Windows Product Lifecycle

Windows XP and Vista are the only currently supported Microsoft operating systems (http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle). Windows XP (with the latest service packs) and requires a computer with at least 512 MB of ram with a processor speed of 600MHZ or better. Vista requires at least double that for satisfactory performance. Windows XP mainstream support ends in 2009, and Vista ends in 2012. The next version of Windows is planned for 2009. Libraries and other environments will be left with computers that are no longer capable of running windows because of the increasing requirements of supported versions of Windows. Because of security concerns, no version of Windows should be employed at a library once support is no longer available because it will be venerable to known exploits that will not be corrected. Large institutions have the option to run a version of Windows called “Windows fundamentals for legacy PCs” that is basically a stripped down version of XP that will run on some of these legacy computers, but this would only be an option at a large public institution with a site license, as it is not available at retail. A smaller public library would not have access to this version.

Installation of the operating system can include in many distributions an install of Open Office (a Microsoft Office clone), the GIMP (a Photoshop clone) and Firefox. Firefox is a critical part of the mix here, as it is a web browser that is one of the standards in the industry. Flash and other common plugins can be used in Firefox on Linux to enhance the browsing experience.

It’s also an important point to have an experienced user who can help with configuring and maintaining the boxes. The user does not need to be an expert in Linux, but needs to be able to install plugins, and do a few command line tasks and follow instructions, most of which can be found either in the help files included in the version of Linux, or online. An experienced windows user who is used to following instructions online and has used a command line or looked at the registry will not have major issues fixing most issues with a Linux install.