tag:theconversation.com,2011:/es/topics/windows-2814/articlesWindows – The Conversation2023-09-06T20:13:56Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2121172023-09-06T20:13:56Z2023-09-06T20:13:56ZOn hot days, up to 87% of heat gain in our homes is through windows. On cold days, it’s 40% of heat loss. Here’s how we can fix that<p>Climate change and energy costs mean we need to rethink how we <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-99-2760-9">design and build our homes</a>. The updated <a href="https://abcb.gov.au/news/2022/using-ncc-2022-prior-1-may-2023#ncc-application-within-states-and-territories">National Construction Code</a> has lifted the required energy performance of new housing from <a href="https://theconversation.com/7-star-housing-is-a-step-towards-zero-carbon-but-theres-much-more-to-do-starting-with-existing-homes-189542">6 stars to 7 stars</a> (10 stars being the best). Windows are an obvious focus for improving the energy efficiency of Australian homes. </p>
<p>On hot days, most of the heat that gets into our homes is through the windows. On cold days, windows account for almost half the heat loss. High-performance insulating windows have been installed in Australian homes at a fraction of the rates for New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom. </p>
<p>In our newly published <a href="https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/research-data-and-insights/research/research-reports/upscaling-high-performance-windows-in-victoria">report</a>, we found the local window industry can produce the high-performance windows we need for thermally efficient homes. These homes will cost less to heat and cool, with lower greenhouse gas emissions. </p>
<p>But the industry is complex, with several obstacles to greater uptake of these windows. We identified a range of government policies and industry actions that could help drive change.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/7-star-housing-is-a-step-towards-zero-carbon-but-theres-much-more-to-do-starting-with-existing-homes-189542">7-star housing is a step towards zero carbon – but there's much more to do, starting with existing homes</a>
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<h2>How much difference do windows make?</h2>
<p>Single-glazed windows are common in Australian housing. Heat travels easily through these windows so they are a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778821005843#b0135">thermal weak spot</a>. </p>
<p>In Australian homes, up to 87% of heat gain in summer and 40% of heat loss in winter is <a href="https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/glazing">through the windows</a>. This makes it harder to maintain a comfortable temperature inside. </p>
<p>Around <a href="https://www.yourhome.gov.au/energy/heating-and-cooling">40% of household energy use</a> in the average Australian home is for heating and cooling. The result is high power bills.</p>
<h2>High-performance windows can solve this problem</h2>
<p>Better windows are available. <a href="https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/glazing">Double-glazed and triple-glazed windows</a> offer much better performance, reducing the need to use energy for heating and cooling. In some climate zones, they’re one of the most <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-most-cost-effective-energy-efficiency-investments-you-can-make-and-how-the-new-inflation-reduction-act-could-help-188506">cost-effective investments</a> in energy efficiency you can make.</p>
<p>These windows have insulating layer(s) of air between the glass panes. Other elements can also improve performance. These include thermal breaks (an insulating barrier that reduces heat flow through the window frame) and films that can be applied to the panes. </p>
<p>These approaches can be used in new window units, or with <a href="https://renew.org.au/renew-magazine/buyers-guides/window-buyers-guide/">retrofit options</a> such as secondary glazing, which can be cheaper than replacing the whole window unit. It involves installing a glazed panel in a frame inside an existing window. This can be a great solution for apartments as it might not require owners corporation approval.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/keen-to-retrofit-your-home-to-lower-its-carbon-footprint-and-save-energy-consider-these-3-things-175921">Keen to retrofit your home to lower its carbon footprint and save energy? Consider these 3 things</a>
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<p>High-performance windows <a href="https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings/energy-performance-buildings-directive_en">offer many benefits</a> beyond greater thermal comfort. These include better physical and mental health as a result of homes no longer being <a href="https://cur.org.au/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/heatwaves-homes-and-health-rmit_full-report.pdf">too hot</a> or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953623003118">too cold</a>, improved control of ventilation and natural light, and reduced noise from outdoors.</p>
<p>Australia is trailing far behind other countries in installing high-performance windows. Just over 10% of windows in new housing in Australia are high-performance – versus around 80% in the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-a-lemon-law-to-make-all-the-homes-we-buy-and-rent-more-energy-efficient-204369">We need a 'lemon law' to make all the homes we buy and rent more energy-efficient</a>
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<h2>Scaling up use of high-performance windows</h2>
<p>We explored the window and residential building industry in Victoria on behalf of Sustainability Victoria. Our aim was to understand the industry and its readiness to scale up the manufacture, sale and installation of high-performance windows. We also wanted to understand what support might be needed to achieve this transition. </p>
<p>The people we spoke to, drawn from across the sector, said they are ready to scale up once demand is there. They clearly said there isn’t any technological barrier to doing this. </p>
<p>The time from ordering to receiving windows has increased in recent years as part of wider supply-chain issues. We were told this was almost resolved. However, a rapid scaling up of demand for high-performance windows could create short-term supply challenges.</p>
<p>The builders we spoke to identified some issues around understanding the various window products, such as the relative benefits of different frame materials. For example, uPVC and timber frames typically conduct less heat than aluminium. However, a thermal break can greatly improve aluminium frame performance.</p>
<p>They also noted that high-performance windows cost more. This can be a challenge in an industry already struggling to provide housing at affordable prices. </p>
<p>In addition, high-performance windows are heavier. Extra equipment could be needed to install them.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/will-7-star-housing-really-cost-more-it-depends-but-you-can-keep-costs-down-in-a-few-simple-ways-189627">Will 7-star housing really cost more? It depends, but you can keep costs down in a few simple ways</a>
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<h2>How can policy help improve uptake?</h2>
<p>We found the industry is complex. A range of measures will likely be needed to encourage the uptake and delivery of more high-performance windows. Our research proposes the following interventions:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>regulation</strong> – further improve regulations to nudge use of high-performance windows, which could include setting minimum performance requirements for windows as New Zealand has done</p></li>
<li><p><strong>education</strong> – better educate builders and consumers with easy-to-understand, transparent information to bust myths about high-performance windows and encourage people to consider their wider benefits</p></li>
<li><p><strong>finance</strong> – there is a need to reduce capital costs (economies of scale will help) and improve access to government support, which could include rebates for home owners, similar to those for rooftop solar systems </p></li>
<li><p><strong>quality assurance</strong> – the range of high-performance window options means we need to ensure key intermediaries like energy assessors provide well-informed advice. Support tools such as the <a href="https://werslink.com.au/wers/search.html#residential-simulation-search">Window Energy Rating Scheme</a> can help with decision-making. There is also a need to ensure quality installation practices. </p></li>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/better-than-net-zero-making-the-promised-1-2-million-homes-climate-friendly-would-transform-construction-in-australia-211825">Better than net zero? Making the promised 1.2 million homes climate-friendly would transform construction in Australia</a>
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<h2>Windows for the future</h2>
<p>Given the key role of windows in housing quality, performance and emissions, installing high-performance windows needs to become business as usual. In many other countries, double-or-triple-glazed windows are now standard. If we don’t do the same, we will lock households into lower-quality, poorly performing housing for decades.</p>
<p>Making high-performance windows standard building practice in Australia is achievable. However, some support for the window industry, builders and households will be needed.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212117/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trivess Moore has received funding from various organisations including the Australian Research Council, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Victorian Government and various industry partners. He is a trustee of the Fuel Poverty Research Network. This article derives from research funded through a contract between Sustainability Victoria and RMIT University.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lisa de Kleyn has worked on projects that received funding from various organisations including the Australian Research Council and Victorian Government. This article derives from research funded through a contract between Sustainability Victoria and RMIT University.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tom Simko has worked on projects that received funding from the Victorian Government. This article derives from research funded through a contract between Sustainability Victoria and RMIT University.</span></em></p>Compared to roughly 80% in the US, UK and NZ, only 11% of Australian homes have high-performance windows. Installing them can transform a household’s comfort, energy use and emissions.Trivess Moore, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT UniversityLisa de Kleyn, Research Fellow, Climate Change Adaptation Lab, La Trobe UniversityTom Simko, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1709622021-11-17T01:22:06Z2021-11-17T01:22:06ZAre our phones really designed to slow down over time? Experts look at the evidence<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432080/original/file-20211115-19-1ciubp6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=141%2C20%2C3353%2C2305&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s usually around this time of year you hear people complain about their phones slowing down. Apple and Google release new versions of their operating systems (OS) and suddenly there’s a slew of people <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51413724">claiming their old devices have started to lag</a> – conveniently just before Christmas. </p>
<p>But do manufacturers really slow down our phones on purpose to nudge us towards shiny new ones, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/18/936268845/apple-agrees-to-pay-113-million-to-settle-batterygate-case-over-iphone-slowdowns">as has been claimed</a>? </p>
<p>The answer to this, as usual, is complicated. Let’s take a look at the evidence.</p>
<h2>The ol’ operating system shuffle</h2>
<p>Every year, usually around <a href="https://infonewt.com/apple-release-patterns">May and June</a>, tech companies announce their new OS updates. The main news surrounding the releases is often <a href="https://www.macstories.net/stories/ios-and-ipados-15-the-macstories-overview/">new system features</a> such as <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT204380">Facetime</a> enhancements, improvements to <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/7/22522993/apple-siri-on-device-speech-recognition-no-internet-wwdc">voice assistants</a>, or a <a href="https://www.wired.com/2013/06/ios7-redesign/">fancier system design</a>.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Apple introduces a new design with iOS 7.</span></figcaption>
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<p>But did you know these features are optimised for the new hardware traditionally released during the summer, and the chips that come with it? </p>
<p>As such, system updates have to be programmed to work towards two goals. The first is to support the new hardware and chip, which deliver the newest features. </p>
<p>The second is to continue to work with existing hardware that won’t support the new features. And this means coding the OS so it’s not <em>reliant</em> on the new features having to work.</p>
<p>This challenge exists for desktop OSs as well, as evidenced by the recent removal of old systems <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/29/22555371/microsoft-windows-11-cpu-support-hardware-requirements-tpm-response">from the Windows 11 compatibility list</a>. Microsoft decided coding around new features was an insurmountable challenge in some instances. </p>
<h2>Hardships with hardware</h2>
<p>So your old smartphone won’t support new features – fair enough. But why does it feel like the new OS update is making existing features slower? To understand this, you need to first understand some of the mechanics of chip design.</p>
<p>Apple used to use other manufacturers’ chips for its devices, but for the past few years has made its own custom silicon. This is referred to as a “<a href="https://anysilicon.com/what-is-a-system-on-chip-soc/">system on a chip (SoC)</a>, as the entire system exists on a single chip designed and manufactured by Apple.</p>
<p>But even if manufacturers design their own chips, it can be hard to predict what consumers will want in the future, and thus which upgrades will come with future iterations of a device. </p>
<p>Manufacturers have to write OS updates to suit the latest hardware, so consumers who purchase it can take advantage of the latest features. In doing so, they must work around the fact that older hardware doesn’t have the same capacity. </p>
<p>These workarounds mean older devices will run more slowly with the new OS installed, even for tasks the system had done for years. The latest OS is not written to make your old device slower, but because it’s written for the latest device, it can’t help but run more slowly on old hardware. </p>
<p>Examples of this abound in the industry, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/09/ios-14-on-the-iphone-6s-and-se-performance-is-fine-other-stuff-is-not/">with many articles written</a> about a newly released OS version running slow on older devices until the manufacturer optimises it (if they ever do).</p>
<p>You might be wondering: if a new OS will slow down old phones, why install the update at all? </p>
<p>Well, it’s because people don’t like being told to stick with old features. Apple <a href="https://9to5mac.com/2021/06/07/apple-will-let-users-stay-on-ios-14-and-receive-security-updates-even-after-ios-15-is-released/">recently allowed</a> users of its latest devices to keep the old system, but this is unusual. There is usually a <a href="https://www.popsci.com/update-every-gadget/">push for users to install new OS versions</a>.</p>
<h2>It’s all business</h2>
<p>The truth is device manufacturers are in the business to make money. And this means being able to sell new devices. </p>
<p>While there is often an <a href="https://theconversation.com/upgrade-rage-why-you-may-have-to-buy-a-new-device-whether-you-want-to-or-not-153105">implied expectation</a> from consumers that manufacturers will commit to maintaining old products, at the same time they need to write updates that will work for their latest hardware. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, tech companies aren’t doing enough to educate users on how to adjust their settings to get the best out of their phones, or <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/remove-bloatware-phone/">how to manage software bloat</a> which might contribute to a phone slowing down. </p>
<p>Compounding this are other factors such as network connection issues, like when the 3G mobile network was stopped.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/upgrade-rage-why-you-may-have-to-buy-a-new-device-whether-you-want-to-or-not-153105">Upgrade rage: why you may have to buy a new device whether you want to or not</a>
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<h2>Burden of proof</h2>
<p>There’s something else to consider, too. If an OS update <em>was</em> designed to intentionally slow down a phone over time, this would be very difficult to prove. </p>
<p>The system codes are "closed source”, so experts can’t look into them. The best we can do is run timers on different processes and see if they are slowing down over time.</p>
<p>But even if they are, is it because of a system update that can’t be supported by old hardware, or is it malicious conduct from the manufacturer? Could the code be written to force the device to sleep for half a second, every ten seconds, with a sleep command? </p>
<p>It’s hard to say for sure, although our personal opinion is this is highly unlikely.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432098/original/file-20211116-23-1jhqgqz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An iPhone and airpods on a dark surface" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432098/original/file-20211116-23-1jhqgqz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432098/original/file-20211116-23-1jhqgqz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432098/original/file-20211116-23-1jhqgqz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432098/original/file-20211116-23-1jhqgqz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432098/original/file-20211116-23-1jhqgqz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432098/original/file-20211116-23-1jhqgqz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432098/original/file-20211116-23-1jhqgqz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Apple has had multiple lawsuits filed against it in the past, for which it has paid hundreds of millions in settlements. The company has admitted to slowing down some older phone models, but claimed this was done to reduce stress on the battery and prevent accidental shutdowns as the battery aged.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Choose not to play</h2>
<p>Ultimately, the issue comes down to how device manufacturers sell their products. </p>
<p>The best option for their bottom line is to deliver OS updates and features that work with the latest hardware, even if this leaves old devices behind. The evidence suggests manufacturers are not intentionally slowing phones down, but are prioritising the latest release so you’ll buy it. </p>
<p>In the meantime, if your slow device is getting you down, the best option is to resist the urge to upgrade. You might get prompts directing you to install the latest OS version (and the frequency of these will depend on the company) but you can ignore them. </p>
<p>There may be auto-updates which you can’t avoid, but in most cases these are for security purposes and don’t include major changes or new features. It’s only once these security updates stop coming that you should upgrade.</p>
<p>Until then, a phone running on its original OS should, in theory, run well for a long time.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-the-global-microchip-shortage-is-covids-fault-no-it-wont-end-any-time-soon-161903">Yes, the global microchip shortage is COVID's fault. No, it won't end any time soon</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170962/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The latest system updates are not written to make your device slower. But because they’re written for new hardware, there’s a good chance they will end up running slower on an older device.Michael Cowling, Associate Professor - Information & Communication Technology (ICT), CQUniversity AustraliaAmy Johnson, Lecturer, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1664932021-10-24T18:58:55Z2021-10-24T18:58:55ZWindows XP turns 20: Microsoft’s rise and fall points to one thing — don’t fix what isn’t broken<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427937/original/file-20211022-22-oltsjo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C69%2C5163%2C3382&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Twenty years on from the public release of Windows XP, the popular operating system is still regarded one of Microsoft’s greatest achievements. </p>
<p>As of August this year, Windows XP still maintained a greater <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide/#yearly-2021-2021-bar">market share</a> than its successor, Windows Vista. </p>
<p>When mainstream support for XP ended in April 2009, it was running on a huge <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide/#monthly-200904-200904-bar">75% of Windows computers</a> and about 19% of people were still using XP when <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/faq/extended-security-updates">extended security support</a> finished in 2014. Microsoft provided security support in a few special cases, such as for military use, until 2019 — an incredible 18 years after the initial release.</p>
<p>But what made XP excel? And what has Microsoft learned in the two decades since its release?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/airports-atms-hospitals-microsoft-windows-xp-leak-would-be-less-of-an-issue-if-so-many-didnt-use-it-147018">Airports, ATMs, hospitals: Microsoft Windows XP leak would be less of an issue, if so many didn't use it</a>
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<h2>The rise and rise of Windows XP</h2>
<p>Windows XP launched on October 25, 2001, during a golden age at Microsoft when <a href="https://news.microsoft.com/2001/07/19/microsoft-announces-record-revenue-for-fiscal-year-2001/">the company was achieving its highest revenues yet</a>, dominated the PC market, and had taken a strong lead over Netscape in <a href="https://thehistoryoftheweb.com/browser-wars/">the browser wars</a> (after the latter led the race through the 1990s). XP also came at a time when more people than ever were buying their first personal computer.</p>
<p>These personal and business computers arrived with a full suite of Microsoft software <a href="https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/industry-blog/en-gb/technetuk/2013/05/14/licensing-logic-whats-the-difference-between-oem-retail-and-volume-licenses/">pre-installed</a> and ready to use. As a result, the Windows operating system defined many people’s computing experience. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427938/original/file-20211022-36962-12b86n9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427938/original/file-20211022-36962-12b86n9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427938/original/file-20211022-36962-12b86n9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427938/original/file-20211022-36962-12b86n9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427938/original/file-20211022-36962-12b86n9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427938/original/file-20211022-36962-12b86n9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427938/original/file-20211022-36962-12b86n9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427938/original/file-20211022-36962-12b86n9.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Microsoft has long relied on Intel and AMD processor chips for its devices, but last year announced plans to make its own.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Built on the core of the highly successful Windows NT operating system (also the foundation for Windows 2000), Windows XP provided an option which, for the first time, looked and felt the same whether it was being used at home or at work. </p>
<p>The prioritisation of users’ needs in this way represented a watershed moment for Microsoft, and was a key ingredient in the long reign of XP. XP also featured <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/10-features-that-helped-windows-xp-achieve-legendary-status-1318570">several innovations</a> including the introduction of the Microsoft Error Reporting platform. </p>
<p>Earlier versions of Windows had become infamous for the so-called “<a href="https://www.howtogeek.com/163452/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-blue-screen-of-death/">blue screen of death</a>” that appeared when the system encountered an error. XP replaced this with a small pop-up to collect data about the error and send it to Microsoft’s engineers to help them improve the software.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427941/original/file-20211022-23-1ibn6yq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427941/original/file-20211022-23-1ibn6yq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427941/original/file-20211022-23-1ibn6yq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427941/original/file-20211022-23-1ibn6yq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427941/original/file-20211022-23-1ibn6yq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427941/original/file-20211022-23-1ibn6yq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427941/original/file-20211022-23-1ibn6yq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427941/original/file-20211022-23-1ibn6yq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The original ‘blue screen of death’ from Windows NT would have been largely nonsensical for most people. The most current version of this screen includes a sad-face emoticon and a QR code for troubleshooting.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_screen_of_death#/media/File:Windows_NT_3.51_BSOD_ita.png">Wikimedia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>During the tenure of XP, Microsoft also launched <a href="https://www.codemag.com/Article/0710022/History-of-the-VS-IDE">Visual Studio .NET</a>, a software suite for building new Windows programs. This combined all their developer tools for a variety of programming languages, including Visual C++ and Visual Basic, and the new “object-oriented” language C# – a rival to the popular <a href="https://www.java.com/en/download/help/whatis_java.html">Java</a> language. </p>
<p>This was further evidence of changing attitudes at Microsoft; the company was centred on prioritising users. But it didn’t last.</p>
<h2>The fall of Vista and Windows 7</h2>
<p>In 2007, Windows Vista — the successor to XP — was released. It was considered <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-top-five-reasons-why-windows-vista-failed/">an inferior, bloated and unusable system</a> by many commentators, including <a href="http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1898610_1898625_1898627,00.html">Time magazine</a>. Designed for high-powered computers, Vista was often excruciatingly slow and frustrating to use on older machines that comfortably ran XP.</p>
