I’m still fuming that no ones supports my AmigaOS. Them were the days :)
It just reminds me, that I´m old. I did some extra work beside shool to get this phone. (comment written with a Windows 7 64bit killer machine)
Not defending that Adobe should still support XP, but the point the “woman” made is strong.
XP was for a long time the most stable OS Microsoft ever made (since DOS 3.30 :-) ). The upgrade experience most of the users had going from XP to Vista (IIIIIRRRRCHHHHHHH) was really traumatic for most of the people. I’ve seen companies downgrading because their systems simply got worse!
Don’t be too harsh. Remember, after XP Microsoft released Vista. Vista was rubbish so a lot of people (including myself) did not upgrade from XP. Plus, as the woman rightfully said, XP worked, and it did. All my Adobe products (PS/LR/Bridge) + other workflows products work perfectly well. Then came out Windows 7. No reason to upgrade really, I could still use my Adobe products. Time has moved on but XP does just a good job now as it did way back. Budgets were and are kept for productivity software (not OS), Camera gear, marketing etc etc. Now Adobe say LR4 won’t support XP. I will upgrade to Windows 7 but mostly because I’m forced by Adobe. It’s like having to renew a 20 year old spanner because it’s nice to have shiny spanners.
Totally agree with your comments. I have worked in IT for 20 years and am often frustrated how slowly some folks upgrade. If its a budget thing that is fine, but Windows 7 has been out for some time now and it is a stable OS (Vista had issues but was not half as bad as some people would like to think). Windows 8 is just around the corner. If you want to run the LATEST software you need the hardware and OS to support this. The same applies to most things in the technology world….
Couldn’t agree less with you Scott. I say upgrade is a waste of money, if you don’t REALLY need it.
I am running a Pentium4, 3Gb RAM PC, with Windows XP SP3. I bought it used from a friend about 6 years ago, for 100$. It still gets automatic updates from Microsoft.
I runs Lightroom 3, Photoshop CS5, and Photo Mechanic all just fine, I do all my photo editing in this cheap machine. I don’t run games, just MS Office and web.
Why should I upgrade, if it gets the job done?
In the past few years I got a 2nd hand 70-300VR, a nice old 50mm 1.4 AIs, a new 35mm 1.8 DX, and a dirt cheap, complete Mamiya M645 1000s medium format set with 45mm/80mm/150mm lenses. All of those together cost LESS than a new PC and a Win7 license.
Scott. Your business is driven by the innovation of new technology. Lots of other businesses do not need to be so and past technology is adequate, especially in the current financial situations that many people and companies find themselves. Do you realise what the cost is to upgrade an organisation of less than 7,000 people (not all with PCs) with just a service pack level upgarde? An organisation that I worked for 5 years ago put the price at over 1 million UK pounds.
The other aspect that not all previous applications function under newer OS upgrades and some suppliers do not provide upgrades or alternative solutions. Look at the hoops people go through to get their old Kodak Photo CD images onto Windows 7. I have a number of other applications, which are important to me; in my case I’ve chosen to run both Windows 7 and XP (on separate machines).
So please continue to be enthusiastic about your latest technology but consider that there are other aspects and priorities faced by everyone else.
Wow, can of worms opened there (do they still sell cans or are they now easily resealed freshpack eco-friendly bags) – but we all know the solution to this…. everyone knows Adobe Bridge is better than Lr4, you even said that right ?? ;)
You’re a funny guy Lord Jollybottom! ;-)
I still use my Sony F707 and love it. Great pictures for a camera that came out in 2001! It still takes IR photos “out of the box”, no “modern” camera will do that. It comes with “Night mode” for taking photos in total darkness. I really like my Canon 1DS Mark 3, but I love that F707.
LOL…my mom still uses that Nokia Cell phone.
Great post Scott.
Actually in a business climate XP is not that old – our company uses it on all 1000+ desktop computers and all of our video editing stations require us to use XP or we will not receive support. Buy a new production switcher from Broadcast Pix and you get an XP box that is very stable which is extemely important when doing live television.
Microsoft continues to support XP with updates – just got a massive one last week in fact. I do like Windows 7 64 bit – Adobe runs a lot smoother in it – too bad they didn’t fix the memory leak issue for their 32 bit version when they went to CS-5 – that is the real reason to go to Win7-64.
To fix stuff that isn’t broken doesn’t make a lot of sense – but to upgrade to fix something does.
Mike in Maine
For about 1/3 the price she paid for her XP based computer she can but one that would be 10x more capable.
100% true right there. My issue is that most people who are running on a machine that still has XP (barring people who home build their computeres, etc -and I don’t think thats who’s complaining about this) can not be having that good an experience with Lightroom in general b/c of the speed of their machine. I kind of want to scream a little when I hear phrases like – “I setup my machine to do my 1:1 previews over night.” I know it hurts but they should look at it as an excellent excuse to get with 3 years ago and see how much better windows 7 is. To say nothing of how much better software such as Lightroom/PS will run on a machine from the last few years (and that ABSOLUTELY goes for Mac users as well). Your early core duo MacBook ain’t all that just b/c it’s a Mac. Hardware costs have come down tons in the last few years. Moving to a new machine so you can get in on the cheap cost of DDR3 memory so you can load up is worth the switch if you use Lightroom!
Huh? If I walk into my company’s helpdesk tomorrow, next week, or 6 months from now, I’ll get a brand new Lenovo T420, quad core i5, with a factory-fresh install of XP. We’ve delayed our Win7 upgrade for 2 years because of bugs and compatibility issues, and those with Win7 hate it because it doesn’t play well with Exchange, SAP, and many other systems. You may love or hate XP, but it is still a corporate standard and will be around for many more years.
I know where you’re coming from in a corporate environment (I have XP on my work machine as well – they just started W7 as we get new machines a few months ago – after the same years of delays). Doesn’t change the fact that W7 is a far better OS – especially if you’re NOT in a corporate environment where everything has to coexist and work with older servers/exchange, etc.
My point is that the VAST majority of folks who still have XP on a machine at home (where they will probably be installing LR4) probably have a machine that is starting to get to the point of being out of date hardware wise.
Even if it’s a machine that was in that trailing off of XP (where you could still “downgrade” to XP to avoid Vista) you’re probably on a C2D or a machine that could be upgraded to W7 (I have 3 older machines in that range – all now on W7 64bit). Those folks could upgrade to W7 and use LR4 just fine – yeah it’s painful but if you downgraded to XP 4-5 years ago you had to know there might be consequences for doing that. The bigger problem is that you’re really staring to get to that point of diminishing returns on an old machine like that when you’re trying to run programs like LR & PS that want a powerful machine (fast drives/lots of RAM) to run WELL. I know how LR3 runs on machines in this age range…it’s OK but very far from ideal. At some point you just have to move on. Adobe knows that and decided now was the right time.
I work for a company that is not focused on image processing, photography or graphic design, however I am charged with handling all of these tasks in a windows XP environment. Our folks have a stable platform for their work and that is XP (64 bit at least) and I will not be seeing any upgrades in the near future. I am sorry you don’t have an understanding of how some people are not in a position to update their OS. I really like being a member of NAAP, and the benefits, I am a little surprised you stepped into this one. Sometimes there are more factors at play than it might seem. Surprised at the attitude.
Amen. I work for state government…..using Photoshop 5.5 and Bridge (because they won’t allow me to load my personal LR 3 or LR 4 on the machine – afraid of ‘malware’). The state has officially announced they will upgrade to Win 7 sometime in 2014. Maybe….If the budget allows….and IF they can upgrade the current Office 2003 users to Office 2007 before then. C’mon Scott, you’re usually the guy who understands those of us who are shooting on a shoestring budget. Keep us in mind…we’re a lot of guys sitting in that crowd at PS World.
I must admit I was also dissapointed initially that Lightroom 4 didn’t run on XP. But isn’t it a great reason to say goodbye to XP, I wouldn’t want the quality of Lightroom 4 compromised just to ensure compatibility with good old XP.
Scott, I think the bigger issue is that when upgrading Microsoft OS’s, they usually don’t play so nicely with the older technologies, so if you are hanging on to a 4 year old computer that you got with the, at the time, 7 year old operating system, because you can’t really afford a new computer, then it can be disappointing. And while computers have come down in price, file sizes and resource requirements have gone up, so you are still looking at a several thousand dollar investment to upgrade.
I think if most people didn’t buy into all of the hype, they could get perfectly good results with LR 2 if they needed to, especially if they have a good capture going into the software in the first place. Yes, there are some technical advantages to 4 over 2 and 3, but many of them are either behind the scenes or are about the Fix in Post variety of enhancements. If you have a great digital negative out of the camera, just like in the days of film, you aren’t going to need to do much to get good results in post. Its when you have a bit of a clunker that is composed well or is that once in a lifetime capture that you need some of the enhanced features that the new software can provide where you are going to see a difference. Are you throwing out those photos that are hanging on your wall for the simple fact that you processed them in LR2, back when that was the whiz bang technology? Probably not.
I have always been more upset with Adobe for Orphaning older versions of ACR for new cameras. That is a forced upgrade if you want LR or PS to work natively with a raw file from a new camera. Yes there is the DNG converter option, but I have always felt that that feels more like a forced upgrade than the decision they have made to take advantage of newer OS capabilities. At least with this change I have the choice of not upgrading, and choice is always a good thing.
You’re right Scott. But that thought process of XP being stable is still strong. Just ask state government in Virginia. Still using Windows XP. Get a new computer and you’ll get Windows XP.
Great post Scott….I of course (as you know) am on the cutting edge of technology, and have updated everything across the board in my life. I’m having trouble viewing my slides, though. I keep stuffing them into the DVD port on my Mac and I can’t seem to view them at all. Hmmmm….oh well, when I get upset like this I generally listen to music. Lessee, where did I put my Sony Walkman?
Your devoted friend and super techie, Joe
Hi Scott,
I was kind of like that woman, until I got my Canon 40D and joined NAPP. Then it finally dawned on me that I have to stay current with software and computers. Just three weeks ago while do my backup, my PC running Win7 crash badly and I almost lost my entire photo collection. Thanks to Seagate Drive Recovery Program I got them all back! So, I dumped the PC world and finally mover to an iMac. I was really please when I found out from Adobe that Lightroom was cross platform and so was Nik, onOne and Topaz. I was also please when Adobe told me they were sending me a Mac OS version of CS5 and that I could still use my PC version on my Laptop. So it pays to stay up to date! I’m still struggling a little bit with the Mac OS, but slow getting use to it!
Dennis
Windows 7 64 Bit opened up so many more possibilities. Being able to use more than 4GB of memory is huge. It is as or more stable than XP. Unfortunately upgrading is part of the process, and it rarely comes in well timed increments. Just wondering how to manage the 36MP files that the D800 will come out with on 500GB or 1 TB drives. Imagine if you were limited to the 130GB ATA drives. Part of the benefit of improved technology is the cost and upgrades. Moose Peterson did a great post on digital cameras from the NikonF5/Kodak to the present, and noted it is just over 15 years for this “lifetime.” Got to try to keep up. That is why I build my own workstation computers. More flexibility to upgrade.
