The pending end of Microsoft security updates for Windows 7, scheduled for Jan. 14, 2020, has led some readers to ask about alternatives to its successor, Windows 10.
Here is what you could do:
• Switch to Windows 8.1 (about $36 online), which will receive security updates until Jan. 10, 2023. But many Windows 7 users won't like Windows 8.1, which was designed for use with a touch screen. It can be used with a keyboard (see tinyurl.com/y2u6qjsa), but it is not convenient.
• Buy an Apple computer with the macOS operating system. The transition will be relatively easy. But there is less software written for Macs than for PCs, because fewer people use them. (The Mac operating system has a 12% worldwide market share, compared to 75% for Windows.) Price is also an issue. New Macs start at $1,000 while new PCs start at $250.
• Switch to a lesser-known operating system, such as Linux (1.6% market share, runs on PCs) or Chrome (1.2% market share, runs only on computers called Chromebooks.) Both will require some time to learn, and aren't well-suited to casual PC users.
Here is what to avoid:
• Don't use Windows 7 after January. Don't use any earlier version of Windows. Without Microsoft security updates, they're vulnerable to hacking.
Here is what I recommend: