People stuck in the past using ancient Windows computers

[CatCage]

Still booting after all these years: The people stuck using ancient Windows computers

 

CTRL+ALT+DEL, but make it forever. As technology marches on, some people get trapped using decades-old software and devices. Here's a look inside the strange, stubborn world of obsolete Windows machines.

 

Earlier this year I was on my way to a checkup at a doctor's office in New York City. As I rode up to the 14th floor, my eyes were drawn to a screen built into the side of the lift. Staring back was a glimpse into the history of computing. There, in a gleaming hospital full of state-of-the-art machines, was an error message from an operating system released almost a quarter of a century ago. The elevator was running Windows XP.

 

Windows 95 celebrates its 30th birthday on 24 August 2025, and this year is the 50th anniversary of Microsoft as a whole. The company may not have the cultural cachet it did when that hospital lift was installed, but after a couple of decades playing catch-up Microsoft is back on top.

 

Read more:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250516-the-people-stuck-using-ancient-windows-computers

[proton]

Buy a Mac and never look back

[brewsterbudgen]

3 hours ago, proton said:

Buy a Mac and never look back

 

Yes.  I was a Windows user for 20 years then was finally convinced to switch to a Mac.  The difference is incredible.  I would never go back.

[Schoggibueb]

In my oppinion it doesen't really matter that much using Windows or Mac. We have both (stationary Mac, Notebook Windows). And are just common users.

 

What I really appreciate about Mac is if it comes to a change to a newer device the fullbackup sets the new device exactly the same way up as I had on the old one. And I never had to bother about Anti-virus. Of course with the human sense not to click on every link that is offered.

For word and excel we use open office on both devices.

[impulse]

37 minutes ago, Schoggibueb said:

For word and excel we use open office on both devices.

 

My issue with that is the hours I had to spend reformatting any spreadsheet or document that was sent to me by the 95% of business users that standardized on MS Office.  It just wasn't worth it to save $100 a year paying for an Office subscription, much less the tiny price of a gray market (but legal) copy.  I've seen them as cheap as $39.

 

If you're working completely independently, Linux and freeware may be the way to go.  But not if you're working in a typical office environment.

 

[Schoggibueb]

35 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

My issue with that is the hours I had to spend reformatting any spreadsheet or document that was sent to me by the 95% of business users that standardized on MS Office.  It just wasn't worth it to save $100 a year paying for an Office subscription, much less the tiny price of a gray market (but legal) copy.  I've seen them as cheap as $39.

 

If you're working completely independently, Linux and freeware may be the way to go.  But not if you're working in a typical office environment.

 

Not sure if I understood this correctly.

With open office you can open ANY kind of Windows sheet, regardless if it's a Win95, XP or whatever document.

You also have then the same possibiltity to store any document in any kind of version.

 

Of course it suggests the ".odt" format. But you can choose again whithout any issues in what kind of format or version you would like to have it and keep the exact same format that others can use too.

 

As it's an open source sw, you can give it a try, costs you nothing except the installation time.

 

AND the layout is old fashioned like windows 95 or XP. But as most of us grew up with all these different versions - no problem.

 

I don't pay 100bucks to MS or Apple every year (!) that they allow me to use something that shouldn't cost anything.