Bill Bogle, Jr.
I completely agree with you, if you want to keep up with bigger files = more RAM = bigger storage and less time sitting waiting for the old computer to keep up with the load…at some stage, finance permitting, you need to upgrade!
I too assemble my own workstations…great way to stay current saving big time!!
People have a valid gripe. According to Cnet, XP is still the dominant OS:http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57369463-75/windows-xp-still-hanging-on-as-dominant-os/
However, I think Adobe made the smart move dropping XP support. They had to do it sometime and there will always be people complaining. Plus, I wonder how many people (percentage of users) really are affected by this? I think the number is low otherwise Adobe wouldn’t make the cut. I sure hope they wouldn’t alienate a huge portion of their user base.
Sadly are XP still common on a lot of corporate computers out there, mine for instance…
Count your blessings! In the agricultural industry, a lot of people still use MS-DOS (or DOS-like software).
I think about 90% of the computers here in South Korea run windows XP and most websites will only work properly using IE6! I am hoping that at some point in time they will start to update their systems….
It’s not just Adobe, I would suspect that plug-in software companies are soon going to stop supporting XP. It’s time to move on as Scott said.
Great post as always. I have a few vendors I would like to have to talk to as well. Our super high end Canon Fiery Servers all run on XP and there is no upgrade option. Would be great to migrate to something a little newer.
I’m running Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3 on a MacBook Pro with an Intel Core Duo processor and Mac OS 10.6.8. I’m not going to be able to run Lightroom 4 and probably Photoshop CS6 on my current computer, but I’m not anxious to upgrade a still good computer for Adobe’s latest.
Easy for me to say as a non-XP user but I’m in full agreement. We can’t expect operating systems to be supported into perpetuity.
I am, like you, constantly amazed by how little people will upgrade. I just forced my parents off Vista to windows 7 and am trying to convince my mother in law to upgrade from Windows 2000. Seriously.
will be interesting as many school computer labs still run XP including the one I use. I was surprised that they were even able to run the entire Master Suite on the network – but it runs fine, well Photoshop does anyway.
Thats a lot of crap from Adobe if they want to be so edgy about os they should make Photoshop available for LINUX
I still have that model iPod and Nokia phone — somewhere in my sock drawer — and a laptop and desktop that run XP. Thank goodness, my day-to-day machine is running Win7.
Be nice. Was she an old lady? Where are your manners? If she saw you now after your blog she would probably hit you with her purse and white gloves. Only joking. You are right on. One must keep up with the times and move on. Now this is from an old guy talking to you.
Welcome to Ohio.
I know,,,I live here in Columbus and it’s sad that Scott will take this away as his impresion of Ohio. I know Scott never gets to the state cause were not as popular as the bigger cities, but now he’ll never come back due to this. CRAP !!!!
Well, at least they still support Mac OS 9.2! LOL
Scott, although I realize you are a Mac guy, please take into consideration that after all its fixes, XP works and works well. Microsoft still supports the canine Vista as well it should. To upgrade to Windows 7 from an XP machine requires a lot more hardware. Memory for the operating system is a minimum 1 meg to run decently. Then ask it to run LR and PS5 at the same time and the memory goes through the relative roof. Should folks upgrade? Of course they should. But in this economy we should have a Federal budget and not have a deficit. Some can not afford the luxury to upgrade hardware and software (my wallet was $2200 lighter when I did using every discount for refurbs, and I still didn’t upgrade from my D90). I won’t talk about the cost of my Kelby subscriptions. In my case I started saving for the next upgrade gen of LR and PS over a year ago on a retiree’s income.Will LR3 work for them? Will PS5 work for them? Yeah, but not as cool as being current. Just a comment from a non-professional. Lets talk about Android apps…..
Bravo.
Nintendo would be an upgrade! Lol Great perspective Scott.
My gameboy isn’t in color and it still works as it did back in the day. But it’s fun to see what we used and did back then to what we are accustomed to nowadays.
Sadly in the software development world till Windows 7 came out and was found to be stable, XP was the work horse of many. Everything else just sucked. Today I still have clients who are using XP and so I still have to test on this plat form.
But you are totally right it is time to take a leap to Windows 7. The longer someone waits the more painful the learning curve can be.
Personally I use MACs even when working in Windows I find the VMs run better.
I think there are quite a lot of people in the world today who just don’t want change because change can be difficult and that really is fine. Unfortunately, computer is one area that is opposite of that. I think that lady needs to see how much faster Lightroom 64 bit runs on a Windows 7 64 bit computer and how fast Windows 7 boots up. I think she will then realize that it is a good investment to upgrade and change to the new OS interface.
Totally jonesing for that Nikon 995! That is a sweet looking camera! Probably does ISO200 without binning, too!
Sad but true, I still use XP SP3, thinking about it as the best Microsoft SO ever. I know I am wrong, since I never tried Vista or 7, but I fully understand that lady: upgrading with Microsoft has been always a nightmare in the past, so I fear the same (I know: I am wrong).
I will update to Win 7 when I’ll buy the new Mac book pro (mine, of course is 4 years old…)
Why would you want to use Windows on a Macbook pro?
That’s just such a sad thought.
I don’t have a huge issue with Adobe not supporting XP on a new release (especially since I don’t use Windows) and I reject outright the assertion that XP doesn’t have bugs. There are probably still critical security bugs in the OS that will never be found as people transition off of it. I don’t even mean that as a slam against Microsoft, it’s just how software development works.
But, it’s more than a bit unfair to compare XP to a Coolpix 995. The relevant number isn’t start of production but end of production. If you bought a brand new Core 2 Quad running XP in 2008 it doesn’t really matter to you that the GA date for XP was in 2001. I can’t find Nikon’s end-of-production data, but I know they had stopped making the 995 by 2003 and the successor product was out by middle 2002. Even if we’re willing to accept Vista as a viable replacement for XP (which many, many people aren’t) there wasn’t an option to buy anything but XP until 2007. Realistically the end of production date is more like middle 2009 when Windows 7 came out. This, photographically, puts us more like a D60. I last shot my D50 less than a year ago.
My thoughts exactly, Chris. XP was the best Windows OS there was …. really until Win 7. came out, and that was fairly recently (~2 years ago?).
If the only reason to upgrade is to run LR4, she should relax, it’s not likely that a single upgrade of a single program would make or break her. She could start saving now and wait until Windows 8 or 9 is out and “limp” by with her current system.
I was running 4 year old Win XP machine until recently, I had the worst time with LR3 and PS CS5 as both were so slow… and don’t get me started on the 40 minutes it took to merge a 3 shot HDR in CS5! XP aside, the machines that still run it just do not have the horsepower for these new software programs… upgrading is the only option if you want to run the newer programs. If not, then you can stay with LR3, there’s still nothing wrong with it
I decided to upgrade to a MacBook Pro, and expect that in a couple of years I’ll need to make another jump in either OS or hardware. Just the cost of keeping up if you want to run the newest and best programs.
This is more about resistance to change than perceived bugs. The worst part about it is that it’s a $1000 problem that will make a tremendous difference in productivity. Vista was bad but 7 is very stable and the memory available in 64 bit makes using Photoshop and Lightroom a pleasure. The only compatibility problem I had was ancient Cisco VPN software and that could be circumvented by running a VM. She just needs to do it and not look back. In a month she’ll be wondering why she waited.
How the heck is she running any current software and XP?? She must be using that Coolpix camera you posted.
Ha!Ha!Ha! You did open a real can of worms here…. I don’t always need the latest greatest, but I always keep up to date enough to run the latest Mac OS. Makes my life a whole lot easier.
Why not develop for LINUX it FREE and it id a great OS… well i guess is all about the $$$$$$$ Scott wants you to upgrade to LR4 and PSCS6 so he can sell you more books, kelby training etc etc $$$$$$$$$$$
Scott, it was nice to meet you at the PhotoProExpo. Your lighting presentation has me inspired to do more studio work. You really took the ‘scare factor’ out of it for me at least. I’m shooting for Southcreek also covering the Blue Jackets. I wish they provided seats for us! Our photo holes are just above the floor in the aisles between the seats! I’m shooting Minnesota Wild at Bluejackets tomorrow night. If they’ll let you, take your 300 and shoot from the TV camera deck. You can get a lot of good one-on-one action from there all over the ice. They rotate us through different holes on a game by game basis and sometimes I’ve been assigned up there. It’s a nice change of pace. Good luck with your next game!
Scott
Scott, you should have asked her if she has an HDTV. If she said yes, than you could have told her to apply the same logic towards upgrading her computer (or getting a new one altogether). Does she love the crisp, detailed picture on the HDTV? She wouldn’t be able to get that great high-def picture with her old analog set. Likewise, she can’t use the new LR4 technology with an old OS and computer. People have to understand that technology moves on. I’m sure she’s got her money’s worth out of her computer by now. Time to upgrade! ;-)
–John
I absolutely agree that Adobe should stop support for minor operating systems. Did I mention that XP has about three times the installed base of all Macintosh OSes combined? 8-)
If you’re managing 2 seats worth of software, upgrading is a bit annoying, but the benefits are significant and the choice is pretty easy. If your computers are managed by a corporate IT department that is managing 1000 seats in addition to yours, the choice is a bit harder to justify. Even though only a small part of those 1000 seats use Adobe software, if you have multiple installed operating systems in the company, you need to provide support for each of them, and that makes life difficult for IT. And when things are difficult for IT, they’re difficult for you.
This choice by Adobe won’t be a problem for my personal work. But for my corporate work it’s going to be a huge headache.
Hi I have been a Mac user since the early 80’s I use Lion,CS5 etc etc However most of my engineering customers use Pc’s I do not have one customer that uses anything other than XP!!!! One of my largest customers recently purchased 18270 new laptops The tender stated had to be loaded with XP. They got what they ordered.I work with engineering companies throughout Europe and North America.Thus Windows system on my Mac is XP!!!
All talk of OS’s aside has anyone given any thought to RAW files in 10, 20, 30+ years from now? Assuming they even survive the multiple backups required to get them onto media that can be read over that time period what are you going to do when the dominant image editing software company tells you your files are too old?
I’ve got ring binders of film from the late 80’s that are still fine to scan but my Kodak Photo CD files from the mid 90’s won’t even open in Photoshop CS5.
You’ve gotta love progress.
In reading some of the posts I think many are missing an important point. It’s one thing for MS to continue to support XP. MS has the resources and need to do so. Microsoft Corp. today announced QUARTERLY revenue of $20.89 billion for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2011, a 5% increase from the prior year period.
Adobe much less. For 2011, Adobe achieved a revenue of $4.216 billion. A big difference in available resources. Plus i expect Adobe’s surveys show a shrinking percentage of XP users. Not enough to justify the cost for continued compatibility.