<p>Windows 7 followed Vista in 2009, confronting users with massive changes. It initially forced users on computers with a keyboard and mouse into a tablet-style interaction on the home screen. </p>
<p>The familiar icons and desktop format vanished. Instead, users were greeted with differently-sized tiles, and scrolling mechanisms that were perfect for touch-screens but awkward for mouse navigation. </p>
<p>It seemed Microsoft no longer had users’ wishes as its priority. It wasn’t until the release of Windows 8 in 2012 that the company returned to its user-first paradigm. And this change was spurred in no small part by having to compete with Apple’s MacOS (Macbooks), iOS (iPhones and iPads) and Android phones and tablets.</p>
<h2>Branching away from PCs</h2>
<p>Although released at the same time as Windows XP, Microsoft’s first tablet offering was widely regarded a failure too. The Windows XP tablet was based on a cut-down operating system and a completely different family of processors. </p>
<p>The tablet’s system was hamstrung by connectivity issues related to its need for consistent and stable internet connection (which even now is not a given in the mobile world). It was also incompatible with existing software offerings. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/10/16452162/windows-phone-history-glorious-failure">similar story</a> unfolded in the mobile phone space. Early Windows phones such as Windows Phone 7, released in 2010 without many basic functions such as <a href="https://mspoweruser.com/a-history-of-windows-phone-the-road-to-threshold/">copy and paste</a>, were never serious competitors for Apple’s iPhones or Google’s Android phones.</p>
<p>In 2013 Microsoft purchased Nokia’s mobile and devices division (later abandoned and resold in 2016), but its phones were still unsuccessful. </p>
<p>Although Windows phones are still available, Microsoft changed lanes in 2014. Incoming chief executive Satya Nadella said the new agenda was “<a href="https://news.microsoft.com/2014/03/27/satya-nadella-mobile-first-cloud-first-press-briefing/">mobile first, cloud first</a>”, meaning cloud-connected mobile computing was the focus. Nadella outlined a desire to create a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/janakirammsv/2020/02/03/a-look-back-at-ten-years-of-microsoft-azure/?sh=3e596d674929">Windows NT for the internet</a>. </p>
<p>This is something the Microsoft Azure cloud-computing service and Surface Pro tablet — now with the same processors as its PC cousins and the ability to run without a constant internet connection — have achieved.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427940/original/file-20211022-17-19nnq8v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427940/original/file-20211022-17-19nnq8v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427940/original/file-20211022-17-19nnq8v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427940/original/file-20211022-17-19nnq8v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427940/original/file-20211022-17-19nnq8v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427940/original/file-20211022-17-19nnq8v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427940/original/file-20211022-17-19nnq8v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Microsoft Azure allows services such as virtual computing, storage and networking, all of which is managed through Microsoft’s own data centres.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cloud or service-oriented computing means you can use any type of device to access your operating system (known as “platform as a service”), and office productivity tools such as Office365 (“software as a service”). </p>
<p>Azure represents a return to Microsoft providing computing that serves the needs of businesses and people.</p>
<h2>If it’s not broken, don’t fix it</h2>
<p>Modern computing is a balance between portability, power consumption, usability and speed, among other factors. Companies can no longer just throw advanced hardware at a problem and expect the public to tolerate poor user experience.</p>
<p>The success of XP, and subsequent failures of its successors, present many lessons to the technology sector — the chief of which is this: if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. </p>
<p>By acknowledging earlier mistakes and reverting to a user-first policy, Microsoft could indeed secure its place in the market for decades to come.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/were-just-not-compatible-any-more-why-microsoft-finally-dumped-internet-explorer-161416">We're just not compatible any more: why Microsoft finally dumped Internet Explorer</a>
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</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166493/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erica Mealy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Windows XP really was a game-changer for computers. But Microsoft has seen some turbulent times since the version was released 20 years ago.Erica Mealy, Lecturer in Computer Science, University of the Sunshine CoastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1693642021-10-14T19:11:41Z2021-10-14T19:11:41ZI live in an apartment. How can I cut my risk of getting COVID?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426121/original/file-20211013-23-15945lh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C0%2C4977%2C3495&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/apartment-building-neighbors-sitting-standing-by-2053021691">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Governments are pressing ahead with <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-12/qld-coronavirus-covid-home-quarantine-trial-places/100529748">home quarantine</a> for returning travellers and people are isolating at home due to COVID-19. So now is a good time to think about what you can do to reduce your risk of infection if you live in an apartment.</p>
<p>Earlier in the pandemic, apartments were described as “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-06/why-melbourne-locked-down-public-towers-are-a-coronavirus-worry/12423934">vertical cruise ships</a>” due to the ease of spread of the coronavirus between many people sharing confined spaces. But apartments are nothing like cruise ships because apartments do not have common ventilation supply and eating areas, among other things. The “cruise ship” description is inaccurate, if colourful.</p>
<p>Since then, we’ve learned more about how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-pressure-is-on-for-australia-to-accept-the-coronavirus-really-can-spread-in-the-air-we-breathe-160641">via the air we breathe</a> and the importance of good ventilation in a range of settings.</p>
<p>Here are nine things you can do to minimise your risk of catching the virus if you live in an apartment.</p>
<h2>1. Avoid poorly ventilated indoor spaces</h2>
<p>Aside from getting vaccinated, the first step to minimising your risk of catching the virus is to avoid poorly ventilated indoor spaces without using a mask (see also point 4).</p>
<p>This reduces the risk of sharing air with neighbours and reduces risks associated with common facilities, such as lifts, gyms and garbage areas.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-could-have-more-coronavirus-outbreaks-in-tower-blocks-heres-how-lockdown-should-work-142297">We could have more coronavirus outbreaks in tower blocks. Here's how lockdown should work</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>2. Watch laundries and indoor garbage areas</h2>
<p>But you’ll still need to do your laundry and dispose your garbage. Shared laundries, gyms and indoor garbage areas are an obvious risk, particularly if poorly ventilated.</p>
<p>So perhaps arrange a rota to give people access at set times and ensure <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/environmental/appendix/air.html">at least one hour</a> elapses between use to allow for enough air changes.</p>
<p>Where there is a mechanical ventilation system, ensure ducts and fans are working. Where there are windows, ensure they are open.</p>
<p>Consider installing a combined washer-dryer in your kitchen or bathroom. </p>
<h2>3. Ask strata about shared basement garages</h2>
<p>These are often mechanically ventilated by a system with fans that only operate when carbon monoxide is sensed. With modern vehicles, the ventilation may not run often, resulting in poor ventilation. </p>
<p>It may be possible to override the sensors; request the strata to ask people who maintain the system.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/many-of-our-buildings-are-poorly-ventilated-and-that-adds-to-covid-risks-149830">Many of our buildings are poorly ventilated, and that adds to COVID risks</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>4. Wear a mask before opening the door</h2>
<p>Ensure you and all members of your household put on a mask before opening the door to your apartment. Many people are used to wearing surgical or cloth masks. </p>
<p>However, OzSAGE, an independent group of researchers providing evidence-based advice about the pandemic, recommends <a href="https://ozsage.org/media_releases/community-mask-use/">an N95 mask</a>, which provides greater protection against the Delta variant.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426141/original/file-20211013-25-90h51l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Woman putting on N95 face mask" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426141/original/file-20211013-25-90h51l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426141/original/file-20211013-25-90h51l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426141/original/file-20211013-25-90h51l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426141/original/file-20211013-25-90h51l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426141/original/file-20211013-25-90h51l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426141/original/file-20211013-25-90h51l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426141/original/file-20211013-25-90h51l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">N95 masks provide better protection.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-putting-on-kn95-protection-1737478328">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>You should wear this mask when receiving deliveries or letting in visitors, as well as when leaving the apartment to move through shared areas. </p>
<p>Where there’s an outbreak, wearing a mask in shared areas can be mandatory. Even if it’s not, you can still request your strata corporation to ask residents and visitors to wear a mask, and to require this of contractors.</p>
<h2>5. Ask about the lifts</h2>
<p>Lifts are a particular hazard in taller buildings. So ask your strata about the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>limiting lift capacity to one person per 2.5 square metres. If a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifier can operate continuously in the lift, the density limits may be relaxed if health orders allow</p></li>
<li><p>making sure lifts go to an unoccupied level with the doors open when not in use. Some lifts can be programmed to do this; the firm servicing the lift will advise.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>6. If you can smell your neighbour’s cooking …</h2>
<p>Some apartment buildings in Australia have gaps at the top of walls between adjacent apartments. This faulty “fire isolation” means <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/towers-of-trouble-20181228-p50ol6.html">fire can potentially spread</a> between apartments. In theory, so can shared air containing contaminated aerosols.</p>
<p>So if you can smell your neighbour’s cooking or something worse, you are sharing their air. If you suspect an air leakage and are unable to do anything about it in the short term, using a HEPA air purifier in your apartment will reduce your risk. </p>
<p>If you can smell odours in the common space, you may want to seal up your apartment door with self-adhesive draft stripping from a hardware store and a door draught stopper.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426143/original/file-20211013-17-1o4fyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Air purifier inside a home or office" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426143/original/file-20211013-17-1o4fyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426143/original/file-20211013-17-1o4fyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426143/original/file-20211013-17-1o4fyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426143/original/file-20211013-17-1o4fyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426143/original/file-20211013-17-1o4fyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426143/original/file-20211013-17-1o4fyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426143/original/file-20211013-17-1o4fyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If you can smell a neighbour’s cooking, consider getting an air purifier.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-air-purifier-monitor-screen-show-1681134559">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>7. Open your windows</h2>
<p>Open your windows to increase ventilation in your apartment when visitors or maintenance staff are there. Wear a mask if the visitor is not double-vaccinated or if you’re otherwise concerned.</p>
<p>There is relatively little evidence showing cross contamination between external windows of neighbouring apartments, which is reassuring. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, if you are opening a window, opening one onto your balcony poses less of a risk (as the air is better dispersed) than opening one directly above or below another apartment’s window.</p>
<h2>8. Test your service riser</h2>
<p>Service risers are the vertical ducts that run pipework for plumbing and ventilation through kitchens and bathrooms in apartment buildings.</p>
<p>Hong Kong research suggests such ducts <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16696450/">were linked</a> with infections between several floors of the Amoy Gardens buildings during the SARS outbreak.</p>
<p>In Australia, many apartment blocks have rudimentary sealing to these service risers. So check inspection panels are sealed in place and that pipes are sealed where they enter any cavity. You might need to hunt inside kitchen or bathroom cupboards to find these.</p>
<p>Light an incense stick (or similar) to see if the smoke wafts around to indicate air is blowing into or out of service risers. But be careful not to set off the smoke alarm while testing. If in doubt, cover up the smoke alarm on the ceiling with plastic wrap and a rubber band, but don’t forget to take it off afterwards.</p>
<p>If you’re handy, you can buy fire-rated expanding foam or other products from a hardware store to seal these gaps. If you’re not, contact the strata to discuss the work. And don’t let any waste traps dry out.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426337/original/file-20211014-27-1v29bss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Lit incense stick with smoke wafting" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426337/original/file-20211014-27-1v29bss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426337/original/file-20211014-27-1v29bss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426337/original/file-20211014-27-1v29bss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426337/original/file-20211014-27-1v29bss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426337/original/file-20211014-27-1v29bss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426337/original/file-20211014-27-1v29bss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426337/original/file-20211014-27-1v29bss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Light an incense stick to see where the smoke wafts.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/incense-stick-smoke-on-black-background-576126376">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>9. Fix broken exhaust fans</h2>
<p>Another potential source of leaks and cross contamination is shared bathroom and kitchen ventilation systems that <a href="https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/33487/10/Parker_Caleb_201211_MASc_thesis.pdf">operate permanently</a>. These are more common in older buildings and you can recognise them by continuous exhaust noise from vents in the bathroom, toilet or kitchen.</p>
<p>Ensure fans are operating normally and if the fan stops, ensure it is repaired promptly.</p>
<p>More recent apartments may have self-contained exhaust fans that operate only when the light or a fan switch is operated. The risk of cross contamination with this type of installation is low.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169364/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Hanmer is affiliated with OzSAGE. </span></em></p>Avoid poorly ventilated parts of the building if you can. And always wear a mask when you open your door.Geoff Hanmer, Honorary Professional Fellow, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1495122020-11-20T13:24:42Z2020-11-20T13:24:42ZKeeping indoor air clean can reduce the chance of spreading coronavirus<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370378/original/file-20201119-24-1eum6g1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=22%2C58%2C1328%2C899&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Open windows and doors to boost air flow and help remove airborne particles.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/open-window-in-room-at-home-royalty-free-image/665506663?adppopup=true"> Daniela Torres/EyeEm via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The vast majority of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12766">SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs indoors</a>, mostly from the inhalation of airborne particles that contain the coronavirus. But in spite of the obvious risks posed by being inside, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html">small household gatherings</a> are driving much of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html">recent surge in cases</a>.</p>
<p>The best way to prevent the virus from spreading in a home would be simply to keep infected people away. But this is hard to do when an estimated <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-people-spread-the-coronavirus-if-they-dont-have-symptoms-5-questions-answered-about-asymptomatic-covid-19-140531">40% of cases are asymptomatic</a> and asymptomatic people can <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3201%2Feid2607.201595">still spread the coronavirus to others</a>. Next safest is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/us/coronavirus-what-to-do-outside.html">to entertain outside</a>, but if you can’t, there are a few things you can do to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. </p>
<p>First – and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.106859">most important</a> – always wear masks, make sure everyone stays at least 6 feet away from other people and don’t spend too much time indoors. But in addition to these precautions, making sure the air inside is as clean as possible can also help. I am an <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=rU-EO54AAAAJ">indoor air quality researcher</a> who studies how to reduce the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10473289.1996.10467523">transmission of airborne infectious diseases</a>. Using <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-use-ventilation-and-air-filtration-to-prevent-the-spread-of-coronavirus-indoors-143732">increased ventilation</a> or running an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0004-6981(85)90003-4">appropriately sized air cleaner or filter</a> can add an extra layer of protection. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370380/original/file-20201119-24-s8nre7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A table with a cooked meal on it inside of a room with doors and windows open." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370380/original/file-20201119-24-s8nre7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370380/original/file-20201119-24-s8nre7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370380/original/file-20201119-24-s8nre7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370380/original/file-20201119-24-s8nre7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370380/original/file-20201119-24-s8nre7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370380/original/file-20201119-24-s8nre7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370380/original/file-20201119-24-s8nre7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">More ventilation is better.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/breakfast-table-in-a-garden-shed-royalty-free-image/661780119?adppopup=true">Westend61 via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Fresh air is safer air</h2>
<p>A safer home is one that constantly has lots of outside air replacing the stale air inside. </p>
<p>Homes are typically ventilated through open windows or doors, or from air leaking in through unintentional openings and cracks in the building itself. A typical air exchange rate for a home is around <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.1995.tb00338.x">0.5 air changes per hour</a>. Because of the complicated way air moves, that translates into taking about two hours to replace two-thirds of the air inside an average home, and about six hours to replace all of it.</p>
<p>This slow air exchange is not good when you want to limit the spread of an airborne virus. The higher the ventilation rate the better – so how much fresh air is ideal? While the exact exchange rate depends on the size of a room, as an example, a 10-by-10-foot room with three to four people inside should have at least <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105537">three air changes an hour</a>. In a pandemic this should be higher, and the World Health Organization recently recommended <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/media-resources/science-in-5/episode-10---ventilation-covid-19">six air changes per hour</a>. </p>
<p>Knowing the exact air exchange rate for your home isn’t necessary; just know that more is better. Thankfully, increasing the ventilation of a house or apartment is easy. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370381/original/file-20201119-15-1m9kxvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A graphic showing a fan blowing air out of an open window." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370381/original/file-20201119-15-1m9kxvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370381/original/file-20201119-15-1m9kxvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370381/original/file-20201119-15-1m9kxvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370381/original/file-20201119-15-1m9kxvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370381/original/file-20201119-15-1m9kxvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370381/original/file-20201119-15-1m9kxvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370381/original/file-20201119-15-1m9kxvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fans and exhaust vents can further increase ventilation by pushing inside air outside.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/room-ventilation-a-good-example-if-there-is-royalty-free-illustration/1254710035?adppopup=true">Makoto Hara/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>Open as many windows as you can – the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10473289.2002.10470775">larger the opening</a> the better. Open doors to the outside. Run the exhaust fans in your bathroom and above the stove – though only do this if the exhausts go to the outside and if you <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10473289.1996.10467519">also have a window or door open</a>. Additionally, you can place fans in open windows and blow the inside air out to even further boost your air flow. </p>
<p>I live in Colorado, and the winter cold has arrived. I still think it is worth it to have windows open, but I open them only about halfway and turn on the heaters in my house. This wastes energy, but I keep the time I have to do this to a minimum, and once visitors leave, I keep the windows open for at least an hour to completely air out the house. </p>
<p>All of these things add up and increase ventilation.</p>
<h2>Filtration as a backup</h2>
<p>If you are worried that your home ventilation is still too low, <a href="http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/ina.12036">air filtration</a> can offer another layer of safety. Much the way an N95 mask works, running air in your home through a filter with small openings can capture airborne particles that could contain the coronavirus.</p>
<p>There are two ways to filter air in a home: using a built-in system – like central heating, for example – or using stand-alone air cleaners.</p>
<p>In my home, we use both air cleaners and our heating system to filter the air. If you have central heating, make sure your <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12617">furnace filter</a> has a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-merv-rating-1">minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV)</a> of at least 11. This value describes how effective a filter is at removing airborne particles and contaminants from the recirculated air. The standard on most furnaces is a MERV 8 filter and many furnaces are not capable of running with a more efficient filter, so make sure to check your filter and ask a technician before replacing it. But a MERV 8 filter is better than no filtration at all.</p>
<p>You can also use a stand-alone air cleaner to remove airborne particles, but how effective they are depends on the size of the room. The bigger the room, the more air needs to be cleaned, and stand-alone cleaners are only so powerful. My home has an open floor plan, so I can’t use my air cleaner in the main living space, but it can be helpful in bedrooms or any other smaller enclosed spaces. If you consider buying an air cleaner, I worked with some colleagues at Harvard to build a tool that can be used to <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NEhk1IEdbEi_b3wa6gI_zNs8uBJjlSS-86d4b7bW098/edit#gid=1882881703">determine how powerful an air cleaner you need</a> for different room sizes. </p>
<p>And don’t forget to also consider how effective an air cleaner’s filter is. Your best option is a cleaner that uses a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-hepa-filter-1">high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter</a>, as these remove more than 99.97% of all particle sizes.</p>
<p>If you decide to share your home with others in the coming months, remember that being outside is by far the safest. But if you must be inside, shorten the length of time your guests stay, wear masks and socially distance at all times. In addition to these precautions, keeping air flow high by opening windows as wide as possible, driving more air into your home with exhaust fans and using air cleaner and filters can help further reduce the chance of spreading the coronavirus.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/149512/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shelly Miller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Being indoors with other people is a recipe for spreading the coronavirus. But removing airborne particles through proper ventilation and air filtration can reduce some of that risk.Shelly Miller, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado BoulderLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1470182020-09-30T04:37:28Z2020-09-30T04:37:28ZAirports, ATMs, hospitals: Microsoft Windows XP leak would be less of an issue, if so many didn’t use it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360679/original/file-20200930-24-cu2eex.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5590%2C3640&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The source code of the Windows XP operating system is now circulating online as a huge <a href="https://www.pcgamesn.com/microsoft/windows-xp-source-code-leak">43GB mega-dump</a>. </p>
<p>Although the software is nearly two decades old, it’s still used by people, businesses and organisations around the world. This source code leak leaves it open to being scoured for bugs and weaknesses hackers can exploit.</p>
<p>The leaked torrent files, published on the bulletin board website 4chan, include the source code for Windows XP Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2003, MS DOS 3.30, MS DOS 6.0, Windows 2000, Windows CE 3, Windows CE 4, Windows CE 5, Windows Embedded 7, Windows Embedded CE, Windows NT 3.5 and Windows NT 4.</p>
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<p>Tech news site The Verge <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/25/21455655/microsoft-windows-xp-source-code-leak">claims</a> to have verified the material. And Microsoft said it was “investigating the matter”, <a href="https://www.thurrott.com/windows/241670/microsoft-is-investigating-windows-xp-source-code-leak">according to reports</a>. </p>
<p>The leak came with files containing bizarre misinformation related to Microsoft founder Bill Gates and various conspiracy theories. This is consistent with past leaks from <a href="https://www.mygc.com.au/university-of-tasmania-issue-security-alert-following-threat/">4chan</a>, a site often associated with extremist content and internet trolls. </p>
<p>Using the name “billgates3”, the leaker <a href="https://thehackernews.com/2020/09/windows-xp-source-code.html">reportedly</a> said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I created this torrent for the community, as I believe information should be free and available to everyone and hoarding information for oneself and keeping it secret is an evil act in my opinion.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If the leak is genuine, this won’t be the first time a Microsoft operating system source code was released online. At least 1GB of Windows 10 source code was leaked <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/24/15867350/microsoft-windows-10-source-code-leak">a few years ago</a>, too.</p>
<h2>Vulnerabilities in the source code</h2>
<p>The source code is the “source” of a program. It’s essentially the list of instructions a computer programmer writes when they develop a program, which can then be understood by other programmers. </p>
<p>A leaked source code can make it easier for cyber criminals to find and exploit weaknesses and serious security flaws (such as bugs) in a program. It also makes it easier for them to craft <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/129972/how-to-prevent-and-remove-viruses-and-other-malware">malware</a> (software designed to cause harm).</p>
<p>One example would be “rogue” security software trying to make you think your computer is infected by a virus and prompting you to download, or buy, a product to “remove” it. Instead, the download or purchase introduces a virus to your computer.</p>
<p>According to a report from computer security company F-Secure, on average it takes about <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/microsoft-has-ended-its-support-for-windows-7-so-what-does-it-mean-for-users-1.964362">20 minutes for a Windows XP machine to be hacked</a> once it’s connected to the internet.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-cybersecurity-strategy-cash-for-cyberpolice-and-training-but-the-devil-is-in-the-detail-144070">Australia’s cybersecurity strategy: cash for cyberpolice and training, but the devil is in the detail</a>
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<h2>Is Windows XP still supported?</h2>
<p>Windows XP <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-windows-xp-support">hasn’t had</a> “official” support from Microsoft since 2014. This means there are currently no security updates or technical support options available for users of the operating system. </p>
<p>However, until as recently as <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/microsoft-windows-xp-patch-very-bad-sign/">last year</a>, Microsoft continued to release security fixes and virus preventive measures for it. </p>
<p>The most notable was an <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/13/15635006/microsoft-windows-xp-security-patch-wannacry-ransomware-attack">emergency patch</a> released in 2017, to prevent another incident like the massive WannaCry ransomware attack from happening again. This malware affected 75,000 computers in 99 countries – <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/english-hospitals-hit-by-suspected-cyberattack-1494603884">impacting</a> hospitals, Telefonica, FedEx and other major businesses.</p>
<p>Windows XP is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajdellinger/2019/07/31/survey-finds-one-in-three-businesses-still-run-windows-xp/#5dfdb66357fc">still used</a> by people, <a href="https://japantoday.com/category/tech/skymark-airlines-still-using-windows-xp">airlines</a>, <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2018/06/25/indian_banks_on_notice_windows_xp_must_die/">banks</a>, organisations and in industrial environments the world over.</p>
<p>In 2016, the network which runs the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne Health, <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/royal-melbourne-hospital-attacked-by-damaging-computer-virus-20160118-gm8m3v.html">was infected</a> with a virus targeting computers using Windows XP. The attack forced staff to temporarily manually process blood, tissue and urine samples.</p>
<p>Online, users have posted photos of Windows XP being used at places such as Singapore’s <a href="https://twitter.com/Mami_AtTheDisco/status/1235467882307268609">Changi Airport</a>, Heathrow Airport and Zeventem Brussels Airport.</p>
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<p>Although the exact figure isn’t known, <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/news/if-you-can-believe-it-millions-of-people-are-still-using-windows-xp">one estimate</a> suggests the operating system was running on 1.26% of all laptops and desktops, as of last month.</p>
<h2>Is there still incentive for hackers to target Windows XP?</h2>
<p>The availability of the Windows XP source code opens access for cyber criminals to search for “<a href="https://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/108762/data-breach/windows-xp-server-2003-code-leaked.html">zero-day threats</a>” in the code that could be exploited. </p>
<p>These are discovered flaws in software, hardware or firmware that are unknown to the parties responsible for patching or “fixing” them – in this case, Microsoft.</p>
<p>Zero-day threats are often found in older ATM machines, for example, as these can’t be patch-managed remotely. This is because they have an embedded version of Windows XP with limited connectivity. </p>
<p>To upgrade in such cases, a bank’s IT professionals would have to visit the machines one by one, branch by branch, to <a href="https://hackernoon.com/do-atms-running-windows-xp-pose-a-security-risk-you-can-bank-on-it-1b7817902d61">apply security patches for the embedded systems</a>. One report suggests hackers can break through the defences and security features of these older style ATMs within <a href="https://www.itproportal.com/news/security-firms-warn-that-most-atms-still-run-windows-xp/">10-15 minutes</a>. </p>
<p>There’s no easy way to confirm whether ATMs in Australia are still running this 19-year-old software, but <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/news/atm-security-still-running-windows-xp">past</a> <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/is-running-windows-xp-on-atms-stupid/">reports</a> indicate this could be the case. <em>The Conversation</em> has reached out to certain parties to obtain this information and is awaiting a response. </p>
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<h2>Possible defences</h2>
<p>Windows XP was left to its own defences back in 2014 when Microsoft stopped mainstream support for the operating system.</p>
<p>But as one of Microsoft’s <a href="https://screenrant.com/microsoft-windows-xp-source-code-leak-matters/">most widely-used operating systems</a>, it’s still being run and could be around for many <a href="https://windowsreport.com/keep-using-windows-xp/">years to come</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/14223/windows-xp-end-of-support">According to Microsoft Support</a>, since Windows XP is no longer supported, computers running it “will not be secure and will still be at <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-08/microsoft-windows-vulnerability-bluekeep-and-cyber-security-risk/11277270">risk for infection</a>”.</p>
<p>Any antivirus software has limited effectiveness on computers that don’t have the latest security updates. The number of holes in software also increases as machines are left unpatched. </p>
<p>Luckily, most organisations have strategies (requiring money and human resources) to manage large-scale upgrades and isolate their most critical systems.</p>
<p>If your computers are still running on the extremely <a href="https://www.cio.com/article/2371858/windows-xp-turns-10--what-tech-was-like-in-2001.html">outdated Windows XP operating system</a>, you too should migrate to a more modern one. No one can force you, but it’s certainly a good idea.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/apple-iphones-could-have-been-hacked-for-years-heres-what-to-do-about-it-122860">Apple iPhones could have been hacked for years – here's what to do about it</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/147018/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The outdated Microsoft operating system was recently dumped online in a huge leak. Hackers can now scour it for bugs to exploit.Brianna O'Shea, Lecturer, Ethical Hacking and Defense, Edith Cowan UniversityPaul Haskell-Dowland, Associate Dean (Computing and Security), Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1425792020-08-06T16:12:29Z2020-08-06T16:12:29ZOpen windows to help stop the spread of coronavirus, advises architectural engineer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/349379/original/file-20200724-25-1b07lko.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C25%2C5599%2C3707&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/open-window-back-yard-blue-wall-94532305">Artazum/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Over 200 scientists, including myself, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798">signed a letter</a> that was published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases on July 6 2020 saying that COVID is not only spread by touch and droplets sprayed from the mouth and nose but, importantly, via a third route too. </p>
<p>The third infection pathway is in very tiny airborne particles of liquid and material, known as aerosols, that stay suspended in the air for a long time. If the virus attaches to these tiny particles, it can float on the air and spread much further. An effective way to reduce this spread is to purge the air containing those aerosols from rooms by simply opening the windows, as <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798">shown below</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Distribution of respiratory droplets with adequate and inadequate ventilation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348377/original/file-20200720-102864-20il28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348377/original/file-20200720-102864-20il28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=703&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348377/original/file-20200720-102864-20il28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=703&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348377/original/file-20200720-102864-20il28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=703&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348377/original/file-20200720-102864-20il28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=883&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348377/original/file-20200720-102864-20il28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=883&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348377/original/file-20200720-102864-20il28.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=883&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798">Clinical Infectious Diseases</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This illustration shows that by opening a window to let the virus escape, the amount of it in a room can be reduced, leading to a lower risk of infection.</p>
<p>Three days after our letter was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the World Health Organization admitted that aerosol transmission <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/modes-of-transmission-of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc-precaution-recommendations">can’t be ruled out</a>, given the growing evidence of disease spread in poorly ventilated venues such as restaurants, nightclubs and places of worship.</p>
<p>Aerosol spread was shown in late January in Guangzhou, China, where ten people fell ill with the novel coronavirus after eating lunch in a fifth-floor restaurant without windows. The virus had probably been spread in aerosol form by an <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.20067728v1">air conditioner</a> – although the study has yet to be peer-reviewed. </p>
<p>To prevent COVID from spreading: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Medical experts promote hand washing, protective clothing, cleaning surfaces, spatial distancing, fewer people in lifts, and the wearing of face masks – all practical and effective actions. </p></li>
<li><p>Heating, ventilating and cooling (HVAC) engineers recommend limiting the spread of the virus with expensive, high-efficiency particulate air and ultraviolet filters for climate-control systems in buildings that work well for those who can afford them.</p></li>
<li><p>Architects, when looking at the impacts of COVID on buildings often deal with issues of <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/covid-19-design">social and physical distancing within buildings</a>, and toy with the idea of the “<a href="https://www.harvard.co.uk/skyscrapers-coronavirus-and-trying-to-predict-the-future/">end of tall buildings</a>”, or the effect of the shift to home-working on the <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-an-architect-on-how-the-pandemic-could-change-our-homes-forever-138649">energy efficiency of our homes</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Very few of the above groups even mention the importance of simply opening windows, or the added benefits of the thermal, emotional and sensual delight of a cooling breeze on the skin on a warm day. Or the relief of clean, fresh air pouring into a stuffy room. </p>
<p>Building designers today often don’t understand that they have been cheated by not being taught how to ventilate buildings naturally. Modern, fast, cheap, design has three key drivers. One, the architectural fantasy that their main professional contribution to society is in sculptural art. Two, what the building regulations require. And three, the limits imposed on designers by the almost universal use of flawed building simulation models that steer designers away from naturally ventilating buildings.</p>
<h2>Conflict of interests</h2>
<p>Building regulations are written largely by HVAC engineers, including in the US and the UK. HVAC engineers are typically paid according to the amount of HVAC equipment that goes into a building, which is a conflict of interest issue that needs to be addressed globally.</p>
<p>Given that engineers write the rules, it is hardly surprising that buildings are required to have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00038628.2018.1502158">ever more machinery</a> installed in them to comply with those rules. No wonder <a href="https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/brickies-earn-more-than-architects/10028791.article">architects now earn less</a> than HVAC engineers, bricklayers, plumbers and even scaffolders.</p>
<p>If you are sitting in an overheated, stuffy room, with windows that don’t open, or are finding it difficult to pay for the rising air-conditioning bills, don’t worry. Things are about to change.</p>
<p>The future will have to be about buildings that are naturally ventilated for as much of the year and the day as possible, for many excellent reasons, including energy costs, carbon emissions and the basic health and safety of occupants. </p>
<p>Windows must be a life-saving feature of safer, better buildings in a less predictable future – never more so than during a pandemic when the power grid fails.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142579/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sue Roaf is a Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.</span></em></p>Why do so few modern buildings have opening windows?Susan Roaf, Emeritus Professor of Architectural Engineering, Heriot-Watt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1306492020-02-03T15:12:09Z2020-02-03T15:12:09ZWhy laptops could be facing the end of the line<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313111/original/file-20200131-41507-1yv2toy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/laptop-crumpled-papers-garbage-bin-office-492499519">sirtravelalot/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Microsoft’s <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-windows-7-support">recent announcement</a> that it would end support for users of its Windows 7 operating system had stress written all over it. The company advised that important day-to-day tasks such as personal banking and online shopping would no longer be safe on users’ now out-of-date and hacker-friendly Windows computers. </p>
<p>It’s hard to know how many people are affected but <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-many-pcs-are-still-running-windows-7-today/">one estimate</a> suggests it could be hundreds of millions. The company’s recommendation was to upgrade immediately <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2020/01/16/microsoft-windows-10-warning-upgrade-now/">and ideally buy a new laptop</a>, as the older one might be too slow or not function as well with the current Windows 10, a cost which many people will not be able to afford.</p>
<p>When I looked into this subject, I found over 100 expert articles referring to the process of upgrading to new operating systems as being stressful for users. One even referred to it as <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3397799/suffering-through-windows-update.html">a process of suffering</a>. The majority of these experts assumed stress was part of the process and offered tips on how to minimise or reduce that stress.</p>
<p>But do you need a buy a new laptop, or is it time to switch to a different device altogether? Microsoft would have you believe that Windows 10 is <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2015/5/7/8568473/windows-10-last-version-of-windows">the last version of Windows</a> and instead of making new editions they will improve your experience on a more ongoing basis.</p>
<p>Of course, this isn’t only a problem for owners of Windows laptops and desktops. <a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/14485/apple-ios13-compatibility-starting-with-the-6s">Apple</a> and <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/android-updates-nougat-finally-overtakes-marshmallow-but-oreo-still-languishes/">Android</a> operating systems also suffer from upgrades to new versions, with regular announcements that support or security upgrades for older versions will end, along with warnings that staying with legacy systems will compromise online security. Simply put, if your bank balance gets raided, you – the user – have only yourself to blame. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313113/original/file-20200131-41503-psigxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313113/original/file-20200131-41503-psigxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313113/original/file-20200131-41503-psigxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313113/original/file-20200131-41503-psigxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313113/original/file-20200131-41503-psigxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313113/original/file-20200131-41503-psigxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313113/original/file-20200131-41503-psigxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Why didn’t I upgrade?’</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/frustrated-worried-young-woman-looks-laptop-1047662398">Tatomirov/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It might be true that researchers and hackers regularly <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2019/10/15/new-ios-hack-warning-issued-to-legacy-iphone-users/#6a0b7ebd1306">find vulnerabilities</a> in <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-public-sector-organisations-more-at-risk-from-cyber-attacks-on-old-computers-77802">legacy devices</a>. And research shows that attackers are more likely to find vulnerabilities in <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1920261.1920299">older and more familiar code</a>.</p>
<p>But saying that legacy systems can’t be protected is arguably scaremongering in the name of sales. They are made by huge, rich companies with more than enough resources to create patches and keep our older devices safe. Stopping support creates fear and customers who are more than happy with older devices end up surrendering to pay for new gadgets and software versions.</p>
<p>In many cases, it seems to persuade people to make the leap of faith and just buy a new laptop. There is certainly evidence of <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/upgrades-from-windows-7-to-windows-10-boosted-pc-sales-but-not-for-very-long/">a short-term hike in laptop and PC sales</a>. But some people have already begun to desert the laptop market. </p>
<h2>Laptop decline</h2>
<p><a href="https://blog.globalwebindex.com/trends/device-usage-2019/">Research shows</a> that PC and laptop ownership, usage and importance have declined over the past three years, replaced largely by smartphones. A survey of internet users found just 15% thought their laptop was their most important device for accessing the internet, down from 30% in 2015, while 66% thought their smartphone was most important, up from 32%.</p>
<p>This has led some commentators to predict the <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/20/wont-buy-laptop-10-years-9338624/">slow death of the laptop</a> because of young people’s preference for and greater familiarity with the devices in their pocket. But a survey <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2017/rise-social-seniors">by UK regulator Ofcom in 2017</a> also found there has also been a record rise in older people using smartphones and tablets.</p>
<p>Even for those who love a QWERTY keyboard, you arguably no longer need a PC or laptop thanks to <a href="https://www.marketjournal.co.uk/wireless-mouse-keyboard-market-is-expected-to-witness-a-steady-growth-by-2025-logitech-hp-lenovo-handshoe/73915/">the emergence of</a> better keyboards for mobile devices and the growth in alternative products such as <a href="https://www.pocket-lint.com/laptops/buyers-guides/150705-best-2-in-1-pc-tablets-and-laptops">hybrid tablets</a> (with keyboards) and <a href="https://www.t3.com/news/best-folding-phones">foldable gadgets</a>.</p>
<p>Aside from these preferences, there are <a href="https://www.windowscentral.com/14-reasons-not-to-upgrade-windows-10">other reasons</a> to consider not surrendering to a new Windows 10 upgrade and spending a small fortune on a new laptop. Not least is the fact that the new operating system isn’t without <a href="https://www.neowin.net/news/heres-whats-fixed-improved-and-still-broken-in-windows-10-build-19541">its own bugs</a> and other security issues. In fact the US National Security Agency recently found a flaw so serious that it took the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/nsa-windows-10-vulnerability-disclosure/">unusual step</a> of issuing a public warning. </p>
<p>So, do you need to upgrade? You might be wiser to wait and see. There are other devices to do your online banking and similar important and sensitive tasks. Your older laptop will be perfectly good for tasks that come with security risks. You could hold fire on giving your money to the laptop makers and sellers and spend it better elsewhere. This is new territory for Microsoft and you, the customer, are part of the experiment (for which you are expected to pay).</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130649/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Levy owns shares in CATS3000 Limited</span></em></p>Windows 7 users are being urged to buy a new laptop but they could be just as well off not bothering.Paul Levy, Senior Researcher in Innovation Management, University of BrightonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/908392018-02-15T03:43:22Z2018-02-15T03:43:22ZSemitransparent solar cells: a window to the future?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206498/original/file-20180215-124886-1cij0t2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Looking through semitransparent cells – one day these could be big enough to make windows.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">UNSW</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Can you see a window as you are reading this article?</p>
<p>Windows have been ubiquitous in society for centuries, filling our homes and workplaces with natural light. But what if they could also generate electricity? What if your humble window could help charge your phone, or boil your kettle?</p>
<p>With between 5 billion and 7 billion square metres of glass surface in the <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/fossil-fuels-transparent-solar-panels-harvest-energy-windows-msu-691308">United States alone</a>, solar windows would offer a great way to harness the Sun’s energy. Our <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsphotonics.7b00618">research</a> represents a step toward this goal, by showing how to make solar panels that still let through enough light to function as a window.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/solar-is-now-the-most-popular-form-of-new-electricity-generation-worldwide-81678">Solar is now the most popular form of new electricity generation worldwide</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The economics of renewable energy are becoming <a href="https://theconversation.com/renewables-will-be-cheaper-than-coal-in-the-future-here-are-the-numbers-84433">increasingly favourable</a>. In Australia, and many other parts of the world, silicon solar cells already <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-photovoltaic-solar-energy-12924">dominate the rooftop market</a>.
