The Windows XP End of Support Date and Daniell Motors

Microsoft is ending support of Windows XP on April 8th, and Daniell Motors is not unaffected. The machine our Internet Manager uses to get our used vehicles online is a six-year-old HP Pavilion and could still have a year or two of good service--if it weren't for needing a new operating system. We've tossed around the options of whether to simply upgrade this machine, or replace it with a brand new one.Very quickly, some things we considered:

To upgrade, we would need to buy a copy of Windows 7, a new hard drive (the average life of a drive is about 5 years, give or take), and we decided that it was time to upgrade from Office 2003, so we would also need to buy a copy of Office 2013. This was the cheaper option.

To replace the machine, Windows 7 is included, and there would be no worry about the physical components. We would still need to buy Office 2013, though. This option is about twice as expensive.

The deciding factor was the fact that while it's not common for non-moving components in a computer to go bad, everything wears out eventually. Being six years old, the current machine could keep trucking for another six--or go down in a cloud of smoke tomorrow. We've opted for the security of brand new components and the manufacturer warranty.

We've also decided not to go all the way to Windows 8, for both ease of use and standardization within the office. This position is fast-paced, often performing clerical duties alongside posting vehicles, and we need to be able to do it quickly. We don't believe there's anything wrong with Windows 8, we just feel that the familiarity of Windows 7 will help our Internet Manager do their job faster and easier.

One of the small headaches we can foresee is having to reinstall and set up all of the software on the new machine. That would have been the case with either path, though, so we'll just tough it out. Hopefully anything unexpected we encounter will be an even easier fix.

Which path would you have taken? Upgrade or replace? Or did we miss an option? Let us know in the comments!

For more information on the Daniell Motors family, and to find your own vehicle, visit DaniellMotors.com.
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