By the way Dell has this available in its outlet store
Inspiron 620s Processor: Intel Core i5-2320 processor(6MB Cache, 3.0GHz)
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
Inspiron 620 Slimtower
1 TB SATA II Hard Drive (7200RPM)
6 GB DDR3 Memory (1X2G/1X4G), 1333MHz
16X DVD +/- RW Drive
Price: $509.00 Not a bad price unless your considering a new lens!
Processor: Intel Core i5-2320 processor(6MB Cache, 3.0GHz) Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium Inspiron 620 Slimtower 1 TB SATA II Hard Drive (7200RPM) 6 GB DDR3 Memory (1X2G/1X4G), 1333MHz 16X DVD +/- RW Drive
Price: $509.00
Not a bad price unless your considering a new lens!
XP is a dinosaur and has been for a very long time. I upgrade my Windows based system every two years and have never had any major issues even when using Vista. This is because I take care of my computer and am careful what I install on my work system. Many of the problems that arise in Windows are due to the garbage software that people install on their systems or the malicious emails that they open that have been forwarded from hundreds of people. I use a Windows system so that I can control what components are in my tower and I can upgrade specific parts when needed without causing any disruption in my work time.
I have nothing against Apple I just have never preferred it. I think it’s funny how so many Mac users act like it is a system created by Jesus himself … little spinning beach balls and all. :-)
well said,people by installing garbage on there computers have problems with them. i nevewr had problem with any of the OS on windows. i’m win 7 user now but older OS was running good on my Dell computers (from 1993)
Man thats funny – I just had to install a few applications into XP Mode running from Windows 7. I couldn’t believe how old and clunky XP felt after using 7 for the last year (so I guess we ran XP for 10 years too).
Lightroom may be one application that is dropping support for XP – but there are thousands of critical applications that don’t run on anything except XP – even Macs have a virtual XP mode correct?
So it is not as simple to just upgrade.
Having said that – if photography is your focus – I would rather Adobe builds the latest and greatest into Lightroom rather than be clogged down by the baggage of older systems.
If photography isn’t your focus – just stick with LR<4
“Even Macs have a virtual XP mode correct?”
No. Why should they?
(Of course you can buy external software that can virtualize a whole range
of Operating Systems. But that has nothing to do with using a mac.
You can buy that software for Windows, too.)
You can also Dual-Boot into Windows on a mac.
Just install it like you could on any other computer.
However, newer macs only support to install Windows 7, no longer XP.
(I bet there are workarounds but that doesn’t count.)
So Macs can dual boot into Windows correct? I thought they booted into XP. I stand corrected if they now dual boot into 7. But 7 can run in XP mode – therefore current Macs can run XP applications.
As to why should they – if even Apple supports XP – there is a damn good reason. Because as I said before there are thousands of applications that people in the business world use every day that only run on XP.
I am glad Adobe is getting rid of old architecture that would hamstring performance. Hopefully they only release a 64 bit version too.
But it does put a lot of users in a difficult position.
Scott,
Loved the pic from the olden days of the Nokia phone, iPod, and Nikon Coolpix 995. Made me laugh as I still own all 3 of these. Interestingly, I still use the Coolpix 995. I first used it to introduce my daughter to digital imaging 6 or 7 years ago. She used it for several years but has since graduated to my old D200. I now use it to demonstrate to students that excellent shots can be made from ancient technology and that they don’t need to have a $6k Canon or Nikon body to capture those shots.
I am running Vista. So Xp is not the issue for me. it’s not having a 64 bit computer is my problem. I use Lightroom nearly exclusively for editing my images and was looking forward to the book module in Lightroom 4. While I am hoping to change over to Macs in the future, it is not in the cards right now financially. I did not really feel I was that behind in the times. This is very disappointing.
Scott –
After reading your post, I find you may be wrong. Let me explain why.
As a former mid-level IT manager / systems analyst, my group of 8 people managed 20,000 computers, mostly desktops. Until the recent release of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, the Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 were the last stable releases of the Windows operating system that actually worked well. Most Windows users suffered with crashes, bugs, and incompatibilities when using Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Server 2000, Windows Millennium, Windows Vista, and etc. These releases of windows were problematic and most of us still remember the expensive lessons and software crashes associated with these operating systems. In the eye of the user these problematic releases also tarnished Microsoft’s reputation for producing a quality product (unlike Apple). There is an old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” As a direct result, many Windows users who suffered through these releases, including myself, tend to avoid upgrading until the upgrade is proven reliable. Additionally, the upgrades are generally expensive since they require upgrading both the hardware and all of the software on the computer, not just one or two programs. In summary, there are seldom reasons to upgrade unless the upgrade can be shown to be cost effective and beneficial to the end user and stable.
In Kentucky, medical professionals, hospitals, the court systems, law firms, and many businesses still use Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP – even in 2012. Why? Because it works. I myself had the opportunity to set up a new event photography business last October (2011) consisting of numerous computers for image review and ordering with Windows 7 machines, but was convinced by not one, but multiple software vending houses to stick with Windows XP because of it’s stability, lower memory usage, and because of reported problems with Windows 7 (I note that the application was not written for MAC, only Window’s systems.). I chose to use one Windows 7 computer and selected Windows XP computers for the remaining image review and order stations. Even after testing and dry rehearsals where everything worked, the Windows 7 computer kept locking up and crashing at the job site when put under working load conditions. I ended up replacing it during the job with a spare Windows XP computer.
I also use numerous computers with assorted operating systems. I find myself having fewer crashes (yes – crashes) with the computers running XP Professional than the Windows 7 computers. I therefore prefer using the XP Professional computers as they allow me to get my work done with less down time.
I was also at the PhotoPro Expo in Cincinnati. I spoke to many people and discovered that many were serious amateurs who were very cost conscious and not yet willing to make major purchases. In fact, I learned where they shopped for the best deals. I also learned from the few I spoke with that they also suffered from the economy, and were watching their budgets. So why should a person upgrade if they will not realize a significant benefit considering the fact that they may have to upgrade not only the hardware but probably all of the software on their computer? As a “techie” and a pro photographer, I like to have the latest gadgets. As a family man, I desire to maximize my savings and do not always seek to invest in upgrades. As a business owner and realist, I desire to maximize my income and do not always seek to upgrade hardware or software for tax deductions which require the expenditure of money.
Lightroom 3 currently costs $150 (street). I am guessing Lightroom 4 will cost $250 (street). In today’s economic conditions, I do not believe many photo hobbiests or serious amateur photographers will want to spend $250 PLUS $1,000 for a Windows 7 computer to upgrade from a Windows XP computer, PLUS several hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars to upgrade all of the remaining software on the computer. Perhaps larger studios may desire to do that if their revenue supports the expense. Regardless, Windows XP is not dead just because Microsoft no longer supports Windows XP. Vendors such as Adobe need to realize this, or risk a similar fate as Kodak when it misjudged its market and customer base.
I began a high end school photography business last year. After the initial shoot I processed nearly 1000 images between Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5 and never had my Windows 7 machine crash. I actually shot into a Windows 7 laptop and them transferred to my desktop for processing. Each finished image was a 100MB file or more and never had a problem. If I had XP on my machine I would have been waiting weeks not hours for those images to process. I had all of those images processed and out the door in just over 18 hours.
In a large corporate environment I agree that updates are difficult and problematic but in a small studio like mine (3 desktops, 1 laptop, 1 netbook) Windows 7 has saved me a great deal of time and money. Yes it is expensive to upgrade hardware and software but if you want to be competitive in this business you have to be able to keep up. The reason Kodak faltered is because they failed to look ahead. They put all of their money on film (the past) and almost completely ignored digital (the future).
Everyone will always complain and moan about Windows and that’s life but just try installing CS6 or Lightroom 4 on a Mac with OS9 and let me know how that works out.
Nice job Sunday Scott! I enjoyed your program. I found it very helpful and inspirational.I’m in agreement that you don’t have to have the most expensive equipment out there to produce quality prints. Although I am one of those that had not stepped up to lightroom yet. I made the purchase today! I’m looking forward to using this.
Adobes programs are not going to support a ten year old Windows program period. Not sure what all the fuss is about. If you are going to be in any kind of field of technology you have to keep up. That is the bottom line.
XP is really, really old and just needs to be replaced!
It’s incredible how many people still defend it with all sorts of (weak) arguments.
In my opinion the only credible argument is having extremely expensive special
purpose hardware that only runs on XP.
(And you should really use a dedicated PC for that. Not your all-purpose PC.)
All other arguments sound a lot like mismanagement to me.
After all the situation didn’t suddenly arise but grew for 10(!) years!
It’s not a surprise that hardware and software needs to be updated periodically.
And probably no one bought a new PC in the recent 3 years with XP on it.
That would have been a mistake. No doubt about it.
But even in you did it would not be a total loss as the hardware would probably
be recent enough to be able to support Windows 7.
So all you need to invest in is the software. That should not be a major road block.
Even the “bad financial situation” is no excuse if you had time to plan for 10 years.
I really never heard anyone praise the financial situation at any time, anyway.
It just always seems to be worse than it was in the past. Even if that is not really true.
I think that’s just a psychological thing.
Hi My own equipment is all Mac since the mid 80’s and I use Lion –CS5 etc etc However most of my customers are engineering companies 37 of them world wide the largest with over 350000 employees THEY ALL USE XP!!!! However 5 only use Mac in their R & D Departments now {This is Progress} One of these large companies have just purchased 18300 new laptops in the last 2 weeks and are now issuing them to some of their employees ALL with pre installed XP!!!! Thus on my own Mac Computers I have XP installed.Scott I think the world of you but I don’t think you can put down all these other World Renown companies with many thousands working in their IT departments they work in a completely different field to you.
The primary reason a lot of large companies (Fortune 1000) do not upgrade from XP and/or purchase new computers with XP is that these computers have to run the company’s proprietary LOB (line of Business) applications (accounting, purchasing, HR, etc). These applications are VERY expensive to develop and maintain. After these companies established a baseline with XP they are very wary to change. The Fortune 50 company i work for started to develop apps for vista when it came out but because of the bugs and incompatibilities they shelved those efforts. Now with windows 7, they have started to develop replacements but they are at least between 12 to 18 months to full deployment.
The IT guys tell me that the XP platform is more or less satisfying the company’s needs right now and are primarily moving on because XP support is going away in 2014. They are some departments that use the greatest and latest setups but they have a justified business case for doing that.
These needs ARE NOT the same for us who create content (photos, audio, video…). As devices become more capable and powerful (check out the new D800) we hit the limitations of our hardware/software setup much quicker than corporations. We have to make a choice whether we want to move on or stay where we are presently. If your setup is working fine as it is right now, enjoy. No one is going to look at your creation if it is well done and say, “I wonder if he did it on an xp machine or a Mac with Lion?”.