Rooftop solar power offers an increasingly cheap and efficient way to generate electricity.</p>
<p>But while great for roofs, these silicon modules are opaque and bulky. To design a solar cell suitable for windows, we have to think outside the box.</p>
<p>When we put a solar panel on a roof, we want it to absorb as much sunlight as possible, so that it can generate the maximum amount of power. For a window, there is inevitably a trade-off between absorbing light to turn into electricity, and transmitting light so we can still see through the window. </p>
<p>When thinking about a cell that could be fitted to a window, one of the key parameters is known as the average visible transmittance (AVT). This is the percentage of visible light (as opposed to other wavelengths, like infrared or ultraviolet) hitting the window that travels through it and emerges on the other side. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206460/original/file-20180214-124883-150h66o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206460/original/file-20180214-124883-150h66o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206460/original/file-20180214-124883-150h66o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206460/original/file-20180214-124883-150h66o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206460/original/file-20180214-124883-150h66o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206460/original/file-20180214-124883-150h66o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206460/original/file-20180214-124883-150h66o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206460/original/file-20180214-124883-150h66o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Semitransparent solar cells convert some sunlight into electricity, while also allowing some light to pass through.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Of course we don’t want the solar window to absorb so much light that we can longer see out of it. Nor do we want it to let so much light through that it hardly generates any solar power. So scientists have been trying to find a happy medium between high electrical efficiency and a high AVT.</p>
<h2>A matter of voltage</h2>
<p>An AVT of 25% is generally considered a benchmark for solar windows. But letting a quarter of the light travel through the solar cell makes it hard to generate a lot of current, which is why the efficiency of semitransparent cells has so far been low.</p>
<p>But note that electrical power depends on two factors: current and voltage. In our recent research, we decided to focus on upping the voltage. We carefully selected new organic absorber materials that have been shown to produce high voltage in non-transparent cells.</p>
<p>When placed in a semitransparent solar cell, the voltage was also high, as it was not significantly lowered by the large amount of transmitted light. And so, although the current was lowered, compared to opaque cells, the higher voltage allowed us to achieve a higher efficiency than previous semitransparent cells.</p>
<p>Having got this far, the key question is: what would windows look like if they were made of our new semitransparent cells?</p>
<h2>Do you see what I see?</h2>
<p>If your friend is wearing a red shirt, when you view them through a window, their shirt should appear red. That seems obvious, as it will definitely be the case for a glass window.</p>
<p>But because semitransparent solar cells absorb some of the light we see in the visible spectrum, we need to think more carefully about this colour-rendering property. We can measure how well the cell can accurately present an image by calculating what’s called the colour rendering index, or CRI. Our investigation showed that changing the thickness of the absorbing layer can not only affect the electrical power the cell can produce, but also changes its ability to depict colours accurately.</p>
<p>A different prospective approach, which can lead to excellent CRIs, is to replace the organic absorber material with one that absorbs energy from the sun outside the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/adom.201400103/abstract">visible range</a>. This means the cell will appear as normal glass to the human eye, as the solar conversion is happening in the infrared range. </p>
<p>However, this places limitations on the efficiency the cells can achieve as it severely limits the amount of power from the sun that can be converted to electricity.</p>
<h2>What next?</h2>
<p>So far we have created our cells only at a small, prototype scale. There are still several hurdles in the way before we can make large, efficient solar windows. In particular, the transparent electrodes used to collect charge from these cells can be brittle and contain rare elements, such as indium.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/solar-power-alone-wont-solve-energy-or-climate-needs-83342">Solar power alone won't solve energy or climate needs</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>If science can solve these issues, the large-scale deployment of solar-powered windows could help to bolster the amount of electricity being produced by renewable technologies.</p>
<p>So while solar windows are not yet in full view, we are getting close enough to glimpse them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90839/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Solar windows would need to trap enough light to generate power, while letting through enough to keep buildings light. Thankfully, newly developed semitransparent cells offer to do just that.Matthew Wright, Postdoctoral Researcher in Photovoltaic Engineering, UNSW SydneyMushfika Baishakhi Upama, PhD student [Photovoltaics & Renewable Energy Engineering], UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/777702017-05-19T01:02:23Z2017-05-19T01:02:23ZShould spies use secret software vulnerabilities?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170032/original/file-20170518-12257-625y70.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">When is it okay for the government to keep a secret?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/whispering-words-145530742">sharpshutter via shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cyberattack-wannacry-ransomware-north-korea-hackers-lazarus-group/">infected about 300,000 computers in 150 countries</a>, and cost computer users <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/total-paid-malware-ransom-how-exploit-spread-n759531">thousands of dollars in ransom money</a> and <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wannacry-ransomware-attacks-wannacry-virus-losses/">billions in lost productivity</a>. </p>
<p>The attack took advantage of a vulnerability in the Windows operating system that the federal government had been aware of for years but had chosen not to tell Microsoft about until just months before the WannaCry attack began. That history and the potential for <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/16/shadow-brokers-nsa-june/">more releases in the coming weeks</a> have intensified the debate around how governments and spy agencies should act when they discover weaknesses in computer software. </p>
<p>It’s a choice of how best to protect the public: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/nsa-officials-worried-about-the-day-its-potent-hacking-tool-would-get-loose-then-it-did/2017/05/16/50670b16-3978-11e7-a058-ddbb23c75d82_story.html">Exploit software vulnerabilities to collect intelligence information</a> that may help keep people safe? Or disclose the flaw, letting the software company fix it and <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2017/05/14/need-urgent-collective-action-keep-people-safe-online-lessons-last-weeks-cyberattack/">protect millions of regular computer users from malicious attacks</a> by hackers?</p>
<h2>Exposing WannaCry</h2>
<p>For years, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/nsa-officials-worried-about-the-day-its-potent-hacking-tool-would-get-loose-then-it-did/2017/05/16/50670b16-3978-11e7-a058-ddbb23c75d82_story.html">the U.S. National Security Agency used a flaw in the Windows operating system</a>, nicknamed “EternalBlue,” to spy on intelligence targets, gathering information from their computer files and electronic communications. But the NSA didn’t tell Microsoft about the flaw in the company’s software until early 2017. The company <a href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/security/ms17-010.aspx">quickly issued a fix</a> users could download and install. <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-installing-software-updates-makes-us-wannacry-77667">Many people didn’t</a>, though.</p>
<p>In April, a hacking group called the <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2017/04/14/shadow-brokers-dump-windows-zero-day/">Shadow Brokers reported that it had breached the network</a> of, and stolen information from, computers used by the Equation Group, which has not identified itself but is <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyberspying-idUSKBN0LK1QV20150216">widely believed to be part of the NSA</a>. The Shadow Brokers revealed <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-the-nsa-hack-cybersecurity-in-an-even-more-vulnerable-world-64090">information about extremely sophisticated digital tools</a> for attacking military, political and economic targets worldwide. One of those tools was “EternalBlue.”</p>
<p>In May, a hacker or hacking group released a piece of malicious software using “EternalBlue” to hijack computers, encrypt the data on them and charge victims a ransom to restore access to their information. </p>
<p>If the NSA had told Microsoft about the flaw five years ago, things could have unfolded differently. In particular, users could have had much more time to update their software – which would have <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-installing-software-updates-makes-us-wannacry-77667">substantially increased the number of people protected</a> against the vulnerability.</p>
<h2>Using ‘zero days’</h2>
<p>The most serious cyberattacks are those that use previously unknown vulnerabilities. They are called “zero day” exploits because the developers had no time to fix it before trouble began, and nobody is protected. The NSA may know of <a href="https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/online-articles/healey_vulnerability_equities_process">hundreds, or even thousands, of them</a>. Spy agencies of other countries, including <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/13/us/politics/obama-lets-nsa-exploit-some-internet-flaws-officials-say.html?_r=1">China, Russia, Iran and North Korea</a>, are also working to find zero-day vulnerabilities.</p>
<p>Using these vulnerabilities can be effective. For instance, the NSA used four zero-day vulnerabilities as part of a series of cyberattacks on Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites. That effort, officially code-named “Olympic Games,” created the program known to the public as “<a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/11/countdown-to-zero-day-stuxnet/">Stuxnet</a>,” which damaged about 1,000 centrifuges and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/13/us/politics/obama-lets-nsa-exploit-some-internet-flaws-officials-say.html?_r=1">may have helped force Iran to negotiate</a> with the U.S. about its nuclear program.</p>
<h2>Should they keep the secret?</h2>
<p>By not telling software companies about newly identified vulnerabilities, government agencies such as the NSA and CIA serve their own purposes of finding ways to gather intelligence undetected. But they also <a href="https://fcw.com/articles/2017/03/13/zero-day-stockpile-carberry.aspx">endanger critical systems of governments and regular users alike</a>. </p>
<p>The U.S. does not have strong and clear policies with which to handle this problem. In January 2014, the <a href="https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/online-articles/healey_vulnerability_equities_process">Obama administration ordered spy agencies</a> to <a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/04/obama-zero-day/">disclose weaknesses they find</a> – but with a significant loophole: If a software flaw has “a clear national security or law enforcement” use, the government can <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-encryption-review-idUSKCN0WW2OL">keep the flaw secret</a> and exploit it.</p>
<p>These are <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01972243.2016.1177764">complex trade-offs</a> involving many questions: What might spies learn by exploiting the vulnerability? How likely is it that adversaries could find it? What might happen if they use it? <a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/05/governments-wont-let-go-secret-software-bugs/">Can the secret be kept securely and reliably</a>? Regardless of the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2535813.2535818">ethics questions</a> about how these agencies should best carry out their duty of protecting the public, the decision will likely end up as a political one, about <a href="https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/online-articles/healey_vulnerability_equities_process">how the government should use its power</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/77770/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nir Kshetri does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>What’s the best way for spy agencies to protect the public: secretly exploit software flaws to gather intelligence, or warn the world and avert malicious cyberattacks?Nir Kshetri, Professor of Management, University of North Carolina – GreensboroLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/534312016-01-20T19:22:41Z2016-01-20T19:22:41ZHack attack on a hospital IT system highlights the risk of still running Windows XP<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108668/original/image-20160120-26129-c1ygeq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An out of date operating system can let the hackers in to your computer network.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/23905174@N00/1594411528/">Flickr/Don Hankins</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A virus attack on the computer system of one of Melbourne’s largest hospital networks is cause for concern because it affected machines running Microsoft’s Windows XP, an operating system no longer supported by the software giant.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/royal-melbourne-hospital-attacked-by-damaging-computer-virus-20160118-gm8m3v.html">report this week</a> in The Age said a “computer virus” has affected Windows XP systems across the hospital, interfering with the delivery of meals and pathology results. Staff have resorted to “manual workarounds”, telephones, and fax machines to ensure continued delivery of these services.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.thermh.org.au/news/update-regarding-computer-virus-affecting-melbourne-health-computer-network">statement</a> from the Royal Melbourne Hospital said IT staff at Melbourne Health, the network that runs the hospital, were doing all they could to “restore the remaining Windows XP computers” as soon as possible. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>While the virus has been disruptive to the organisation, due to the tireless work of staff we have been able to minimise this disruption to our patients and ensure patient safety has been maintained.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>While critical patient treatment is, according to the hospital, unaffected, it has clearly been a major inconvenience for the already hard-worked staff of a busy hospital. </p>
<p>Further, existing patient data could have been compromised by the breach, as The Age reports:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When asked if the virus would jeopardise the safety and privacy of patient’s records, she made no comment. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Health-care providers are hacker targets</h2>
<p>While all IT systems are targets for hackers, health-care IT systems have not traditionally been thought of as attractive targets for cybercriminals. But the data they hold is highly lucrative in the hands of crooks.</p>
<p>When you enter a hospital, a great deal of basic personal information, such as your name, age, date of birth, marital status, a variety of contact details, and possibly billing information including health insurance provider and banking details, is recorded. Cybercriminals can use this information to commit identity fraud. </p>
<p>Identity fraud encompasses a wide variety of crimes in which a criminal pretends to be you for financial gain. According to the Australian Federal Police, <a href="http://www.afp.gov.au/policing/fraud/identity-crime">such crimes can include</a> applying for and using credit cards in your name, gaining access to your bank accounts and even applying for government benefits in your name.</p>
<p>Cybercriminals operate well-organised global black markets in illegally obtained information, as well as tools for obtaining and exploiting it. Both the computer company <a href="http://www.secureworks.com/resources/blog/general-hackers-sell-health-insurance-credentials-bank-accounts-ssns-and-counterfeit-documents/">Dell</a> and <a href="http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/04/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-stolen-healthcare-record/">journalist Brian Krebs</a> have described how collections of data from health-care providers are bought and sold on these markets. </p>
<p>The reported information on the Melbourne Health attack makes it impossible to judge whether this was a deliberate attempt to steal patient data for profit. Regardless, hospitals and other health-care providers are and will continue to be the target of skilled and well-resourced criminals.</p>
<h2>The end of Windows XP</h2>
<p>But let me return to the issue of the affected systems running Windows XP. This version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system was originally released in October 2001.</p>
<p>Over more than 12 years, Microsoft regularly released updates that fixed bugs in XP, including many security related patches. In any large software system, the number of bugs is never zero, and they can remain present but unknown for many years.</p>
<p>For instance, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/shell-shocked-but-what-should-you-do-about-the-bash-bug-32202">Shellshock bug</a> which affected Unix systems was at least 20 years old when discovered in 2014. </p>
<p>Microsoft <a href="http://www.cnet.com/au/news/windows-xp-era-draws-to-a-close/">advised in 2008</a> that Windows XP support would <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/WindowsForBusiness/end-of-xp-support">end in April 2014</a>, and stuck precisely to this schedule. Its announcement warned of the security consequences of continuing to use XP:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Without critical Windows XP security updates, your PC may become vulnerable to harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software which can steal or damage your business data and information. Anti-virus software will also not be able to fully protect you once Windows XP itself is unsupported.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Antivirus software vendor Symantec also said that its products <a href="https://support.norton.com/sp/en/au/home/current/solutions/v95977279_EndUserProfile_en_us">are not sufficient</a> to protect a system running XP.</p>
<h2>XP unpatched</h2>
<p>Since April 2014, several serious security faults have indeed been found in Windows XP, which have not been patched. <a href="https://securityintelligence.com/ibm-x-force-researcher-finds-significant-vulnerability-in-microsoft-windows/">Some of these faults</a> allow a hacker to take full control of an XP system remotely. </p>
<p>While a few specialised variants of XP used in “embedded systems” such as ATMs are still supported, all consumer and mainstream business versions are now unsupported by Microsoft. This includes versions with Service Packs installed, as well as the Professional Edition.</p>
<p>Some large customers, including the US Navy and several Australian government departments, continue to pay Microsoft for custom support. While these support contracts are negotiated privately with Microsoft, <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/02/16/windows_server_2003_600_dollars/">media reports</a> indicate that the price of supporting XP, and its cousin OS Windows Server 2003, is steep, and doubles each year.<br>
It’s unclear whether the Melbourne Health computers affected by the security breach were covered by a support contract with Microsoft. Even with support, XP lacks a number of security features present in more recent versions that make it harder for hackers to take advantage of any security bugs.</p>
<h2>Time to let it go</h2>
<p><a href="http://gs.statcounter.com/#desktop-os-AU-monthly-201510-201512-bar">Web access statistics</a> suggest that roughly 2.5% of Australia’s desktop computers still use Windows XP. While a few will have some protection due to support contracts from Microsoft, the vast majority are now completely unprotected.</p>
<p>Anybody who uses such a computer connected to a network is a sitting duck for hackers, who can and will attack them. </p>
<p>All users with an unsupported copy of XP, even if they have antivirus software, are vulnerable and should cease using the operating system as soon as possible. Organisations storing large amounts of private information are particularly likely to be attacked. </p>
<p>Home and small business users still using XP are likely to find that they will require a new PC if they wish to continue to use the latest version of Windows. Fortunately, low-end Windows PCs are cheaper and more capable than ever.</p>
<p>Alternatives such as tablets and Chromebooks can be a viable, low-cost and lower-maintenance option for users with basic computing needs.</p>
<p>But if you do nothing, and continue to run Windows XP, then you’ll have no excuse when your system gets hacked. The malware used against Melbourne Health can, and almost certainly will, be used against others.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/53431/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Merkel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Microsoft warned back in 2014 that anyone continuing to use Windows XP, once it ended support, would be vulnerable to attack. So why are some organisations still using the old operating system?Robert Merkel, Lecturer in Software Engineering, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/458202015-08-23T19:44:41Z2015-08-23T19:44:41ZWindows 95 two decades on: but why all the upgrades?<p>It’s been 20 years since the launch of Microsoft’s <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows/history#T1=era4">Windows 95</a> operating system, which changed the way we interacted with computers. But what was it that was so special about the software and why all the upgrades over the years?</p>
<p>Windows 95 was Microsoft’s big push into the world of <a href="http://www.britannica.com/technology/graphical-user-interface">graphical user interfaces</a> for its operating system. <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows/history">Previous versions of Windows</a> required users to provide input predominantly by using the keyboard, with a mouse click only here and there. Windows 95 introduced Microsoft users to a world where everything was “point and click”, with the mouse was used as much as possible and the keyboard only used where necessary.</p>
<p>It’s <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/uk/go/32106">been argued</a> that the free games packed with Windows 95 – Solitaire, Minesweeper (a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com.au/bill-gates-was-a-microsoft-minesweeper-addict-2015-8">favourite of Bill Gates</a>), Hearts or FreeCell – were all designed to teach us how to use the mouse for click, drag and drop actions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Playing Freecell, everyone’s favourite distraction on Windows 95.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/reprehensible/171797019/">Flickr/reprehensible</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Windows 95 screen was composed of a number of icons and other images, rather than a collection of text windows. Documents could now be edited by highlighting words with a mouse, and clicking to cut or paste.</p>
<p>Opening, copying and saving files could now also be performed by pointing and clicking. This made everyday computing tasks more intuitive and more efficient to perform, and users of the system responded favourably to it. </p>
<h2>The battle with Apple</h2>
<p>For Apple users, this appeared to be nothing particularly new. Since the launch of the <a href="http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_classic/specs/mac_128k.html">Macintosh</a> in 1984, Apple had been providing interfaces with similar functionality.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y0CRWAz09r8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>From the perspective of 20 years later, it seems natural that Microsoft would seek to overcome a perceived technological advantage in favour of its main competitor by introducing a similar development of its own.</p>
<p>This was no simple effort though. Graphical user interfaces, particularly for an operating system, require significantly more storage and processing power than text-based ones. Storing images takes vastly more space than text.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">All you need is a simple click to open programs on Windows 95.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jpasden/5447816379/">Flickr/John Pasden</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A simple task such as opening a file by clicking on an icon requires display monitors that can show sufficient detail, which in turn requires greater processing power. This means that a “point and click” system is only possible with a particular level of hardware development. Accordingly, Windows 95 (or in fact any version of any operating system) can be considered as a showcase for what can be done with the hardware of the time. </p>
<p>Users took to Windows 95 quite quickly. And as with many technological developments, the success of the system led to raised expectations, so that graphical interfaces became the norm and anything less became unthinkable.</p>
<h2>The need for upgrades</h2>
<p>Had technology and user expectations remained static, we might still be using Window 95 today. But developments in microprocessors, storage and networking
inevitably led to an expanded variety and range of applications.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Look at all those discs needed for Windows 95.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/programwitch/7488906888">Flickr/K Latham</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This in turn raised user expectations to new levels, and drove expansion into previously unexplored territory. This means it’s unlikely that any operating system will ever be the final word, but rather will be one more step in a never-ending chain of development. </p>
<p>It is easy to forget how different today’s computer use is from that of 1995. Perhaps it is an accident of history that Windows 95 coincided with the rise of the internet, but its use at that time was primitive by today’s standards.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=561&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=561&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=561&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=705&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=705&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=705&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
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<p>This was a time before Facebook (founded in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/facebook/info?tab=page_info">2004</a>), Twitter (founded in <a href="http://twitter.about.com/od/Twitter-Basics/a/The-Real-History-Of-Twitter-In-Brief.htm">2006</a>) or other social networks. Internet banking was still at least a decade away. Mobile phones (large and cumbersome by today’s standards) were not ubiquitous, and were used mainly for making phone calls (how novel).</p>
<p><a href="http://www.csiro.au/en/Research/DPF/Areas/Wireless/Wireless-technologies/WiFi">Wireless internet connections</a> were still a twinkle in the CSIRO’s eye. <a href="http://www.google.com/about/company/history/">Larry Page and Sergey Brin</a> met at Stanford in 1995 but it would be a couple of years before they even register <a href="http://www.google.com/">google.com</a>. Internet use typically meant sending and receiving electronic mail, or perhaps exploring the brave new world of the world wide web using the <a href="http://www.wired.com/2010/04/0422mosaic-web-browser/">Mosaic browser</a> (but without the benefits of search engines).</p>
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<p>Connection to the internet at home was chiefly by dial-up modems, which meant that many fledging web sites were largely text, as if there were too many images, it would take too long to download them. The idea that photos, let along videos, would be routinely exchanged over the internet sounded like science fiction (particularly as photographs were still typically taken on film-based cameras rather than digital ones). </p>
<p>The game-changing nature of the internet meant that computing became an increasingly important part of everyday life. This made it inevitable that Windows 95 would need to be upgraded with in a few years.</p>
<h2>Through the next Windows</h2>
<p>And that’s how it’s been over the past 20 years. The twin pressures of technological innovation and expanding applications have ensured that there have been several new versions of Windows since 1995 (some of which, it must be said, were <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-best-and-worst-windows-versions-ever/">more memorable than others</a>). </p>
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<span class="caption">A Windows 10 event in Sydney. The upgrade is available free to many existing Windows users.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://news.microsoft.com/?attachment_id=215993">Microsoft</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>It is now unremarkable to upload videos to sites such as Facebook, or to pause a movie playing on a laptop in order to pay bills online, tasks that were a pipe dream when Windows 95 was launched.</p>
<p>A further driver for change, which is largely invisible to the average user, is that a typical computer now contains multiple processors. This increases the processing power of the machine, but significantly complicates the architecture of the operating system, which needs to be able to exploit this extra capability whilst still remaining simple to use for the average person.</p>
<p>Annoying as it may have been to upgrade from say Windows 98 to Windows XP, sometimes upgrading to a new version of the operating system is simply the price of progress.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/windows-10">Windows 10</a> is still in its infancy, but so far it seems to have the hit the mark. It may not have to deal with floppy drives or dial-up modems, but there is still a lot more going on under the hood than in the days of Windows 95 all those years ago.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Harland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Today marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Windows 95 operating system. What was it that made the operating system so special, and why all the upgrades over the years?James Harland, Associate Professor in Computational Logic, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/462262015-08-21T13:26:19Z2015-08-21T13:26:19ZWindows 95 turns 20 – and new ways of interacting show up desktop’s age<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92612/original/image-20150820-7246-1khx9v9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Windows 95 and DOS6: actual museum pieces.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/39908901@N06/7553233074/in/photolist-cvsi3s-4qmJd-9wh8gK-4nceyo-81ngrZ-ssAXm-pySXkd-a1cT8N-tY8LkY-7m8HCx-qVgfB1-62nUCf-o8tJ1N-nT2DYi-aZQQiB-oadDop-cVhbQj-7fHaxo-6BRKo7-99pCEn-nT2JsY-qjGZcb-x7LkbA-x8A5uD-nT2qQq-KGFTw-dAW8eV-onrJtj-jJ46T5-ppwXyX-sDESHv-b8WktX-78Bqme-f2ivoW-8Vaz9P-f7xMEb-ahDbrK-av6ZVx-5aTbBv-7SamS6-vCvu8D-jH3CZc-6YBCsm-x85e3U-dKCEk6-akuMkm-fvWK8M-cWYjHE-fmz5tk-bdSfSZ">m01229</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The arrival of Microsoft Windows 95 on August 24 1995 brought about a desktop PC boom. With an easier and more intuitive graphical user interface than previous versions it appealed to more than just business, and Bill Gates’ stated aim of one PC per person per desk was set in motion. This was a time of 320Mb hard drives, 8Mb RAM and 15" inch CRT monitors. For most home users, the internet had only just arrived.</p>
<p>Windows 95 introduced the start menu, powered by a button in the bottom-left corner of the desktop. This gives a central point of entry into menus from which to choose commands and applications. The simplicity of this menu enables users to easily find commonly used documents and applications. All subsequent versions of Windows have kept this menu, with the notable exception of Windows 8, a change which <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/computing/141702-how-to-bring-the-start-menu-and-button-back-to-windows-8">prompted an enormous backlash</a>.</p>
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<p>We take these intuitive graphic interfaces for granted today, but earlier operating systems such as DOS and CP/M allowed the user to interact using only typed text commands. This all changed in the 1970s, with Ivan Sutherland’s work with Sketchpad and the use of lightpens to control CRT displays, Douglas Engelbart’s development of the computer mouse, and the <a href="http://www.parc.com/">Xerox PARC</a> research team’s creation of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn4vC80Pv6Q">Windows Icon Menu Pointer graphical interfaces paradigm</a> (WIMP) – the combination of mouse pointer, window and icons that remains standard to this day. By the early 1980s, Apple had developed graphical operating systems for its Lisa (released 1983) and Macintosh (1984) computers, and Microsoft had released Windows (1985).</p>
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<span class="caption">DOS - these were not good old days.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Krzysztof Burghardt</span></span>
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<h2>Imagining a desktop</h2>
<p>All these interfaces rely on the central idea of the desktop, a comprehensible metaphor for a computer. We work with information in files and organise them in folders, remove unwanted information to the trash can, and note something of interest with a bookmark. </p>
<p>Metaphors are useful. They enable users to grasp concepts faster, but rely on the metaphor remaining comprehensible to the user and useful for the designer and programmer putting it into effect – without stretching it beyond belief. The advantage is that the pictures used to represent functions (icons) look similar to those in the workplace, and so the metaphor is readily understandable. </p>
<h2>Breaking windows</h2>
<p>But 20 years after Windows 95, the world has changed. We have smartphones and smart televisions, we use the internet prolifically for practically everything. Touchscreens are now almost more ubiquitous than the classic mouse-driven interface approach, and screen resolution is so high individual pixels can be difficult to see. We still have Windows, but things are changing. Indeed, they need to change.</p>
<p>The desktop metaphor has been the metaphor of choice for so long, and this ubiquity has helped computers find a place within households as a common, familiar tool rather than as specialist, computerised equipment. But is it still appropriate? After all, few of us sit in an office today with paper-strewn desks; books are read on a tablet or phone rather than hard-copies; printing emails is discouraged; most type their own letters and write their own emails; files are electronic not physical; we search the internet for information rather than flick through reference books; and increasingly the categorisation and organisation of data has taken second place to granular search.</p>
<p>Mouse-driven interfaces rely on a single point of input, but we’re increasingly seeing touch-based interfaces that accept swipes, touches and shakes in various combinations. We are moving away from the dictatorship of the mouse pointer. Dual-finger scrolling and pinch-to-zoom are new emerging metaphors – <a href="http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/collaboration/focus/nui/">natural user interfaces</a> (NUI) rather than graphical user interfaces. </p>
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<h2>What does the next 20 years hold?</h2>
<p>It’s hard to tell but one thing that is certain is that interfaces will make use of more human senses to display information and to control the computer. Interfaces will become more transparent, more intuitive and less set around items such as boxes, arrows or icons. Human gestures will be more commonplace. And such interfaces will be incorporated into technology throughout the world, through virtual reality and augmented reality.</p>
<p>These interfaces will be appear and feel more natural. Some suitable devices already exist, such as <a href="http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=5438990&tag=1">ShiverPad</a>, that provide <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-jQyeYApU8">shear forces</a> on surfaces that provide a frictional feel to touch devices. Or <a href="http://www.geomagic.com/en/products/phantom-desktop/overview/">Geomagic’s Touch X</a> (formerly the Sensible Phantom Desktop) that delivers three-dimensional forces to make 3D objects feel solid. </p>
<p>Airborne <a href="http://big.cs.bris.ac.uk/projects/ultrahaptics">haptics</a> are another promising technology that develop tactile interfaces in mid-air. Through ultrasound, users can feel <a href="http://www.gizmag.com/ultrasonic-tactile-haptic-interaction-holodeck/29360/">acoustic radiation fields</a> that emanate from devices, without needing to touch any physical surface. Videogame manufacturers have led the way with these interfaces, including the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/kinectforwindows/">Microsoft Kinect</a> and <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-hololens/en-us">Hololens</a> that allow users to use body gestures to control the interface, or <a href="https://theconversation.com/eye-tracking-is-the-next-frontier-of-human-computer-interaction-37596">with their eyes through head-mounted displays</a>. </p>
<p>Once interaction with a computer or device can be commanded using natural gestures, movements of the body or spoken commands, the necessity for the Windows-based metaphor of computer interaction begins to look dated – as old as it is.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/46226/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jonathan Roberts receives funding from AHRC, EPSRC.</span></em></p>The desktop interface originated in the 1970s and was exemplified by the arrival of Windows 95. Surely there’s a better approach, 20 years on?Jonathan Roberts, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science, Bangor UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/452252015-07-28T04:48:12Z2015-07-28T04:48:12ZMicrosoft wants to win back your support with Windows 10<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89875/original/image-20150728-7662-vfy9xr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Things should look a little more familiar on Windows 10.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126940499@N05/15457852442/">Flickr/download.net.pl</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The latest version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system will begin rolling out from Wednesday (July 29). And remarkably, <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/windows-10-upgrade">Windows 10</a> will be offered as a free upgrade to those users who already have Windows 7 and 8.1 installed.</p>
<p>That the upgrade is free is an interesting move and comes off the back of much <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-microsoft-dropping-support-for-windows-8-1-25712">criticism over Windows 8</a>. Interestingly, the software giant has also skipped over any planned version 9 of Windows.</p>
<p>So what does this mean for Microsoft and the <a href="http://news.microsoft.com/bythenumbers/index.HTML">1.5 billion people</a> it says use Windows every day? Can the company restore some of the consumer and user confidence <a href="http://www.cnet.com/au/news/microsoft-responds-to-extreme-windows-8-criticism/">it has lost</a> in recent years?</p>
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<p>Under Satya Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft is transforming itself into a “<a href="https://redmondmag.com/articles/2015/07/01/gaming-matters.aspx">productivity and platforms company</a>”. This is a bold re-invention of the company as it seeks to secure its future in a market moving steadily towards <a href="http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/the-pros-and-cons-of-cloud-computing.html">cloud-based services</a> and mobile devices powered by Google’s <a href="https://www.android.com/">Android</a> and Apple’s <a href="https://www.apple.com/ios/">iOS</a>. </p>
<p>Nadella sees it as necessity to broaden the company’s scope of operations beyond its current family of products and conventional modes of delivery. The market does not leave him with much choice if the company is to stay in the game, if not be a leader.</p>
<h2>After Windows 10 it’s just Windows</h2>
<p>For decades, the latest release of Windows has been a major event in itself. But that is set to end.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/features">Windows 10</a> will be the last <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2015/05/08/microsoft-windows-10-last-windows/">numbered version</a> of the operating system. After Windows 10, it will simply be known as Windows. And you will get your updates incrementally from from the cloud via a subscription service. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many Windows users will have noticed the upgrade notification appearing on their taskbar.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://news.microsoft.com/?attachment_id=213483">Microsoft</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>In what it is calling a “<a href="https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2015/03/02/a-first-look-at-the-windows-10-universal-app-platform/">platform convergence strategy</a>”, Microsoft is creating a unified operating environment for phones, tablets, ultrabooks, laptops, desktop computers and Xboxes. All will be integrated by Windows 10, and increasingly so with the later Windows. </p>
<p>The platform convergence strategy allows the creation of <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/21/windows-10-makes-microsofts-dream-of-universal-apps-come-true/">universal applications</a> that can run on any platform with Windows 10. </p>
<p>Surprisingly, applications that have been developed to run on Android and iOS devices will also be able to run on Windows 10, albeit once they have been converted to make them compatible. Still, this will open up a vast number of potential applications to run across Windows platforms.</p>
<h2>Focus on gaming</h2>
<p>Microsoft’s <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/09/microsoft-minecraft-mobile/">acquisition</a> last year of the hit game <a href="https://minecraft.net/">Minecraft</a> for US$2.5 billion is a measure of how seriously Nadella and his strategists take mobile gaming.</p>
<p>Minecraft is a hugely popular open world game that gives players the freedom to create create and manipulate an on-line world made of Lego-like blocks. The move will establish Microsoft in the booming world of mobile games as well as further popularising the Xbox gaming console. </p>
<p>But the question on many people’s minds is whether the personal computer itself is <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/computing/193469-windows-10-is-great-but-it-wont-stop-the-pc-from-dying-and-taking-microsoft-with-it">dead</a>, and along with it Microsoft?</p>
<p>It’s not the first time we have heard such <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/news/426222/the-personal-computer-is-dead/">dire predictions</a>. It is true that PCs are today part of a more complicated personal computing environment, but it is a stretch to declare the PC dead.</p>
<p>There is only so much you can do with a phone or a tablet. For serious work or fun, a full-spec laptop or desktop is still the machine of choice and will remain so. For example, I am writing this article using a laptop.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Microsoft’s latest upgrade of Windows will be free for many users.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericksli/19691620619/">Flickr/Eric Li</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
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<h2>The new digital economy</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/internet-of-things">Internet of Things</a> is expanding, with embedded sensors and data gatherers becoming <a href="http://readwrite.com/2011/07/17/cisco_50_billion_things_on_the_internet_by_2020">pervasive</a>. </p>
<p>Open platforms and operating environments that feed data into the cloud and allow people to derive value will be an important part of the new digital economy. With traditional jobs under threat from automation and artificial intelligence, imagination and creativity will be more important than ever. </p>
<p>Microsoft’s strategy to diversify and integrate its platform offerings and move its services to the cloud while opening itself up to using its competitor’s apps would seem to be a bold but rational response to the current challenges; one that stands a good chance of succeeding. </p>
<p>There will no doubt be loud complaints from those who claim to speak for all of us. But in the end if a computing environment delivers value and allows people to live their lives as they please, then that platform is likely to succeed, particularly when it has the muscle and know-how of a well-established company behind it.</p>
<p>How Google and Apple respond will be very interesting, but competition is a good thing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/45225/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Tuffley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>After Windows 8 flopped, Microsoft is betting big with a free upgrade to Windows 10 and a new strategy to keep the brand alive in a changing technology landscape.David Tuffley, Lecturer in Applied Ethics and Socio-Technical Studies, School of ICT, , Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/383972015-03-05T16:38:22Z2015-03-05T16:38:22ZTo upgrade or not upgrade? That is the all-too-frequent question<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73948/original/image-20150305-3314-j6k4rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'If I'm honest I just don't think this is Windows 10-compatible.' (with apols to Ritchie & Thompson)</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ken_Thompson_(sitting)_and_Dennis_Ritchie_at_PDP-11_(2876612463).jpg">Peter Hamer</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The question of whether or not to go for the upgrade or stick with the devil you know is an increasingly common contemporary dilemma; the lure of new features against the threat of potentially disabling a device that plays an important role in our lives.</p>
<p>For example, Apple iPhone users who were quick to upgrade their phones to iOS 8 <a href="http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/the-worst-ios-8-1-bugs-and-how-to-fix-them-1651727596">got burned by bugs</a>. In fact many cynics see “point-zero” software versions (eg, 8.0) as nothing short of testing releases, and wait for later minor updates (eg, 8.1) to iron out the problems.</p>
<p>But even this behaviour can’t explain how Microsoft’s venerable Windows XP operating system, introduced in 2001 and officially retired in 2014, has <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/02/windows_xp_markets_share_grows_again/">grown its market share</a> against more recent versions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73941/original/image-20150305-3284-1ep0prm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73941/original/image-20150305-3284-1ep0prm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73941/original/image-20150305-3284-1ep0prm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=193&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73941/original/image-20150305-3284-1ep0prm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=193&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73941/original/image-20150305-3284-1ep0prm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=193&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73941/original/image-20150305-3284-1ep0prm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73941/original/image-20150305-3284-1ep0prm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73941/original/image-20150305-3284-1ep0prm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Desktop operating system market share, Jan-Feb 2015.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">netmarketshare</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The problem for software and hardware developers and technological giants such as Microsoft, Apple, and Google is that despite technology’s constant, rapid advancements many users are happy with what they’ve got. Unintentionally this makes these firms’ task much harder. </p>
<p>Microsoft Windows is 32 years old – businesses have used Microsoft products and applications built to run on them for decades, and they expect <a href="http://www.techopedia.com/definition/4230/backward-compatible">backward compatibility</a>. Developers want those using their products to stick with them as new versions come out, which means data created with older versions must be accessible by the latest version.</p>
<h2>The update rat-race</h2>
<p>While for home and business users the trade off is often between features or convenience and cost, for software companies the issue is the cost burden of supporting and updating not just the current but older versions too. This is why most will <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/lifecycle">declare end-of-life on their products</a> past a certain age. Commercial software developers want to sell you new versions, and developers of all kinds would prefer to be able to focus on improvements and new additions, not the needs of a shrinking group of users wedded to increasingly out-of-date software.</p>
<p>When Google announced it had <a href="https://theconversation.com/google-deals-out-tough-love-as-it-ends-security-updates-for-a-billion-android-users-36367">stopped supporting Android versions prior to 4.3</a>, it was making this point. There are already two more recent versions – 4.4 and 5.0 – and the costs of providing continued support and updates for old versions is a drain. On top of that, older versions may not support new technology or standards (for example for faster internet access technology, better sound or video). Backporting these features into older versions can be costly, time-consuming, and often impossible. Better to persuade handset manufacturers and consumers to upgrade.</p>
<p>Microsoft has this problem on an enormous scale, with its products running what is probably billions of computers and devices worldwide. There have been four subsequent versions (Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1) and Windows 10 will arrive soon, but 15 years old or not, Windows XP is still common despite its limitations, and appears in embedded systems such as cash machines and point-of-sale terminals. </p>
<p>For some organisations not upgrading may be a matter of cost, but for others it’s the risk of disruption to daily business operations – particularly if key applications built for one version of Windows won’t play nicely with another. Having the latest version may be “fun”, but when the business is on the line, it’s a case of if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73946/original/image-20150305-3327-g9aw4o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73946/original/image-20150305-3327-g9aw4o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73946/original/image-20150305-3327-g9aw4o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73946/original/image-20150305-3327-g9aw4o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73946/original/image-20150305-3327-g9aw4o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=222&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73946/original/image-20150305-3327-g9aw4o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=222&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73946/original/image-20150305-3327-g9aw4o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=222&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Well now, that sure sounds expensive.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">dragonicefire</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A work-around for the upgrade cycle</h2>
<p>If you’re content with what you have then the eternal upgrade cycle can be avoided for many years. But if cost is the issue then there are alternatives – free and low-cost alternatives that provide functionality without the hassle.</p>
<p>The obvious examples are free or open source operating systems such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/linux-is-the-quiet-revolution-that-will-leave-microsoft-eating-dust-28533">Linux</a>. Since the arrival of <a href="http://www.ubuntu.com">Ubuntu</a> (a version of Linux) in 2004 it has also become more user-friendly rather than merely a tool for experts and server administrators. It’s possible to run Linux on much cheaper, less well-equipped computers than required for Windows or Mac OS X and still enjoy the benefits of the current technological generation.</p>
