Confuser help needed from some of you high techie techie dufes

[Niner]

I've got my OLD computer set up in my "ham shack" in the basement. Comes in real handy for looking up call signs and such to see where a foreign station is...and who they are and other stuff too.

Anyways....It is a circa 2004 computer, and is running Windows XP. As everyone knows, XP is no longer in support, and Microsoft is throwing up all kinds of red flags about how vulnerable the XP computers are now.

SO, I thought I'd see about upgrading this old box to Win8. I downloaded the "Upgrade Assistant" and it says "You can't install Windows 8 because your processor doesn't support PAE/SSE2".

WHATEVER THE HECK PAE/SS2 IS!!!

So, here's the question. IF I install a new/different processor in this old box, will I then be able to install Win8?

Here's the rest of the particulars on this box...
About 40GB free on the hard drive. Can delete a ton of stuff still though.
2GB RAM
The processor is an AMD Athelon(tm)XP3000+ running at 2.16GHZ.


IF I were to get another processor....which one would I need to get? About how expensive are they? Would I be better off just saying to Hell with it, and buying a new "low end" box?

How "vulnerable" are these old WIN XP computers REALLY????

I'm sure I'm not the only dufe out there with an old computer he's trying to keep going.

[quercus alba]

I think the real question is why would anyone want Windows 8? I've tried it and it's like tits on a bull, useless. Maybe on a smartphone but not a CPU.

A few Windows 8 reviews below



Review
User Reviews

March 27, 2014
"Biggest blunder by microsoft. even windows 3.1 is better than windows 8"
2 of 2 found helpful
skynet051

Pros nothing at all

Cons everything

Summary Microsoft needs to quickly come up with something more similar to windows 7 because windows 8 is completely disgusting windows you cant make it better even in future.

May 20, 2014
"Makes me want to murder the world"


Pros none

Cons all

Summary Damn you to hell Microsoft.... damn you all to hell!


May 17, 2014
"Microsoft has really lost their way"



Pros OS is secure (as far as I know), very stable, and fast

Cons UI is terrible

SummaryI'd be astonished to learn that Microsoft employed product managers on the Windows 8 project. Seems like a bunch of engineers just started coding without talking to anyone. A smartphone UI doesn't really work well on a desktop. In the case of Windows 8, what we have is a smartphone UI duct taped on top of Windows 7. I've been using for 6 months now and I'm increasing more annoyed with Windows 8 every day.

May 17, 2014
"Nothing but problems."


Pros I like the new design and look, but I really hate the stupid start menu.

Cons Start menu. And it has caused me nothing but problems. Tons of crashes, being unable to start my computer (Happend 3 times on 3 different machines)

SummaryWindows 8 looks nice, but the start menu and all the problems don't make it worth an "upgrade".

May 2, 2014
"garbage"


Pros Microsoft Sucks

Cons Win8 is garbage

SummaryMS is a bunch of idiots who dont realize you need an OS for a phone and another one for a PC. Windows 8 is garbage.

March 27, 2014
"Why change something that works fine. I am avoiding using my laptop because I HATE Windows 8. "

Pros
Hard pressed to think of something..

Cons
For the basic user its difficult to navigate...

SummaryCompared with Windows 7 this is really a mess and not user friendly, cant understand why it was changed. For someone who is impatient with computers the time it takes to locate the program you are looking for is frustrating. Not all programs are on the application screen and if you are not sure of the name of the program that will complete a task for you (enabling the use of the search function) its going to be pretty difficult to find it! There seems to be an extra step in simple processes such as saving as pdf in word/changing the date on the control panel. When downloading applications from email you cannot save them directly to a folder of your choice. Overall a frustrating software to work with for the basic user.

March 12, 2014
"Simply the worst program on the market."

Pros:Can't find any

Cons:Confused and frustrating package with a learning curve which takes me back 10 years.

Huge staff training costs

lack of performance improvement

messy layout,constant scrolling,switching, screen changes and setups that suggest primary school assembly.

SummaryI agree with others Windows 7 provided Windows users space and pleasure in the upgrade from the problems associated with Vista and before. XP showed Microsoft could make a good operating program and Windows 7 reinforced that fact.

Windows 8 brings nothing to the table but marketing fizz or should i say fizzer. Simply they have tried to be cleaver rather than smart.Do what you do well.

In considering a new computer at present looks like apple have a new user. Am I old and guppy or is it that I just want a service from the operating system not a circus... its simple reliable service something the computer industry is matching away from in large strides while they chase the$

February 21, 2014
"Huge complicated disappointment"

Pros: Easy access to d/l apps (like a smart phone)
Personalize lock screen (also a con that I even have a lock screen... again, a copy of the smart phone)

Cons: Several steps to do the same tasks with previous OS versions.
No F1 help in most cases (forced to go to the new start menu with tons of windows to sort through).

Summary: Been fighting with this OS for over 2 months now and fair to say it's attempt to change its OS into something similar to a smart phone was a big mistake.
So many helpful features are now made complicated (or more steps to do the same thing) like something simple like make a certain printer the default. The old one click to view your desk top now is a min of two steps (and hidden) No more small quick link box.
The picture viewer is just that and only that... you can't even crop a photo and again, complicated to search photos as they don't display as thumbnails if your viewing from start.
Windows also continue with just the trial version of office, leaving you high and dry unless you dish out more money to them. Come on Windows, include some sort of office software INCLUDED in the outrageous price of your OS.
No more just clicking the Explorer or Word or what ever (after I have to pin my own shortcut) yes another step to pick which window I want to go to. Just open the program, I don't need all the extra steps.
As bad of a rap with Vista, it's heaven sent compared to Win8.
Trust me, I have not spoken to anyone who thinks this is a good OS.

Updated on Feb 21, 2014
It's a good thing that I have a touch screen, otherwise this complicated OS would be impossible.


Updated on Feb 21, 2014

I'm an IT class 5 and have given it a fair chance (over 2 months now) and it's a sorry attempt to mimic a smart phone.

If you don't have a touch screen, you're really going to be up the creek without a paddle.

14 hours ago
"Horrible"

Pros None

Cons Nightmare to use

SummaryI bought a new touch screen with Windows 8. After struggling with it for awhile I got rid of it and bought a MAC. I have been a Microsoft user since early DOS days - never again. They wasted my time and money with a system that should never have been put on the market. Will never buy Microsoft again.
J
uly 14, 2014

Pros nothing

Con severything

Summary Simply put, Windows 8 sucks! It is the worst OS I have ever used.

[Thumper]

Bill, 99.9% of the estate sales I go to has a computer somewhere in the house ... spare bedroom, home office, wherever. Now the area (Hotlanta) may differ, but here, they clean out the memory so there is no personal info on them (I guess they put them back in default mode or sumpin'?) and sell them for pennies on the dollar and most are newer models. The laptops bring good money, but they practically give the PC's away. If you're not in a big rush, you may want to explore that angle.

[FooBang]

I guarantee that installing a new processor will be more trouble than its worth. Who's to say that the new processor will even be compatible with that motherboard? A new processor costs about the same or more than a new (scaled-down) computer anyway.

If you're just using it for the web, get a chrome book. They're a couple hundred dollars, tops.

[Niner]

Well.....it does look like the ol' gal would be compatible with Win7.
And, it looks like a lot of sellers are having "fire sales" on that OS over on The Bay.
I *might* go that direction. Can get the Win7 OS for less than $70.
Reallllly want to keep this as inexpen$ive as po$$ible as that PC is used pretty infrequently.

Our main PC (the "new one" we got last year) is running Win8. I've just about gotten used to it......just about.