Technology moves on and the companies that make these devices want us to get in the upgrade cycle too. We as consumers have to say – Do i need a 76 MB raw file? Is going to solve a problem i am having? Is the present version of Lightroom on XP not accomplishing MY needs? If the answer to these question is yes, then be prepared for the pain and cost of upgrading. If no, then keep on truckin’.
Just my .02
I have to say, I miss XP, but Windows 7 seems to work great. Maybe it’s just because Vista sucked so bad!!!! By the by, I still use one of those nokia phones. When people see me using it they look at me like I have three heads. LOL
Some people just want to live in the past and never upgrade, I’m surprised she as at such an event.
I hear what you are saying. It is probably frustrating for you sometimes when you want people to be at their best and when they are using outdated stuff it’s darn near impossible. You just have to let them go. Use a little tough love, if it doesn’t work, oh well.
OK, so I’m guessing it won’t run on my old Toshiba 4400C running Window 3.1 with it’s mighty 80 Mb hard drive either!
I’m going to doom myself now but I’ve been on Windows 7 for almost a year because of the instabilities I was having trying to keep Windows XP alive. I haven’t had the problems mentioned by others with Windows 7.
My computer at my place of hourly toil is a Windows XP machine running IE 7. It’s a dinosaur. The problem is, upgrading tens of thousands of PCs from XP to Win 7 in not a trivial task so in the most part it’s being done in the hardware refresh cycle – newbies get Win 7 and old timers stay stuck on XP.
Mac OS has also had it’s stability issues but Apple are savvier at issuing patches. I’m convinced they patch Mac OS via an iTunes update. I’d much rather install an iTunes update than patch an OS. But Mac OS is so opaque to most users they’ve no idea what an iTunes update is doing.
Microsoft’s mistake, like Google’s with Android is allowing the pesky users to take the hood off and tinker with it.
Did I mention my Toshiba 4400C has a mighty 80 Mb hard drive?
er? where’s your site grabbing this old avatar of mine from? I used Twitter to login to Disqus but this isn’t my current Twitter avatar, nor my Gravatar. Hmmmm?
Microsoft itself has a website encouraging the rapid demise of IE6:
http://www.ie6countdown.com/
I upgraded to a new laptop and Win 7 on 30 Nov 2011 when I put my Vista to sleep one morning after reading your blog and it never woke up. CS5 now loads in eight seconds and all my images in Bridge load instantly. The thing has 8gb of RAM, a high number i5 Intel processor and I couldn’t be happier. If it wasn’t for you I would only have spent $400-500 on a new computer. Thanks for all you and the Photoshop Guys do.
Scott,
I have been a NAPP member for 10 years, I agreed with you it looks very old and obsolete and will stop my membership with NAPP and go to a new one that do not push the latest products all the time and focus on creativity and art and NOT on commercial.
Amen!! Lose the old OS and get with the times. My Windows 7 64bit works just fine for me. I love it!
Steve, I just built a new windows computer. My new copy of windows 7 home prem 64bit oem ( thats without the fancy box) only cost me a little over $100. I spent $1600 on this computer and have the best of everything in it. Most people would not need all the over the top things I have paid for and as a result you can build a new computer with windows 7 for a few hundred dollars. For $500 you can go to microcenter and get a pretty good Windows computer that would do most of the things you would need ( besides maybe video editing ). Upgrading and getting new stuff isnt as expensive as you would lead people to believe. Its a lot cheaper than buying new Mac stuff. People that cant get there OS to run properly maby need to do some reading on how to work it before quickly putting it down.
Bwahahaha… I was just selling my my Nikon CoolPix 995 (with slide copy adapter and macro ring flash attachment) at a gear swap this weekend. Yeah, it didn’t sell. Boo.
Thanks Scott
I still have my Game Cube, and I still use it regularly. However when it comes to computers, software, and cameras I prefer something that does what I need it to. I had XP for a while until I upgraded to 7 about 3 years ago. I don’t regret it one bit. Game Cube still runs like my 89 Toyota, like a top.
-Chris
Still running XP in an old machine…but I can’t wait to upgrade to the next iMac (hopefully with USB 3.0). I don’t blame Adobe at all for not supporting XP anymore, my computer that runs it is too slow these days anyways…
You won’t believe it, but my employer uses XP (on a computer old enough to run it). Fortunately Microsoft will stop supporting it or we would still be using it in ten years. I have a Mac at home, there couldn’t be a bigger gap between those two.
For more facts about 2001, read through this list by Dave Shea:
http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2010/01/12/older_than/
For more facts about 2001, read through this list by Dave Shea:
http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2010/01/12/older_than/
Let’s not make this a Microsoft vs. Mac argument because of a foolish comment from the “very nice woman” and an equally ridiculous comment from Scott Kelby that it was a sad statement “not for her, but for Microsoft as a company.” Scott, come on, really?! I am a subscriber to NAPP and Kelby Training and have a tremendous respect for your work and teachings, but that comment was just imprudent.
I currently own multiple computers running both Windows 7 and OS X Lion 10.7.2. I find that many Mac users are blindly in love with the product because of the Apple logo. Many believe that their Mac “just works” without problems… Need I remind you about the recently released and majorly buggy OS X 10.7.3 patch and Snow Leopard security release that rendered many users’ computers virtually useless– causing most applications to crash and generate “CUI Errors”?
People need to think before they speak! Neither Windows nor OS X is perfect, each have their strengths and weaknesses. I am about sick of this ridiculous war between the platforms… and sadly most people don’t have the facts straight. Just lemmings.
You are WRONG about support for XP. Drom the Microsoft website:
Support for Windows XP
Important notice for users of Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3):
The support for this product ends April 8, 2014.