<p>It’s also possible to run really old software using <a href="http://www.techopedia.com/definition/601/desktop-virtualization">desktop virtualisation</a> – software that allows you to run one operating system within another, as if it were just another application. Alternatively many emulators imitate older operating systems or computers – <a href="http://www.dosbox.com/">DOSBox</a> emulates DOS, the text-based precursor to Windows, and others emulate <a href="http://basilisk.cebix.net/">old Macintosh computers</a>, 8-bit home computers, and all manner of video game consoles or <a href="http://mamedev.org/">arcade cabinets</a>.</p>
<p>The update cycle can be a constant churn – driven by the bottom line of the companies involved rather than the utility and value offered to the customer. But as sure as night follows day, better hardware and software will come along and we all jump on. The question is, how long will you wait?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/38397/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The question of whether or not to go for the upgrade or stick with the devil you know is an increasingly common contemporary dilemma; the lure of new features against the threat of potentially disabling…Andrew Smith, Lecturer in Networking, The Open UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/366342015-01-23T12:51:58Z2015-01-23T12:51:58ZMicrosoft fight back begins with launch of Windows 10 that runs on everything, everywhere<p>Microsoft, once the dominant force in the software industry, has for a few years been on the back foot. Despite its undeniable clout and the world’s largest installed base of users, it has been slow to move with the trends that are reshaping the industry, particularly mobile and cloud computing. Its recent <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/21/windows-10-event-summary/">grand unveiling of Windows 10</a> – and a <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/21/microsoft-just-fired-latest-volley-in-the-face-computer-battle/">great deal more besides</a> – is the firm’s first step toward taking back the initiative.</p>
<p>The company’s strategy is perhaps to reorient the business towards mobile and cloud first, and establish a consistent strategy for its core business of Windows operating systems.</p>
<p>The first move, with the release of Windows 10, is to make good the damage caused by Windows 8. The previous version of its operating system introduced substantial changes aimed at tablet and phone users, but alienated those not using a touchscreen. With Windows 10 it <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/21/7865973/microsoft-windows-10-new-desktop-features">combines the best of both</a>: the venerable Start Menu is back, for example, but with integrated touch-friendly apps.</p>
<p>In the process Microsoft is finally bringing about the long-overdue process of establishing an operating system family that is consistent across servers, desktop and laptops, tablets and phones. Until now there has been versions of Windows for PCs, two different and incompatible versions of Windows for phones, and yet more versions for uses such as embedded devices, handheld computers or point-of-sale terminals. Windows 10 will run on all of them – it even promises <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/21/7865569/microsoft-xbox-app-windows-10">greater integration with Xbox games consoles</a> too.</p>
<p>It’s no secret that Windows as a mobile phone operating system was late to the party and is playing catch-up against Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. A <a href="http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/publications/wtid.aspx">survey by ICT</a> reveals more there are more than 1.7 billion handsets and 6.8 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide – not many fewer than the number of people on earth. But Microsoft has only around <a href="http://www.idc.com/prodserv/smartphone-os-market-share.jsp">3% of the global share</a>. With average use of mobile services now <a href="http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/smartphones-so-many-apps--so-much-time.html">up to three hours a day</a>, 75% of which is spent on mobile apps for social purposes and for work, internet users are now highly mobile and dynamic users — and they need devices and systems that support the way they use the digital world. Microsoft has to prove it can do this. </p>
<p>Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s new CEO, is focused on using Windows to support a richer set of services for consumers and businesses, including a cloud and mobile platform. In doing so he’s moving away from the old licence model of selling the operating system – Windows 10 will be a <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/21/microsoft-to-provide-free-upgrades-to-windows-10/">free upgrade</a> for the first year after launch, with greater cross-platform synchronisation between desktop, mobile, and Xbox. The aim is to provide a seamless and entirely Microsoft-based platform across which users can get involved in communities and use social media.</p>
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<p>Microsoft needs to provide a compelling user experience in order to drive users to its products. Another interesting launch is <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/21/microsofts-browser-with-a-halo-codename/">Spartan</a>, a new browser to replace Internet Explorer. Browsers are essentially the de facto user interface these days, with services increasingly appearing as packaged apps to keep users inside the ecosystem – Google’s <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/chrome/devices/">Chromebook</a> platform is a good example. Spartan will introduce features such as browser extensions, again long overdue as these have been available in alternative browsers such as Chrome and Firefox for years. </p>
<p>Making its <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/21/microsofts-announces-something/">Office 360 applications available free for mobile</a>, and introducing <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/21/windows-10-makes-microsofts-dream-of-universal-apps-come-true/">Universal Windows Apps</a> that will work across all devices, will help keep users in the ecosystem by giving them everything they need, without fuss or complication. If Microsoft can pull this off, it can turn the corner and bring together, with Windows 10, converging operating systems, platforms, and digital services – free or paid – that it offers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/36634/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Skilton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Microsoft, once the dominant force in the software industry, has for a few years been on the back foot. Despite its undeniable clout and the world’s largest installed base of users, it has been slow to…Mark Skilton, Professor of Practice, Warwick Business School, University of WarwickLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/365862015-01-23T03:30:04Z2015-01-23T03:30:04ZHello Windows 10: could this be a winner for Microsoft?<p>The hype around the next generation of Windows reached a new high this week with the <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/tonybradley/2015/01/21/free-windows-10-unravels-key-microsoft-bashing-fodder/">Windows 10 Preview</a>, held at Microsoft’s Redmond HQ in the US. </p>
<p>With the marketing machine revving at the red-line, the event has settled much of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-to-expect-from-the-next-generation-of-windows-28763">speculation</a> about this latest version of Windows. No firm release date has been announced, but could be anytime after the <a href="https://insider.windows.com/">Technical Preview</a> ends on <a href="http://www.itpro.co.uk/operating-systems/23119/windows-10-release-date-specs-and-pricing-announced">April 15</a> this year. </p>
<p>Windows 10 will be <a href="http://www.itpro.co.uk/operating-systems/23119/windows-10-release-date-specs-and-pricing-announced">free to download</a> for at least a year for existing users of Windows 7 and 8.1. </p>
<h2>What happened to Windows 9?</h2>
<p>If Windows 8.1 is the current version, why are we not talking about Windows 9? According to <a href="http://www.geekwire.com/2014/microsoft-hires-key-hp-exec-tony-prophet-new-windows-marketing-leader/">Tony Prophet</a>, Microsoft’s VP of Windows marketing it simply “<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com.au/this-is-what-happened-to-windows-9-2014-10">came and it went</a>”. A case of blink and you missed it. </p>
<p>Skipping a version number creates the perception that Windows 10 is a radical, not just an incremental improvement on Windows 7 and 8.1, according to Prophet:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We’re trying to create one platform, one eco-system that unites as many of the devices from the small embedded Internet of Things, through tablets, through phones, through PCs and, ultimately, into the Xbox. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>What’s new in Windows 10?</h2>
<p>Avid Microsoft watcher <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/first-windows-10-mobile-preview-due-in-february-key-to-microsofts-onecore-vision/">Mary Jo Foley</a> reports that Windows 10 is based on a common “core” of software that allows it to operate across the range of Microsoft devices.</p>
<p>The core is the foundation of a computing environment, or “eco-system” that is open enough to allow Microsoft to introduce new hardware and software elements to its product range in future versions of Windows. </p>
<p>Here are some of the features we can expect in Windows 10:</p>
<p><strong>Continuum</strong> allows a user to shift easily between desktop and tablet modes. Not being able to do this was a major bug-bear for Windows 8 users. So for example, when a <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/05/21/microsoft-pre-orders-surface-pro-3/">Surface Pro</a> user detaches the screen, a pop-up asks if they would like to <em>Enter Tablet mode</em>. When the screen is replaced, the user can <em>Exit Tablet mode</em>. </p>
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</figure>
<p><strong><a href="http://mashable.com/2015/01/21/windows-holographic/">Windows Holographic</a></strong> is a suite of Augmented Reality (AR) applications that run on a powerful, standalone computer housed in a set of AR glasses called <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-hololens/en-us">HoloLens</a>. These glasses use tinted lenses that allow holographic images to be over-laid on the physical world. The realistic effect is enhanced by 3D audio and advanced sensors. Working independently of a PC, the unit can be controlled using hand movements, vision and voice commands.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.tomshardware.com/news/microsoft-shows-off-windows-10,28438.html">Universal Apps</a></strong> is a common suite of applications that operate across all device types, from desktop to smart-phone. The apps, which include the Office suite, use Microsoft’s cloud-based <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/onedrive-help#onedrive=other">OneDrive</a> for ubiquitous storage of documents, spreadsheets, powerpoint presentations, mail, photos, videos, maps, messaging and calendar. </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/21/7866741/cortana-windows-10-announced-microsoft">Cortana</a></strong> is Microsoft’s version of Apple’s Siri that some readers will know from the game <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/04/games-cortana-companion-blog-post">Halo</a>. Already something of a hit on the Windows phone, Cortana on Windows 10 is a pleasant-sounding, natural language virtual assistant that can perform tasks and answer questions by searching on your local computer, cloud account and the internet using Bing. Cortana will be integrated into the new Spartan browser (see next item) where text-based enquiries can be entered. </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/project-spartan-goes-official-as-internet-explorer-replacement/">Internet Explorer replaced with Spartan</a></strong>. IE will be replaced by a stripped-down browser called Spartan (another reference to Halo). Users will probably notice some similarities with Chrome and Firefox. IE will continue to ship with Windows for a time to ensure that some enterprise applications that are designed to work with IE continue to work as they should.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/microsoft-introduces-the-surface-hub/">Surface Hub</a></strong> is an wirelessly-connected high definition 84-inch virtual whiteboard. Equipped with advanced sensors, pen input support, cameras and microphones, Surface Hub allows brainstorming teams (virtual or co-located) to create text and 3D drawings that can be manipulated and shared. </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.winbeta.org/news/microsoft-unveils-new-xbox-app-windows-10-devices-includes-social-game-dvr-features-cross">Xbox</a></strong> integration with Windows 10 becomes possible with a new application that allows games being played on Xbox One to be streamed live to the linked computer. The Xbox app also allows people to record games they are playing on their PC and feed this into Xbox LIVE for a social experience.</p>
<p>The Start menu, once removed from Windows 8, will be restored to its rightful place in Windows 10. The new Start menu will be more customisable than the old, with a space for your favourite apps, programs and websites.</p>
<h2>Will Windows 10 succeed?</h2>
<p>To succeed in today’s tech world, a computer system must be intuitive and well-adapted to people’s needs – enjoyable to use. Not only that, the system should be defect-free and affordable if a discerning user-base is to be kept happy and coming back for more. </p>
<p>From this week’s Preview, Windows 10 looks like it might meet these stringent requirements. With an extended technical review period that has solicited feedback from millions of participating users, Microsoft has put in the hard-yards to know what it is that people want and have made the effort to give it to them. </p>
<p>But Windows 10 will <em>need</em> to be good if people are to upgrade from still popular legacy products. Windows XP and 7 currently account for <a href="http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0">around 74%</a> of PC operating systems globally, while the later, supposedly improved Windows 8.x has languished at <a href="http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0">around 13%</a>. </p>
<p>Will I be jumping in to upgrade my own computer to Windows 10? Maybe, but based on past experience, I think I will wait and see.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/36586/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Tuffley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The hype around the next generation of Windows reached a new high this week with the Windows 10 Preview, held at Microsoft’s Redmond HQ in the US. With the marketing machine revving at the red-line, the…David Tuffley, Lecturer in Applied Ethics and Socio-Technical Studies, School of ICT, , Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/291922014-07-17T05:09:53Z2014-07-17T05:09:53ZA juggernaut like the NHS won’t find it easy to drop Windows for open source - but it should<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/53922/original/k4ftms9w-1405438178.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If it ain't broke don't fix it - but sometimes it's just time to move on. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cassidy/2461135/sizes/l">Otherthings</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Like many large modern organisations, the NHS has grown up with constant change – not only in medical practice, but also in the systems that support the daily routine of one of the world’s largest health services. And one current issue is whether the NHS should be using more open-source software.</p>
<p>The challenge is twofold: how does <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17429786">one of the largest employers in the world</a>, whose primary focus is medical care, ensure that the information technology it uses is current, relevant, safe and easy to use for medical staff? And how does it ensure that its vast army of IT staff are suitably skilled and capable of supporting current, and future, technology? Tackling both of these is no mean feat.</p>
<h2>The legacy of legacy</h2>
<p>The larger you become, the more likely it is that you will have legacy systems supporting many critical services. This is not unique for the NHS – banks, defence and many retailers have to grapple with systems that originated as far back as the 1960s but which have operate to continue to run things smoothly. </p>
<p>With legacy systems, there is an immediate drag on what new technologies can be employed even if there are new, fun, flashy and possibly free technologies available. If a system works and many lives depend on its successful operation then changing it for a new technological whim is simply bad practice – especially for the NHS.</p>
<p>The big system used by the NHS is Windows, which became a globally popular desktop and server operating system. Through strong marketing and a professional <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-gb/certification-overview.aspx">certification</a> programme, by the late 1990s it had cornered the market – and the NHS.</p>
<h2>Open source</h2>
<p>Microsoft is a commercial venture so it is reasonable for them to sell their products, which they do via licensing per unit. The NHS has about 100,000 computers, so it pays a considerable amount and also has a lot of work to do each time there’s a required update for any of their server technologies or desktop computers. While it needs some technical tweaking, Windows is sold as something that comes out of the box and should work. Designed to work with a wide range of different types of systems, the one size that fits (almost) all computers is a bonus for many technical managers. </p>
<p>But it hasn’t been problem-free. Most hospitals still have thousands of PCs running Windows XP which <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2453680/future-java-7-security-patches-will-work-on-windows-xp-despite-end-of-official-support.html">stopped being supported</a> earlier this year.</p>
<p>An alternative might be Linux, an open-source operating system. While <a href="https://theconversation.com/linux-is-the-quiet-revolution-that-will-leave-microsoft-eating-dust-28533">increasingly popular</a>, Linux has taken longer to gain dominance. There are many Linux-based systems now available, like Android and Ubuntu, and it is now probably more extensively used than any Windows-based system around. Because (unlike Microsoft) the Linux community lacks one central “owner” it wasn’t until Google and Canionical – among many others – began using it, it gained support and more popular recognition in the technical community. For example, most web servers in the world and all of Google’s severs run Linux, as well as every Android phone.</p>
<h2>Risk aversion</h2>
<p>The NHS, perhaps because of its scale, has been risk-averse and let’s not forget that it has already had to contend with the failure of a new system. Its abandoned patient record system, reported to <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/18/nhs-records-system-10bn">have cost at least £10 billion</a> and dubbed “the biggest IT failure ever seen” makes it no surprise that the NHS is wary of getting its fingers burned again.</p>
<p>But choosing what system to use in the NHS needs careful risk management. Despite the potential to fork out less cash for support and updates, the majority of risk-averse IT managers won’t simply jump from one technology to another just because it’s open source. They have to consider what guarantee of external support they will get and what in-house skills they have to operate and support a system for many years. </p>
<p>While we might think of open source as “free”, the NHS would need to factor in additional costs of developing it, whereas off-the-shelf technology moves the risk and potential legal liability to the software seller. But as Microsoft showed in its withdrawal of support for XP, this isn’t always the case and it might be better to take a short-term hit of pain for a longer-term gain. Investing in professionals with the right open-source skills, for example, may pay dividends later on. And organisations such as the <a href="https://www.lpi.org/linux-certifications">Linux Professional Institute</a> are now creating professional programmes to ensure technical experts have a strong foundation in these skills.</p>
<h2>Calls for more openness in software</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/oct/17/bad-pharma-ben-goldacre-review">Recent calls</a> for the pharmaceutical industry to be open and transparent about the results of both successful and failed drug trials have a parallel in the software world. Just as poor drug trial disclosure results in flaws being hidden from the public, flaws in proprietary software can be kept secret by software vendors while being exploited <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/11/gchq-national-security-technology">by criminals or spies</a>.</p>
<p>It is well known in the security community that the only way to thoroughly test the reliability of security software is to publish the source code. Otherwise you are vulnerable to anyone who is smarter than the people who wrote your software; better to have more people testing it for you and openly reporting problems. </p>
<p>The open-source community can often identify and fix problems faster than software vendors and open-source software can evolve to address local issues as versions “branch” from the main source tree. An innovation in one area of the country may be adopted elsewhere if it is seen to work – or if it doesn’t it can be left to wither and die while the main software tree remains intact.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/EHI/9467/%C2%A320m-on-open-source-in-'tech-fund-2'">NHS is responding</a> to calls to use more open-source software but <a href="http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/EHI/9445/mixed-interest-in-tech-fund-open-source">there is resistance</a>, as you would expect in a large organisation whose directors have to be conservative in their outlook. But there are clear signs of change beginning, and just like Big Pharma, Big NHS IT is headed for more openness. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/29192/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Blaine Price receives funding from the European Research Council, the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He is a member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and is affiliated with the Open Rights Group</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Smith was previously affiliated with the Linux Professional Institute</span></em></p>Like many large modern organisations, the NHS has grown up with constant change – not only in medical practice, but also in the systems that support the daily routine of one of the world’s largest health…Blaine Price, Senior Lecturer in Computing, The Open UniversityAndrew Smith, Lecturer in Networking, The Open UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/287632014-07-10T20:13:52Z2014-07-10T20:13:52ZWhat to expect from the next generation of Windows<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/53492/original/6wrd22th-1404962651.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Windows 8 is loved and hated in equal measure. So what will Windows 9 do differently?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/microsoftsweden/8121841101/in/photolist-dnGyp8-aJFr3v-bv6Wuq-bJ1Htk-cm4m59-brXLxq-bAL7NG-dyZbeZ-bESDEM-gLhTrX-dsSyjE-kQrZ8S-cbnidd-mVPMTz-mVRBNG-bVmug4-dqHXkG-bESDJB-mGN8Xe-92andR-bccza4-amXnjX-dwdE4J-dw8adx-do1ZLa-do21hM-ki8ruT-gLhT4J-gLhT43-gLhTtk-eD4eDt-d2khH7-amXmsZ-an1aVA-gLiRcn-bB8wb6-bAL7w3-e1UA3C-d2kgNu-7sCyJi-dBSrAB-c9nuMm-cbf5hN-dnHY2R-bmWfG3-dnHG8k-7EqLx1-an1byb-dnU4xL-an1b1A">Microsoft Sweden/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The tech world is abuzz with speculation on what Microsoft is planning for the next generation of its operating system to replace <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows-8/meet">Windows 8</a>. </p>
<p>It was always going to be difficult to create an operating system that bridged the gap between the mouse and keyboard-driven desktop PCs and the huge market of touchscreen devices.</p>
<p>That was the challenge that Windows 8 was created to meet.</p>
<p>But when it was first released in 2012, customer reaction was <a href="http://www.cnet.com/au/products/microsoft-windows-8-pro-upgrade/user-reviews/">extreme</a> – people either loved it or hated it.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-microsoft-dropping-support-for-windows-8-1-25712">Windows 8.1 upgrade</a> was a major improvement through the creation of profiles for different hardware platforms from desktop to tablet, but strangely this has not translated into widespread uptake.</p>
<h2>Slow to no uptake</h2>
<p>By July 2014, Windows 8.1 had only <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-x-usage-declines-7000031181/">6.61%</a> of the total PC operating system market, while Windows 8 had even less at <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-x-usage-declines-7000031181/">5.93%</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows/history#T1=era8">Windows 7</a> on the other hand, the version that 8 was meant to replace, is going strong at <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-x-usage-declines-7000031181/">50.55%</a>. </p>
<p>It seems that many users who until recently had been running <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows/history#T1=era6">Windows XP</a> – until Microsoft <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-end-is-nigh-for-windows-xp-are-you-ready-24104">ended its support</a> this April – decided to move up to Windows 7 instead of 8.</p>
<p>The reason people are avoiding the later version might have something to do with the perception that every other version of Windows is something of a dud.</p>
<h2>Skipping generations</h2>
<p>Observers have <a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/could-windows-9-launch-microsoft-back-into-business--1234317">commented</a> on the pattern that the good versions of Windows skip a generation – Windows 95 good, Windows Millennium not so good, Windows XP good, Windows Vista not so good, Windows 7 good, Windows 8 not so good.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5VPFKnBYOSI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Windows 95 was one of the ‘good’ ones.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If the pattern holds true, the next version of Windows is likely to be good. But why does this pattern exist? </p>
