Post by Aeolus 14 UmbraPost by Jim GM4DHJ ...this latest s/h windows xp professional hp desktop doesn't auto install any
of my various wi fi usb dongles that auto instal in all my other machines
... am I missing a setting to be changed?........ keyboard and mice plug and
play but not any wifi dongles...... I have had to install drivers off a
discs for my old belkin g to get on wi fi.......time for all you
professiopnals to have a laugh but I don't care.......
I'm still running XP on the shack computer (ancient skip-weaselled Dell)
with wifi . I just use it for logging and MGM modes.
It is a Belkin card and I had to download drivers as I got the card S/H
for a £1. Autoupdate rarely works on XP these days,if at all so you have
to do it the hard way.
Brian
I also found an old belkin card with disk I used inside my windoze 95
desktop then I found a couple of g dongles with no disc so I downloaded the
drivers through Ethernet....first time an xp computer of mine then that
hasn't downloaded all the drivers for my other makes of dongle wi fi
units...wonder what else it hasn't downloaded ? .........I think the death
of xp has been exaggerated and it will live for ever! .......
Depends what you want to do.
I still have a DOS machine I use for some legacy stuff. True, I can due
it under Linux (well in a DOS environment inside Linux) but the old
Amstrad laptop does the job when I need it to. Unless the hardware
fails, it should go for years. The data entry is never via media, no
network connection etc, just a keyboard. Not even a mouse.
You will hit problems like browser compatibility. Chrome 16 bit for
Linux has already been dropped as regards updates. If it hasn't happened
already, the older Windows versions can't be far behind. I expect other
browsers will be similar.
Hopefully your hardware won't fail or, at least, you can get s/h
replacements which are XP compatible, but newer stuff won't have drivers
etc.
Virus problems are, of course, a risk. Not using Windows I don't follow
the current trend in protection software but I'd be surprised if they
continue to support XP for much longer, assuming they still are.
I'm not trying to convince you that Win 10 is the way ahead, it is
terrible in my view. Ditto Win 8. I think you have Win 7 and you will
have your own views on it.
Like you, I quite liked XP- at least as far as Windows goes. I was
generally forced to use Windows for admin work while working- both
teaching and engineering- and used it at home in addition to Linux for
compatibility. Plus, the family used to use Windows, thankfully no
longer, and it made things easier to have Windows.
Of course, for 'every day use', Windows is generally fine. With the best
will in the world, it is relatively recently that Linux has become a
doddle to set up for those who don't know anything other than absolute
basics. Heresy to some but I say it as a firm Linux supporter. Part of
the problem can be issues with drivers which is more to do with 3rd
parties than any core Linux issue. MS have used their market position
and HW suppliers produce drivers or the data so MS can for Windows.
Linux doesn't always enjoy the same situation.
Apple, of course, control the HW and SW- one reason their things
integrate so well. In fact, boringly so at times if you like to tinker ;-)
Android, while good (I'm impressed with a new phone) suffers some of the
problems you see with Windows. The OS doesn't always work quite the same
with all HW. I'm seeing a problem like this which, looking around the
internet, seems quite common with the app in question. Fine on some
phones, not others, same version of Android etc.
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