But Windows 7 is not without it’s own demons.
There are countless people who are affected by the slowly moving green bar of doom, when they open a folder. The truly awful search function that requires the use of third party software to function properly. The inability to have files in a folder unsorted without having to resort to registry hacks. The renaming and moving of features, just making it that little bit more troublesome to transition from XP.The Classic theme is still very different to XP in both layout and use.Inability to run some older software and poor driver support from a few major companies (HP) The removal of the incredibly useful UP button. Libraries? These are surely for people who do not have a system to organise their own files.Breadcrumbs? Mixed feelings on this one.Massive footprint requiring lots of HD space for drive images, which then include the Hiberfil.sys file.Nowhere near as friendly for networking as XP ( I feel I may be alone on this one).I use 7 now, only because of LR4, but I have resorted to 3rd party hacks to make it function as I need.
But dude… everything a “consumer” downloads (pics/vids/mp3’s) goes into its own folder, so they know right where it is, and can share with all their friends, with one or two ‘clicks’!!! WHY would anyone need (or want) to “organize” anything, if they don’t have to?!!! Regardless of the “necessity” of having to “upgrade” to the dumbed-down Win-7 for hardware compatibility (predominantly), I absolutely loathe it for all of the reasons you’ve stated. All of my content – that means stuff I ‘create’ – is mirrored onto a networked Xp machine, so that I can organize it in the manner which I have developed and refined, over the past twenty+ years of computing, and creating content for audio, and assets for CGI.
I won’t argue with “progress” because (pretty much) everything I do (professionally) facilitates it, and thus requires it. That certainly does not mean it is always (in fact rarely is) ‘convenient’ and/or easy to implement. The ‘migration’ to Win-7 necessitated my having to load/configure and re-register over 400 audio, graphic, and 3D/CGI apps, and 1700+ “plug-ins”. [yes, really]
PITA…
Well, the difference between Nokia 3310 (well, some people still use it), Nikon 995 and Windows XP is that replacing the phone and camera give you quite much and replacing the system gives one hardly anything (is there any killer feature in Windows 7, not to mention Vista, which has more to do with killer than witg feature?). Windows XP was just too good for its’ times (and was a real revolution and step forward from DOS-based Windows 98 for private users)
And, well, Photoshop CS6 still supports XP
I love this idea.. Thank you so much for this informative content..
Dear Mr. Kelby,
It is a shame to use incorrect factual information for defending Adobe’s business decisions.
You write in red: “Microsoft doesn’t even support XP any more”. That’s wrong.
I doubt you didn’t know that XP SP3 will be supported until April 8, 2014:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/products/lifecycle#section_2
… and let’s not split hair here about that you meant “mainstream support”. Many other software and hardware manufacturers go by the life cycle of the extended support.
Your argument that XP came out in 2001 is only partially correct. XP SP3 is considerably different from the XP circa 2001.
And finally, – the last devices with WinXP were sold as recently as in fall of 2010, which is less than 2 years before LR4 was out. Note that some of those computers are not capable of running Win7 (or even Vista). So, you are suggesting that one should do a hardware upgrade.
As you know, even in the business cycle computers are not upgraded every 1.5 years. The typical cycle is at least 2-3 years.
Next time, before giving a spin to defend your corporate decisions, check for the logical holes!
And Steve is so correct in describing several other arguments why Windows 7 is not always a viable upgrade from Windows XP. For the same reasons, some _high-tech_ companies that provide mission-critical or just expensive equipment would not jump on the band-wagon of an undercooked OS (such as Vista was), and for that matter Win7, until it gets to a mature stage.
Regards,
StR
One of the mistakes of Adobe is that while dropping support for WinXP,
they did not give an option of keeping LR3-compatible database in LR4. This way users could still multiplex their LR databases between their 2-3-year old computers running WinXP and newer Win7 computers.
I purchased LR4, but am forced to work in LR3 even on my Win7 computer to keep it compatible with the older, otherwise perfectly capable computers.
A couple of weeks ago I too decided that the time was right to upgrade and speed up my workflow, my initial thought were obviously to go Mac but I have just too much invested in pc software etc, so decided on a Win 7, 64bit system, more ram, dual processors and LR4.
So here I am with a modern op system, fast computer and NO WAY TO ACCESS MY RAID SYSTEM IMAGES! I do a Google search and I’m not the only one who has problems accessing external drives using Win 7. There aren’t hundreds, there are thousands of people having issues. I have 4 other external drives (back up, back up and back up again!) which are recognised no problem at all, but when I switch on my important one (200,000 aerial images) Win 7 says it needs formatting.. there are loads of suggestions as to how to cure this and over the last two days I think i’ve now tried most of them to no avail. I just plugged in a hard drive with XP on it and it found my raid system instantly so it’s obviously not a hardware problem, it’s a Win 7 problem! Once again MS have released a product which is seriously flawed. Having spent a lot on LR4, and Win 7 I feel my only option now is to format my pc and install XP and have 4gb of ram that XP can’t use. I wish I’d saved for a bit longer and invested in a system that worked straight out of the Apple Box!
Now this post is back dated . but i think that time fulfilled the demand of the time . and it was great post too. Thanks a lot for your wonderful post,
Now this post is back dated . but i think that time fulfilled the demand of the time . and it was great post too. Thanks a lot for your wonderful post,
Thanks a lot for your wonderful post,
I think this 11 years is the revolution time of technology.
The statement that Microsoft no longer supports XP is erronious. They have announced that they will stop supporting XP on April 15th of 2014.