<p>Producing a rock-solid operating system is an expensive and time-consuming business. Getting your products to market where they can generate revenue is a strong incentive for developers to release software before it is fully debugged.</p>
<p>When you own more than <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-x-usage-declines-7000031181/">90%</a> of the PC operating system market globally, you might even be able to get away with having your users debug your software and pay for the pleasure. </p>
<p>While Windows 8.1 Update is not a whole new version, it would certainly seem to be the version that Microsoft <em>should</em> have released from the beginning instead of the half-baked <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/windows-xp-users-dont-fear-windows-8-anymore/#!7xjrt">touchscreen OS</a> that so <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/just-how-much-do-people-hate-windows-8-7000013319/">incurred the wrath</a> of desktop and laptop users.</p>
<h2>Project Threshold – is this Windows 9?</h2>
<p>So what goodies are we likely to see in the next version of Windows (codenamed <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-codename-threshold-the-next-major-windows-wave-takes-shape-7000023832/">Project Threshold</a>) when it is released sometime in May or June of 2015? </p>
<p>Long-time Microsoft watcher and confidante <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/">Mary-Jo Foley</a> says that Microsoft will do its best to persuade <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-threshold-more-on-microsofts-plan-to-win-over-windows-7-users-7000031070/">Windows 7 hold-outs</a> to skip 8 and go directly to 9.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/53497/original/8kb7qw5b-1404963934.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/53497/original/8kb7qw5b-1404963934.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=653&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53497/original/8kb7qw5b-1404963934.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=653&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53497/original/8kb7qw5b-1404963934.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=653&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53497/original/8kb7qw5b-1404963934.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=821&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53497/original/8kb7qw5b-1404963934.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=821&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53497/original/8kb7qw5b-1404963934.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=821&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The challenge is making the new Windows work well on all different platforms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/andyi/482006549/in/photolist-JApKK-dyq8bp-cCczjL-5x1K86-d3YxEJ-4bjyH8-677KNp-3zwrh-4bozcs-4bjy4i-e3i9Js-fSzDa-bJ1Hwa-bY6p4-4boA2w-adhFum-eg9nvs-5rscnZ-chqRH7-iUDbi-4bozXh-o1H5fw-d2kfTA-6oFz3G-iUDaT-aBEqGU-dFMyHS-dTXMrt-4tybSa-iUD9d-iUD9X-iUDa4-d2kht3-d2khWf-dm9XP6-auKEX2-kiSqb5-7fsz1Y-dnDuwT-6KKhV8-d2kgaL-qgy6v-eEcxny-kd17E-fvCP5g-fvT5QE-cw5LD1-aBE9w5-d2ki55-fvCNXH">Andy Ihnatko/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That’s a tall order considering I’ve already pointed out that still <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-x-usage-declines-7000031181/">more than half</a> of all PCs in the world are currently running Windows 7. </p>
<p>Threshold is designed to win back the desktop and laptop users who are alienated by Windows 8.</p>
<p>These folks should be back in their comfort zone with Windows 9, where the user interface can be configured to work with whatever type of hardware you are using – desktop, laptop, ultra-book, smartphone or tablet.</p>
<p>In short, the look and feel of the OS will suit the hardware type. </p>
<p>If you run Threshold (Windows 9) on a desktop PC, you can have the familiar Windows Desktop interface that lets you to run existing applications.</p>
<p>Hybrid devices that can operate in both desktop and touchscreen modes will support being toggled between the Metro-tile interface (seen for the first time with Windows 8) and the familiar Windows desktop. </p>
<p>At the smartphone and tablet end of the market, there will not be a desktop environment at all, though it will allow you to run applications side by side.</p>
<p>In the meantime, around August or September 2014, we are likely to see the release of <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-new-new-windows-cadence-once-a-year-is-not-enough-7000028638/">8.1 update 2</a>. This should be the last major release before Windows 9 emerges in the northern Spring of 2015.</p>
<h2>The Windows ecosystem – PC, phone and Xbox</h2>
<p>Threshold will extend to Xbox in an effort to create a common user experience across all elements of the <a href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/12/02/microsoft-reportedly-plans-to-further-converge-pc-phone-xbox-platforms-with-project-codenamed-threshold">Windows ecosystem</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/53496/original/9yjsy8jc-1404963762.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/53496/original/9yjsy8jc-1404963762.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53496/original/9yjsy8jc-1404963762.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53496/original/9yjsy8jc-1404963762.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53496/original/9yjsy8jc-1404963762.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53496/original/9yjsy8jc-1404963762.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53496/original/9yjsy8jc-1404963762.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">How will Microsoft make the Windows OS work across varied platforms?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mastermaq/11044278476/in/photolist-hPWZ8J-hPWMZy-nBRFZR-hPWPdq-nSjSEt-ncM7qH-hGNkQf-5V15EE-hLaMaf-9TdVTj-tr3ys-v4XuU-8MLJsM-5Daf9n-dGXaXD-hPXiZv-7mR74-fAw5UJ-fsSSs2-4BQyBS-6iCxAX-8hKSN5-7x9yBk-9PwRt7-whBVs-6WAJ4-8CrXP8-6TkeUG-93X7D1-9ji2pS-7hE8yQ-9aZ3w5-3anzBE-hGMR3h-51r5TB-jd2Nro-6TkeVd-4PYSzJ-5EPv7a-6Tgeuz-6Zdp3a-6Q4Ut-bGACS-5fjyQY-hGNGbK-hGNkqY-5t6QdL-35XkCg-95mCHZ-jdtuvk">Mack Male/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That common look and feel will be based around the Metro tile interface, except in the case of the desktop/laptop user who chooses to configure their system otherwise. </p>
<p>The Windows approach contrasts with the way Apple has kept its Mac OS, iOS and Apple TV recognisably <a href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/12/02/microsoft-reportedly-plans-to-further-converge-pc-phone-xbox-platforms-with-project-codenamed-threshold">different</a>, though Apple achieve a degree of cross platform integration by means of services like iTunes and iCloud.</p>
<h2>What do people really want?</h2>
<p>Ultimately, what most computer users want is a system that is intuitive and well adapted to their needs, something that works seamlessly, something that allows them do their work and have their fun without unduly drawing attention to itself or wasting their time. </p>
<p>Some versions of Windows manage to approach this goal. Other versions fall short – and that is not okay for a company with the resources of Microsoft.</p>
<p>When you own such a large share of the market you owe it to your paying customers to give them the best possible experience, <em>every time</em>. Here’s hoping Windows 9 manages that.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/28763/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Tuffley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The tech world is abuzz with speculation on what Microsoft is planning for the next generation of its operating system to replace Windows 8. It was always going to be difficult to create an operating system…David Tuffley, Lecturer in Applied Ethics and Socio-Technical Studies, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/257122014-04-22T20:04:34Z2014-04-22T20:04:34ZWhy is Microsoft dropping support for Windows 8.1?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46778/original/sg4mr8mg-1398137781.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Get ready for another update of Windows.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/119783566@N06/13039952124/in/photostream/">Flickr/Jake Rains</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In a move certain to raise the ire of users of Microsoft’s Windows operating system the software giant has announced that next month it will <a href="http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2014/04/02/windows-8-1-update-important-refinements-to-the-windows-experience.aspx">cease support for Windows 8.1</a>.</p>
<p>But that operating system is barely eight months old and already an upgraded version of the <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows/history#T1=era9">Windows 8</a> system that <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-continues-to-fail-7000016222/">failed to impress</a> many users since its release in 2012.</p>
<p>Microsoft has this month already killed off support for the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-end-is-nigh-for-windows-xp-are-you-ready-24104">long-lasting Windows XP</a> system, so why is it ending support for Windows 8.1?</p>
<p>The aim is to force users to install <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/whats-new">Windows 8.1 Update</a>, thus establishing it as the new service and support baseline for users. The Update is actually a cumulative collection of all that has already been released for the Windows 8 operating system plus some new improvements for desktop users.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The original Windows 8 was aimed more at tablet users and touchscreens.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.microsoft.com/global/en-us/news/publishingimages/ImageGallery/Images/Events/2012/Windows8GA/DemonstratingWindows_Web.jpg">Microsoft</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Microsoft traditionally releases any security patches to its operating system and software on the first Tuesday of the month – known as <a href="http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Microsoft-should-scrap-Patch-Tuesday">Patch Tuesday</a>.</p>
<p>The software giant is urging all Windows 8 and 8.1 users to upgrade now as any patches released in next month’s Patch Tuesday on May 13 “<a href="http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/springboard/archive/2014/04/02/windows-8-1-update-the-it-pro-perspective.aspx">will be dependent on Windows 8.1 Update</a>”. No Update means no further security patches will be installed. </p>
<p>That means people who stay with standard Windows 8.1 will find themselves in the same position as Windows XP users after Microsoft <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/end-of-support.aspx">ceased support</a> earlier this month after 13 years. </p>
<h2>Why not just upgrade?</h2>
<p>Getting users to upgrade to newer, more secure versions of Windows has always been a problem for Microsoft. Today, more people are still using the <a href="http://www.howtogeek.com/184604/why-have-most-windows-8-users-not-upgraded-to-windows-8.1/">older Windows 8 than 8.1</a>, even though the later version is free and is an improvement on the old. </p>
<p>Why are people slow to install upgrades? Probably because they are busy and the update process is a disruption to their work-flow, taking time and enforcing a re-boot. The user then has to re-open their applications and re-load their work-in-progress. People probably think, “I’ll do that later” but they seldom do. </p>
<p>But for 8.1 users, the longer they leave it to upgrade, the more they risk being hacked. </p>
<h2>Windows 8.1 Update is an improvement</h2>
<p>The irony is that regardless of how authoritarian Microsoft’s efforts have been to get people to upgrade, this new release is an <a href="http://www.techradar.com/au/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1-1161745/review">improvement</a> worth having.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QKTlOYjmiZo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Introducing the Windows 8.1 Update.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is one that most users are likely to appreciate once they have installed and got used to the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-81-update-8-tips-to-avoid-headaches/d/d-id/1204553">changed setup</a>. </p>
<p><a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/whats-new">New features of Update</a> include the default booting of users without touchscreens to the desktop and the default use of desktop applications.</p>
<p>The sensitivity of those pop-up “hot corners” has been reduced, recently installed apps are highlighted and generally a much improved user interface for keyboard and mouse users.</p>
<p>On the technical side, the size of the installation package has been halved from 32Gb to 16Gb. Being leaner, Update also performs faster on older hardware while reducing the minimum RAM from 2Gb to 1Gb.</p>
<p>Windows 8.1 Update is probably the version that Microsoft should have released from the beginning. If it had, then Windows 8 may not have received so much <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/just-how-much-do-people-hate-windows-8-7000013319/">harsh criticism</a> and disappointing user uptake, being variously <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/windows-xp-users-dont-fear-windows-8-anymore/">described as an unfinished touchscreen</a> operating system aimed at tablet users.</p>
<h2>What’s that!? Windows 8.0 supported until January 2016?</h2>
<p>One of the most baffling aspects of the Windows 8.1 Update story is that users of the original, much-maligned Windows 8 will continue to be supported by Microsoft until <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/search/default.aspx?alpha=Windows+8">January 2016</a>. </p>
<p>If Microsoft’s intention is to establish 8.1 Update as the “service and support baseline” why would they not insist that Windows 8 users also upgrade. Why take a hard line with 8.1 and not 8.0? It doesn’t make sense.</p>
<h2>Unforeseen complications</h2>
<p>Compounding the difficulties for users wanting to upgrade, it was announced earlier this month that the Windows 8.1 Update was <a href="http://blogs.technet.com/b/wsus/archive/2014/04/08/windows-8-1-update-prevents-interaction-with-wsus-3-2-over-ssl.aspx">having SSL problems</a> that held up deployment of the upgrade for a few days.</p>
<p>This issue has since been <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2959977">resolved</a>, but it could not have come at a worse time with the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-heartbleed-bug-reveals-a-flaw-in-online-security-25536">Heartbleed security bug</a> creating alarm around the world with its exploitation of an <a href="https://www.openssl.org/">OpenSSL library</a> vulnerability.</p>
<p>The best advice is for all users to do a <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows/help/windows-update">manual check</a> to make sure they have access to the latest software upgrade and get it installed as soon as possible, ahead of the deadline. Simply relying on automatic updates is not enough.</p>
<h2>A race against time</h2>
<p>So the clock is ticking. With support for Windows 8.1 ending on May 13, and various problems rendering their 8.1 Update package problematic, time is running out fast for both Microsoft and those people who are trying to comply with the strong-arm directive to upgrade there computers before support ends. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many new developments since Satya Nadella appointed Microsoft CEO.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.microsoft.com/global/en-us/news/publishingimages/ImageGallery/Images/Events/2013/townhall/SatyaNadellaatOneMic_Web.jpg">Microsoft</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But Microsoft’s new CEO <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/ceo/index.html">Satya Nadella</a> has only been on the job since February 2014 and already we are seeing much activity at the US headquarters these days;</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2113980/microsoft-announces-office-for-ipad-extending-productivity-to-all-ios-devices.html">Office for iOS</a>,</li>
<li><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.officehub">Office on Android</a>,</li>
<li><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2139080/microsoft-makes-windows-free-on-iot-and-small-mobile-devices-but-not-pcs.html">free Windows</a> for phones and small tablets,</li>
<li><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/smartphone-apps/sirilike-cortana-fills-windows-phone-gap-20140416-zqvdd.html">Cortana</a> (a Siri-like AI).</li>
</ul>
<p>There will be plenty more too in the run-up to the release of Windows 9 <a href="http://www.techradar.com/au/news/software/operating-systems/microsoft-to-reveal-windows-9-at-build-2014-with-release-in-april-2015--1214491">sometime in 2015</a>. </p>
<p>With Microsoft’s <a href="http://www.netmarketshare.com/os-market-share.aspx?qprid=9">market share still under threat</a> from Apple, the Windows 8.1 Update mandate is a high-stakes gamble that may yet pay off for the company – as the old saying goes <em>“you have to risk going too far to discover just how far you can really go.”</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/25712/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Tuffley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In a move certain to raise the ire of users of Microsoft’s Windows operating system the software giant has announced that next month it will cease support for Windows 8.1. But that operating system is…David Tuffley, Lecturer in Applied Ethics and Socio-Technical Studies, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/253172014-04-07T20:10:00Z2014-04-07T20:10:00ZOpen source gives new life to old Windows XP machines<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45739/original/cmwn35zd-1396846460.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Saving your old Windows XP.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mbk/1131501685">Flickr/MBK Marjie </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the sun sets on Microsoft’s <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/end-support-help">support for Windows XP</a> this may be a great time to think about trying out a <a href="http://www.fsf.org/">Free</a> and <a href="http://opensource.org/">Open Source Software</a> (FOSS) operating system for your <a href="https://theconversation.com/windows-xp-is-still-popular-so-why-is-microsoft-pulling-the-plug-24352">still-working PC</a>.</p>
<p>This is especially the case when older hardware cannot run newer versions of Windows (such as 7, 8 or <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows-8/upgrade-from-windows-vista-xp-tutorial">8.1</a>). Your only other option then is to either dispose of the old XP machine or keep it running and <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-end-is-nigh-for-windows-xp-are-you-ready-24104">face potential security threats</a>.</p>
<p>But many software developers, both hobbyists and professionals alike, have contributed to a growing body of FOSS programs that now numbers in the tens of thousands. These software programs are licensed for anyone to freely download and use.</p>
<p>To simplify the downloading and installing, collections of these many software components, called “<a href="http://lwn.net/Distributions/">distributions</a>”, are available ready for users to download and start using straight away.</p>
<h2>Go Linux</h2>
<p>Many of these distributions are based on the <a href="http://kernel.org">Linux kernel</a>, which is highly regarded due to its robustness, performance, security, broad support and low cost.</p>
<p>Linux has become the dominant operating system for internet sites, powering Google, Facebook, YouTube and many others. It is also the dominant operating system powering Android phones and tablets, televisions, home routers and many other devices.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If your machine can run Windows XP then it can probably run a Linux OS too.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/antonypranata/3233115536">Flickr/Antony Pranata </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Over the years, Linux-based distributions have become more and more popular and any machine capable of running Windows XP is a good candidate for running a Linux distribution such as:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.ubuntu.com">Ubuntu</a></li>
<li><a href="http://fedoraproject.org">Fedora</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.opensuse.org">OpenSUSE</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.debian.org">Debian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://linuxmint.com">LinuxMint</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>That’s just to name a few – there are many more available.</p>
<h2>Anything Windows can do Linux can do … mostly</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=710&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=710&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=710&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Firefox is one of many alternative browsers to Internet Explorer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/styleguide/identity/firefox/branding/">Mozilla</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These package together a suite of standard programs which enable you to do the types of things you would do in Windows XP, such as search the web, send and receive emails, edit and print documents.</p>
<p>For the most part the user interface and experience is very similar to what you would have experienced in Windows XP and typical alternatives to Microsoft software include:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/">Mozilla Firefox</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/">Google Chrome</a>, <a href="http://www.konqueror.org/">KDE Konqueror</a> and many more instead of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer for browsing the web</li>
<li><a href="http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/">Mozilla Thunderbird</a>, <a href="https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Evolution">Evolution</a> and others instead of Microsoft’s Outlook or Outlook Express for email</li>
<li><a href="https://www.libreoffice.org/">LibreOffice</a> instead of Microsoft Office</li>
<li><a href="http://www.videolan.org/vlc/">VLC media player</a> to play your movies and music instead of Windows Media Player</li>
<li><a href="http://www.gimp.org/">GIMP</a> for editing photos and other images instead of Microsoft Photo Editor or Adobe Photoshop.</li>
</ul>
<p>More software options are available too with many included in the <a href="http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page">Free Software Directory</a>.</p>
<h2>Easy to install</h2>
<p>In the early days installing and running Linux on a computer required considerable technical abilities but over the years this has become a lot simpler. Users can now install and configure the system desktop by following a few onscreen prompts without the need for any technical command-line interaction.</p>
<p>But before trying out any new operating system software, it is very important to backup your files to external media such as a USB device, and also to test that your backup works.</p>
<p>To install a new operating system you need to create a bootable USB device, CD-ROM, or DVD of the distribution you would like to give a go. Instructions on how to do this are available on the website of each distribution. Once you have this you simply restart the computer and during the first few seconds of the computer turning on you instruct the computer to boot off the media you created.</p>
<p>Try out the “live” Linux system for a while without installing it on your computer. When you are happy with what you see, there is normally an icon on the desktop that you can use to install the operating system onto your hard disk. Click on the icon and follow the instructions.</p>
<p>You then have the option of installing it either alongside your existing operating system, or overwriting the old system with the new.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Once you get your Linux system up and running it’s just as easy as a Windows XP setup.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfllaw/380959080">Flickr/Simon Law</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once installed, updates and bug fixes of the operating system and the software you run are easily downloaded and incorporated into your system, much the same as they were with your use of Windows XP.</p>
<p>Linux has long been extensively used for servers and so security has always been a key part of its design. Known security issues would normally be quickly fixed and updates made available and there are far fewer viruses or cyberthreats.</p>
<p>Although there are a large number of FOSS games available you may not be able run your favourite Windows game on Linux. There are some ways around this, such as <a href="http://www.playonlinux.com/en">Play on Linux</a>, which lets you run some Windows games on Linux but the latest blockbuster games will probably not work.</p>
<h2>What about help?</h2>
<p>If you are worried about support then there is a large community of users for Linux in Australia and around the world. Many local user groups exist, such as the <a href="http://clug.org.au/">Canberra Linux User Group</a>, which has monthly meetings held at the ANU.</p>
<p>Linux Australia has a list of other local <a href="http://linux.org.au/foss_in_australia">Linux user groups</a>. They are generally friendly and happy to help out new comers to Linux. There are also numerous online forums which provide help for working through problems.</p>
<p>So when Windows XP support ends rather than throwing out that old box give Linux a go – you may be pleasantly surprised!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/25317/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As the sun sets on Microsoft’s support for Windows XP this may be a great time to think about trying out a Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) operating system for your still-working PC. This is especially…Robert Edwards, Lecturer and programmer, Australian National UniversityEric C. McCreath, Lecturer, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/243522014-04-07T03:49:49Z2014-04-07T03:49:49ZWindows XP is still popular – so why is Microsoft pulling the plug?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45711/original/g3rfhwq4-1396830836.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Despite its success, it's time for XP to make way for the next generation.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/33370236@N06/3853629962">Corrie.../Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As operating systems go, Windows XP has had a fantastic run since debuting 13 years ago. It can be still found on <a href="http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0">nearly 28%</a> of the desktops in the world. </p>
<p>It is the second-most installed desktop operating system, behind Windows 7, and it can be found in banks, government departments, in desktops across China and India, and in automated teller machines (ATMs).</p>
