Is your church ready for when Microsoft drops support for XP and Windows 7?

It's good to hold on to some older things: traditions, friends, treasured memories—computer operating systems, not so much.

I confess, though I work in technology every day, with the exception of Camtasia (the program I use to create training videos) I HATE to upgrade perfectly good working software. Like I know many of you, that includes MS Publisher 2007 and 2010.

An operating system is another thing. It is the foundation for everything your computer does and if it is too out-dated, or not supported anymore by the company that made it, like what is happening with Windows XP, scheduled for April 8, 2014, it can be dangerous to the security of your work. Support for Windows 7 is also scheduled for either 2015 or 2020 (more about that later in the article).

If you want more details, for an excellent overall article on the what will happen when Microsoft no longer supports XP, check out the following one by USA TODAY. I like it because it isn't by a particular reseller and so isn't aggressively pushing the purchase of a new machine. It also has a humorous video about the demise of Windows XP.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2014/02/11/windows-xp-the-end-is-coming-fast/5392269/

What to do? Some personal advice

My advice (and I do not claim to be a hardware/software expert, so what follows is merely my opinion) first concerns what not to do:

DON'T even try to upgrade to Windows 8 on an old XP computer. It won't work, your software won't work, and the bulletin still has to go out and unless you have a typewriter hanging around in the office, you'll be out of luck.

And, unlike what many resellers tell you, I wouldn't rush into a Windows 8 machine. Here are the current stats on operating systems, from the same article above:

Windows 7. . . has a 47.49% share. Microsoft's more recent operating systems, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, come in with modest 6.63% and 3.95% market shares, respectively.

I love my Windows 7 machine and simply haven't had the money or time to switch to Windows 8 (and it doesn't seem like many other people in the world have either). You can get really great deals on Windows 7 machines. Walmart sells them online as does Amazon and many other reputable online resellers. If you want to make the big jump to a Windows 8 machine--that will save you having the face the upgrade decision again in few years or depending upon when Microsoft stops supporting Windows 7. The question follows: "When will Microsoft end support for Windows 7?" There are various reports floating around, but the best answer I've found is following:

Microsoft will stop mainstream support on January 12, 2015. But the company will keep providing extended support until January 14, 2020.

"Well, thank you," you're probably saying. "That's as clear as a new industry acronym."

Let me explain:

Through January 12, 2015, Microsoft will provide the same complete support you have today. You'll receive both security and non-security updates. Your warranty claims will be considered and possibly honored. If your license came with no-charge incident support (yes, it exists), you'll continue to receive it. Microsoft may even add features and change the design (but not, I hope, removing the Start menu).

But in 2015, Windows 7 will go onto extended support, which just covers the basics. You'll still receive free security updates, but non-security-related hotfixes will only be available on a paid subscription--and you'll have to start the subscription before April 15, 2015 (if you live in the USA, that's a date with unpleasant associations in any year). There will be no free support, Microsoft won't honor warranty claims, and the company will not add new features.

By the way, XP's mainstream support ended on April 14, 2009; Vista's ended on April 12 of this year. So if you're satisfied with the support you're getting on this operating systems, you probably won't have much to worry about with Windows 7 for another seven years.

For what it's worth, XP's extended support ends on April 8, 2014. Vista's will end on April 11, 2017.

from: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2010820/how-long-will-microsoft-support-windows-7.html

One more reason that adds to the uncertainty in this situation is that Microsoft just got a CEO and since Windows 8 has clearly not been embraced by the buying public, it's uncertain what we'll see in the coming year. It could be a more recent repeat of the Vista disaster and may be discarded or modified in a similar way. I have no idea, but I also wouldn't spend a lot of money getting a system that may change drastically.

What to do in your church office?

The most important thing is to know what is happening and when. You do need to deal with the ending for the support of XP primarily because when Microsoft no longer supports security updates, with all the malicious virus and other harmful material on the web, your computer could easily become infected and  make life very difficult for you.

Take time to talk about it with your church business manager, pastor, technology adviser. The decision will be totally different for different churches based on your size, complexity, budget, and the time and skills available to people who must use the programs. Don't let technology or the latest updates be your master. Technology is your servant to help you do ministry more effectively and considering the people and ministry implications must be an important part of your decision. What might be essential for a large, urban church with a big budget might be a ministry nightmare for a small, cash-challenged church where one person does all the office work.

Talk to other churches in your area. Pray for wisdom—the Lord cares deeply about your everyday tasks in the church as you work hard to share his message. Trust him to help you make your decision and He will.

As I said earlier, my opinions here are based on my situation and I know many ministry communication situations are different. Personally, I may get a Windows 8 machine if the new CEO announces support for it,but I know I'll switch over to it kicking and screaming. How much I keep running Windows 7 will depend on how well the Windows 8 machine (whatever version that might be t the time) handles the software I use to help all of you. With Windows 8 there is also the question of Office 360 and I'm not ready to tackle that yet. I'm doing a lot of work with Google Docs now and I'll pass on that after I learn it better (am really liking it so far)—it's free as opposed to a never-ending cost for Office Cloud subscriptions—which is a definite bonus for cash-challenged ministries.

***IMPORTANT UPDATE: Skimming the New York Times online today (2-14-2014), I came across the following article that I strongly recommend you read--it gives additional practical advice on the challenge of ever-changing technology. One caveat--we can't all afford Apple hardware, so ignore that part if it doesn't apply, but good overall advice anyway. Just click the title here to go to it: How to Survive the Next Wave of Technology Extinction

If you have comments or experience in this area, please do share them in the comment section here! Really need/want your comments on this!