<p>So why, as of tomorrow, is <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/end-support-help">Microsoft ceasing support</a> for its iconic operating system?</p>
<h2>Insecurity updates</h2>
<p>When it was released in 2001, Windows XP introduced many features such as built-in support for Wi-Fi and burning CDs, Internet Explorer (IE) 6 web browser, improvements to the user interface and an integrated system management console, setting it apart from its predecessors Windows 2000 and Windows ME.</p>
<p>Windows XP’s release also coincided with the boom in worldwide desktop shipments in the early 2000s, especially in emerging markets such as India, China and the Middle East. This ensured that it quickly became the most widely installed desktop operating system in the world.</p>
<p>Companies with Windows XP installations depend on internal services that themselves depend on features only found in this version of the operating system, such as IE 6. Upgrading their desktop installations would also require costly investment in upgrading these services. This has led to tremendous inertia in migrating from Windows XP to more recent operating systems. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45717/original/zf8f7frk-1396832362.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45717/original/zf8f7frk-1396832362.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45717/original/zf8f7frk-1396832362.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=870&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45717/original/zf8f7frk-1396832362.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=870&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45717/original/zf8f7frk-1396832362.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=870&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45717/original/zf8f7frk-1396832362.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1094&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45717/original/zf8f7frk-1396832362.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1094&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45717/original/zf8f7frk-1396832362.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1094&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/1750378617">darwin Bell/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Microsoft released three “Service Packs” to upgrade Windows XP and to fix the many security vulnerabilities that were discovered in the course of its usage. Since 2009, Microsoft has provided only security updates for Windows XP. This facility comes to an end on April 8, 2014. This deadline has caused some panic among the current users of the operating system. </p>
<p>Recently, the UK Government was <a href="http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2337930/windows-xp-thrown-last-minute-lifeline-with-gbp55m-uk-government-deal">forced to enter</a> into a £5.5 million deal with Microsoft to extend security support for Windows XP installations in the Crown offices for another year. Chinese web giant Tencent has <a href="http://www.techinasia.com/tencent-rescue-windows-xp-users-china/">taken on the responsibility</a> of ensuring security updates for XP users in that country.</p>
<h2>The Windows family tree</h2>
<p>The years have also not been kind to Windows XP. The numerous vulnerabilities in the OS have forced Microsoft to spend significant effort in issuing regular security patches, and wish for its users to move on to relatively secure Windows 7 or 8. </p>
<p>At launch in 2001, XP featured a striking default theme called “Luna”, which has been sometimes unkindly compared to the look of a <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/117427/article.html">Fischer-Price toy</a>. But today, XP’s Luna looks dated compared to the sleek, modern interfaces found on all the newer, major computing platforms. </p>
<p>Internet Explorer 6 is widely considered as the single biggest obstacle in the progress of web-based applications conforming to World Wide Web (<a href="http://www.w3.org/">W3C</a>) standards. </p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.justice.gov/atr/public/press_releases/1998/1764.htm">1998 agreement</a> with the US Department of Justice forced Microsoft to decouple its web browser from the rest of the OS and allowed alternative browsers such as Opera, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox to become successful. </p>
<p>Three years ago, Microsoft itself advised that <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/03/04/ie6-countdown/">consumers upgrade</a> to later versions of Internet Explorer such as IE 9 and above. </p>
<p>Microsoft itself has faced the <a href="http://www.today.com/id/30507377">curse of Star Trek movies</a> (even-numbered instalments are better than the odd-numbered) in upgrading its users to newest version of Windows. Vista, the successor to XP, was widely panned for its heavy system requirements and pervasive prompts for user authorisation of activities. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45712/original/szb6jh5v-1396831343.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45712/original/szb6jh5v-1396831343.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45712/original/szb6jh5v-1396831343.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45712/original/szb6jh5v-1396831343.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45712/original/szb6jh5v-1396831343.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45712/original/szb6jh5v-1396831343.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45712/original/szb6jh5v-1396831343.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45712/original/szb6jh5v-1396831343.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">… as well as some installation issues.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/everdred/171671284">Everett/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>On the other hand, Windows 7, released in 2009, is the most popular desktop operating system today. Its successor, Windows 8, was designed to address both touch interaction in tablets, and mouse and keyboard interaction in desktops in Windows 8. However, this resulted in a few omissions, notably the lack of a “Start” button, that <a href="http://bgr.com/2013/12/04/windows-8-hatred-explained/">confused and infuriated</a> many users.</p>
<p>And while Windows is still dominant on the desktop, the world is moving faster towards other computing platforms. The Apple iPhone, <a href="https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/01/09Apple-Reinvents-the-Phone-with-iPhone.html">introduced in 2007</a>, provided users with a mobile, always-connected device to browse the web and communicate instantly. </p>
<p>The advent of low-cost, low powered laptops, called netbooks, forced Microsoft to continue offering XP as an alternative to open source software <a href="http://www.linux.com/">Linux</a>. The introduction of Apple iPad and its competitors not only put paid to this category, but also provided users with an alternative to desktops for tasks such as document creation, messaging and web browsing. </p>
<h2>What now for operating systems?</h2>
<p>Desktop shipments have been stagnant for a few years and there is <a href="http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2013/12/03/global_pc_market_forecast/">little chance</a> of a revival in near future. Resource-heavy computing tasks are being migrated to data centre in a trend known as <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cloud-computing">cloud computing</a>. </p>
<p>Microsoft has acknowledged this by not only offering a cloud-hosted version of its Office suite, called Office 365, but a <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/mobile/">version</a> for the Apple iPad as well. </p>
<p>Thus, the end of support for Windows XP also coincides with the end of the age of the desktop. There will be less fanfare around operating system updates, and less mourning when an OS rides off into the sunset.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/24352/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Srikumar Venugopal does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As operating systems go, Windows XP has had a fantastic run since debuting 13 years ago. It can be still found on nearly 28% of the desktops in the world. It is the second-most installed desktop operating…Srikumar Venugopal, PhD; Lecturer in Computer Science and Engineering, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/241042014-03-16T19:35:42Z2014-03-16T19:35:42ZThe end is nigh for Windows XP: are you ready?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43831/original/7bhp98yx-1394696624.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Are you ready to say good bye to Windows XP?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23pixels/4227738446/sizes/o/">Flickr/Rowell Dionicio</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Almost 13 years after its release in October 2001 to a world still in shock after the 9/11 terror attacks, the <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2934207">sun is finally setting</a> on Microsoft’s Windows XP.</p>
<p>The operating system has been the software in many home and work PCs but for die-hard users who continue to use XP, danger that way lies. </p>
<p>All operating systems have a service life, and <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era6">Windows XP</a> has had an exceptionally long one. The problem for XP, short for extended user “<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2001/feb01/02-05namingpr.aspx">eXPerience</a>”, is that it is still being used on hundreds of millions of computers globally.</p>
<p>In February 2014, <a href="http://www.netmarketshare.com/report.aspx?qprid=11&qpaf=&qpcustom=Windows+XP&qpcustomb=0">just under 30%</a> of PCs around the world are still running XP, despite there being three later versions of Windows to choose from (<a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era7">Vista</a>, <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era8">Windows 7</a>, <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era9">Windows 8</a> and its tweak edition <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era10">8.1</a>).</p>
<h2>The risks of soldiering on</h2>
<p>While some die-hard XP users will be in the process of moving on to Windows 7 or 8, there will certainly be those who soldier on after the expiry date on April 8.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One of many service packs that kept XP going for so long.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/priceminister/3308674184/sizes/o/">Flickr/priceminister</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After all, XP is a robust operating system that has given them <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57587252-75/microsofts-windows-xp-is-still-kickin-do-you-use-it/">many years of service</a> despite numerous patches and updates. </p>
<p>The problem for people who continue to use (internet-connected) XP after support ends will be a growing number of security vulnerabilities that will not be solved by the periodic updates and hot-fixes from Microsoft. Nor will those users be able to get technical support for any other problems they might have with XP. </p>
<p>Microsoft <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/end-support-help">admits</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If you continue to use Windows XP after support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Open to attack</h2>
<p>As in any ongoing war, when defenders withdraw from battle, attackers (and hackers) take advantage. They have almost certainly been making plans in anticipation of the day when millions of XP computers become more vulnerable. That day is April 8, 2014.</p>
<p>Microsoft’s director of trustworthy computing, <a href="http://social.technet.microsoft.com/profile/tim%20rains%20-%20microsoft/">Tim Rains</a>, issued a <a href="https://blogs.technet.com/b/security/archive/2013/08/15/the-risk-of-running-windows-xp-after-support-ends.aspx">statement last August</a> warning that security patches for later versions of Windows could inadvertently give cyber-criminals the information they need to reverse-engineer a successful attack on unsupported versions of Windows.</p>
<p>This can happen because under the skin, there is a large amount of program code in common between the different versions of the Windows operating system. So patch the code for Windows 7 and 8 and you reveal the a potential flaw in XP that won’t be patched.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.microsoft.com/de-de/news/bild.aspx?id=3636">Microsoft</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is true that up-to-date XP still has reasonable capability to withstand attack, and anti-virus and malware detection software can do a good job.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the risks of being hacked will rise substantially, particularly when older iinternet browsers are still being used.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/security/sir/default.aspx">Microsoft Security Intelligence Report</a> goes into detail for those who are interested.</p>
<h2>What can XP users do?</h2>
<p>Individual users can take the obvious course of updating to a later version of Windows at their convenience (and Microsoft offers some advice <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/endofsupport.aspx">here</a>), or they might take the opportunity to switch to an alternative operating system. There’s several to choose from. </p>
<p>For those on a budget, the growing number of online retailers selling computers at close to wholesale prices is making the purchase of new or nearly new equipment surprisingly affordable. </p>
<p>For organisations though, particularly larger ones, the task of migration can be a <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-xp-how-one-company-said-goodbye-to-the-ageing-operating-system-7000012896/">lengthy one</a> that requires months if not years to complete, not the days and weeks left to them before the sun sets on XP support.</p>
<p>For these folks, some timely advice for staying safe is in order. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Do nothing and your Windows XP is open to attack and the frustrating blue screen of death.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/room2593/3354412191/sizes/l/">Flickr/Barnabus Slayer of 3vil</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Crash course in managing the risk of cyber-intrusion</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://www.asd.gov.au/infosec/ism/index.htm">Information Security Manual</a>, a publication of the Australian Signals Directorate (<a href="http://www.asd.gov.au/">ASD</a>) gives some useful advice for anyone wanting to protect themselves against the threat of cyber-attack. </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Application white-listing.</strong> Where a list of verified, trusted programs is created for the PC based on the job it is required to do. If these are the <em>only</em> programs permitted to be installed on the computer, then potentially dangerous programs (including Dynamic Link Libraries or <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/41589/dll">DLLs</a>), scripts and installers) can not be executed</li>
<li><strong>Patching applications.</strong> As soon as they become available, install updates and fixes to the white-listed applications, including Java, PDF viewer, web browser, Microsoft Office and others. Older versions of internet browsers are particularly vulnerable</li>
<li><strong>Patching operating systems.</strong> Automatically download and install the latest security patches and hot-fixes as soon as they become available. The ASD specifically recommends <em>not</em> using Windows XP due to the inherent risk</li>
<li><strong>Restrict administrator privileges.</strong> Only those people whose job requires them to install and make changes to operating systems and applications should have admin access.<br></li>
</ul>
<p>If implemented, these four security measures have proved to be very effective.</p>
<p>For XP users, performing the three out of the four that are possible, plus using up-to-date anti-virus and anti-malware software, will go a long way to protecting an XP computer until you are ready to migrate to a supported operating system.</p>
<p>To get really serious about this, see the full list of 35 <a href="http://www.asd.gov.au/images/mitigation-strategies-2014.png">Strategies to Mitigate Targeted Cyber Intrusions</a> (and be ready for some fine print).</p>
<h2>The end of an era</h2>
<p>As the sun finally sets on venerable old XP, it is timely to reflect a moment on the end of an era when a single operating system dominated the market.</p>
<p>Those days are fast disappearing with new paradigms of computing (<a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/android">Android</a>, iOS, <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cloud-computing">cloud computing</a>, wireless mobile, <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/open-source">open source</a>) taking a growing share of the overall market.</p>
<p>The folks at Microsoft must be more than a little concerned. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/24104/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Tuffley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Almost 13 years after its release in October 2001 to a world still in shock after the 9/11 terror attacks, the sun is finally setting on Microsoft’s Windows XP. The operating system has been the software…David Tuffley, Lecturer in Applied Ethics & Socio-Technical Studies, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/64882012-04-17T04:41:29Z2012-04-17T04:41:29ZThink your Mac’s beyond malware attack? Alas, those days are gone<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9686/original/hch3cpks-1334636156.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Hackers with a commercial eye seem intent on destroying Apple's reputation as a "malware-free" PC alternative.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mike Poresky</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For a long time Mac users would look at all the <a href="http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mh27449.html">malware</a> (malicious software) that infects Windows PCs and think how fortunate they were that such attacks did not happen to MAcs.</p>
<p>But now, it would seem, things are starting to change.</p>
<p>Over the weekend anti-virus software developer Kaspersky Lab <a href="http://www.securelist.com/en/blog/208193467/SabPub_Mac_OS_X_Backdoor_Java_Exploits_Targeted_Attacks_and_Possible_APT_link">announced</a> that a new <a href="http://www.trojan-horse.info/en/index.aspx">trojan horse</a> – a program that pretends to be something else while giving control of the infected PC to a remote user – called <a href="http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/new-mac-malware-sabpub-used-targeted-attacks-041612">SabPub</a>, has been spreading among Macs.</p>
<p>The trojan can be spread by one of <a href="http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/none/296667-mac-trojan-sabpub-exploits-java-and-microsoft-office">two methods</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>by opening a Microsoft Word document that arrives as an email attachment entitled <a href="http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/sabpab-trojan-latest-threat-mac-users-718779">“10th March Statemnet”</a> [sic]</li>
<li>by exploiting a vulnerability in <a href="http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/J/Java.html">Java</a> – a programming language used to create add-ons for web browsers and other applications.</li>
</ul>
<p>Once activated, the SabPub trojan <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/04/16/another-mac-trojan/">opens a “backdoor”</a> that allows attackers to gain full access to a victim’s system.</p>
<p>The news of SabPub (or Backdoor.OSX.SabPub.a as it’s formally known) follows the discovery of other Mac malware, including <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4650">MacDefender</a>, <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20066173-263.html">MacGuard</a> and <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5244">Flashback</a>.</p>
<p>The last of these was found to have <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/04/11/apple-writing-software-to-rid-half-million-macs-flashback-virus/">infected more than 650,000 Macs</a> worldwide and was <a href="http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/357080/kaspersky-finds-largest-attack-mac-os-malware-flashbackflashfake">spread via a Java “applet”</a> on infected websites.</p>
<p>(Late last week Apple made a <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1517">standalone Flashback removal tool</a> available for download.)</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GQb_Q8WRL_g?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>It would seem we are entering a new era where Mac users are as fair game to hackers as PC
users.</p>
<h2>Same as it ever was?</h2>
<p>In reality, there has never been any fundamental reason why Macs should be immune to viruses and trojans or any other malware. But for a very long time there were some factors that made them a significantly smaller target than the PC.</p>
<p>First, the market share enjoyed by Windows PCs was so much greater than that of Macs. If a hacker was to construct malware that relied on a particular operating system to get around, it was far more likely to land on a PC than a Mac, so it made sense to write it for the PC.</p>
<p>PC and Mac operating systems rely on different architecture and although both are written in the language C, the version of C used in writing the Mac operating system is more robust than used on the PC. </p>
<p>Second, for a very long time, PCs ran software that was such an easy target. It was much easier to find exploitable flaws in PC software than it was for a Mac.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9679/original/pz55r3pc-1334632024.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9679/original/pz55r3pc-1334632024.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9679/original/pz55r3pc-1334632024.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9679/original/pz55r3pc-1334632024.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9679/original/pz55r3pc-1334632024.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9679/original/pz55r3pc-1334632024.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/9679/original/pz55r3pc-1334632024.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">We are starting to see more nasties emerge on Macs than ever before.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dave Delaney</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Windows software, at least in the early days, was not written in a particularly defensive way. Some of the ways the infamous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Screen_of_Death">Blue Screen of Death</a> could be forced in earlier versions of Windows – such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ping_of_death">“Ping of Death”</a> where an echo request was sent with a payload greater than 64 kilobytes – seem extraordinarily simple these days.</p>
<p>Third, in the past, Macs tended to be purchased for commercial purposes rather than home users. As a result Macs were more likely to have patches applied and software updated than was the case for domestic users.</p>
<p>Finally, there was considerable antipathy towards Microsoft arising from <a href="http://www.nethistory.info/History%20of%20the%20Internet/browserwars.html">the browser wars</a> that saw PCs being targeted. </p>
<p>Apple didn’t necessarily command <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0324/1224313823798.html">the respect and devotion it does today</a> but at least its products inspired less loathing within the hacker community than did Windows products.</p>
<p>All of the above factors are much less the case than they once were. Indeed, the Mac has, to some extent, become a victim of its own success.</p>
<p>There are <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2011/03/18/mac-market-share-around-the-world-usa-15-canada-14-australia-14-and-more/">a lot more Macs around now</a> and the iPad and iPhone dominate the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9195625/Apple-iPad-to-dominate-tablet-market-into-2016.html">tablet</a> and <a href="http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-30/tech/31258390_1_tablet-market-smartphone-market-iphone">smartphone</a> markets respectively.</p>
<p>Additionally, Microsoft software seems to be <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/2722-19589_7-314.html">much more stable than it used to be.</a> Blue Screens Of Death <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ieb2TR-6R0&feature=related&t=0m50s">may not be a thing of the past</a>, but are perhaps less common than they once were.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UjZQGRATlwA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Finally, Apple’s reputation has suffered in some ways over the past few years, notably in (possibly untrue) <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/15/us-china-apple-idUSTRE81E1FQ20120215">reports about conditions in its manufacturing plants</a> and the company’s involvement in <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20003807-260.html">high-profile legal tactics</a> that has not endeared it to the hacker community.</p>
<p>At the same time Microsoft has taken a more relaxed attitude to some mild hacking activity, such as the “jailbreaking” (overriding the intended limitations of) <a href="http://wmpoweruser.com/microsoft-amused-by-htc-hd2-mango-hackers/">some of its systems.</a></p>
<p>And perhaps there is another reason that Macs are increasingly becoming the target of attacks; a reason that’s difficult to prove but worth speculating on.</p>
<p>Hacking has become more of a commercial activity than it used to be. It is interesting that MacGuard and MacDefender attempted to obtain credit card information from users and that Flashback caused infected hosts to join a <a href="https://theconversation.com/zombie-computers-cyber-security-phishing-what-you-need-to-know-1671">botnet</a> that could possibly be hired out in future.</p>
<p>It would seem that hackers nowadays are more motivated by commercial gain than ever before.</p>
<p>It would be an ironic outcome if the early antagonism directed toward Microsoft because of its supposedly ruthless commercialism was now directed toward Apple because of the ruthless commercialism of some hackers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/6488/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Philip Branch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For a long time Mac users would look at all the malware (malicious software) that infects Windows PCs and think how fortunate they were that such attacks did not happen to MAcs. But now, it would seem…Philip Branch, Senior Lecturer in Telecommunications, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.