Apps and Services You Need to Stop Using in 2017
Are you a holdout still using one of these obsolete applications or services?
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Many a longtime Windows user has invoked this philosophy to justify their refusal to upgrade.
But in today’s IT environment, the concept of what “broke” means has evolved. The fact that some application you’ve been using for years still opens still looks the same, and still mostly works isn’t enough. For each day that passes, your legacy program or service increases its liability in terms of security and compatibility with the modern world.
With Windows 8, Microsoft tried to change the mindset. Rather than old workhorse applications that never changed, Windows 8 pushed a steady stream of updates that continually patched security holes, improved stability, and expanded features. We accept this on our mobile platforms (see: the constantly updated iOS apps you get from the App Store), but expanding this approach to the desktop environment was new at the time. Windows 8’s wild unpopularity proved that the world wasn’t quite ready for that. But Windows 8 successfully laid the groundwork for the Windows-as-a-service model that distinguishes Windows 10. Microsoft—and the rest of the major software developers—are marching users toward modernity whether they like it or not.
There are pros and cons to this approach, not to mention a few casualties. It seems like every month we are tolling the death knell for once-beloved applications or services. Some of these are controversial and untimely. But others are not. In this article, we are going to talk about the ones that are not.
We are declaring the following applications and services dead. And it’s about time.
Applications and Technologies We Need to Say Goodbye to Once and For All
Technologies built into Windows and those available from third-party developers had a good run over the past 20 years. But if we want to move forward, we need to make some small sacrifices. Yes, it’s true, not all of us will be able to participate in this transition, but for those who can, there is really no need to procrastinate. Universal apps originally made their debut in Windows 8 as modern apps.
Universal apps originally made their debut in Windows 8 as modern apps. The universal app model itself has significantly matured up to this point; I personally believe, it’s time for us to embrace many of these apps for everyday use. There are some users who still believe if the app doesn’t have XYZ like its win32 ancestor, it’s just not good enough.
Let’s be realistic here: Do you really need to have kitchen sink apps in 2017?
For instance, take an app like Windows Live Photo Gallery versus the built-in Photos app in Windows 10. Both do a good job at the fundamentals—you can view photos, make light edits, and share your photo.
Now, there are users who expect to find a feature for feature parity between both apps before they consider either one good enough. The reality is that just might not happen. In fact, in today’s world, the kitchen sink experience you are looking for might be better off found in two or more apps instead of one. That’s not to say some unique features only available in Photo Gallery won’t eventually show up in Photos. It’s just that evaluating software based on a checklist of features is not the way to look at it.
This takes us to some of the apps I still see users asking for or trying to find ways to keep alive on a forward-thinking platform such as Windows 10.
Internet Explorer 11
Microsoft made it perfectly clear: Internet Explorer 11 is dead. The once-popular web browser that came bundled with Windows since the mid-90s has imprinted a special kind of affection among a particular group of users. I personally hung on to Internet Explorer for a while after Windows 10 was released. Edge, no matter what anyone said, was not mature enough for me to move to it full time.
Microsoft Edge has come a long way since 2015 and the folks behind it continue to develop the browser at an ambitious pace. Although it took a long time for the Edge team to realize, the web browser needs to be maintained separately from Windows 10. That’s why updates will now be regularly released starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. Instead of having to wait for a new release of Windows 10 to get new features, users will get them directly from the Store. Edge has also improved in usability in many areas. Features like extensions, improved download manager, tab management and unique functionality such as Cortana search make it a decent web browser.
I personally have never been big on extensions even in the IE days. I’ve pretty much used the browser out of the box as-is. With the rise of Chrome, extensions certainly have become the best way to augment a web browser. Edge’s list of extensions is slowly maturing, but there are some solid ones available that should get most users up and running. It will take time for many of the more obscure ones available for Chrome or Firefox to eventually show up.
There are other token reasons for holding out on Edge, some of which don’t quite stand up to logic. Flash support, for instance, is one of the biggest. Seriously, if Adobe’s Flash support is a reason why you are still using IE, then you really haven’t tried Edge, because it’s supported. Modern browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera have been slowly winding down their support for Flash as well. If a lack of Flash support is a dealbreaker, then you may soon be left with very few options.
Sure, LOB apps dependent on Microsoft’s old ActiveX browser technology is one thing. For an everyday user just wanting to watch some animation, play a game or view YouTube, there really is no excuse to keep using Internet Explorer in 2017. Really, it’s time to move on.
Media Player and Media Center
Windows 10’s out of box apps for media playback were so-so in version 1507, but they’ve made significant improvements in stability and features. The Groove Music app has a lot of features in it but I’m more of a casual user. I own an iPhone, so, I am more invested in iTunes (which is coming to the Windows Store by the way). Media Player is one of the legacy apps that has maintained a long history with Windows going back as far as the early 90s.
Much of its necessity is linked to technologies like optical drives and media player devices. Starting with Windows 8, Microsoft removed support for native DVD playback. Microsoft tried to ease the transition by providing an optional DVD Player app you have to buy from the store. I personally prefer the popular VLC Player – available both as a desktop and UWP app – to watch my movies, whether they are DVDs or digital downloads. I am sure there many alternatives out there users can look into, but if Media Player or Windows Media Center is a reason why you haven’t embraced Windows 10 fully, then it’s time take a serious second look at what’s out there.
Flash Player
Steve Jobs described Flash as a bag of hurt when Adobe had intentions of bringing the dynamic web browser technology to smartphones. Not only would Flash become a hurt for mobile, but the desktop too. Previously a pre-eminent conduit for web ads, Flash was also used to build small games that were quick and easy to load. In fact, YouTube was built on Flash during its early days but has since encoded all videos to support the new HTML5 video standard. HTML5, for those who don’t know, is the infrastructure language for creating modern web pages that come built-in with a rich set of standards to support multimedia formats.
Flash has deservedly earned a reputation for its poor security. While the technology is fading fast, it is still widely used on many web pages. I believe it needs to be put in the rearview mirror faster. Even though there are websites that rely on Flash, there is no reason to keep it on all the time. In fact, modern web browsers like Microsoft Edge and Chrome keep it off by default.
A web site requiring Flash will instead prompt users to enable it on demand if needed. HTML5, Google’s WebM standard, and VP9 are really the future of web video. It’s time to embrace it and put old web technology like Flash to rest. Once a great platform for legacy mediums like enhanced CDs and web ads, Flash has seen its best days.
JAVA
Another bag of hurt, Java has maintained its relevance mostly in industrial/enterprise applications that are cross-platform. The idea—based on the concept of write once, run anywhere—is good in theory. The Java virtual machine, once a requirement of banking websites, mobile phone games, and apps, made it just as ubiquitous as the Flash Player in the 2000s. With the rise of mobile devices such as the iPhone, Java also found that its relevance began to wane, partly due to its performance and potential security issues.
In recent times, quite a number of users have been asking how to install Java on Windows 10. This got me curious enough to try and find out why users would need to. Even applications that once supported Java natively have discontinued support. Google Chrome no longer supports NPAPI (application programming interface standard for plug ins created by Netscape) as far back as version 45.
My computers have been Java-free since I started using Windows 7. There is little reason to still keep it installed because the applications I use don’t need it. That said if you are using applications such as Adobe’s Dreamweaver, you might still need to install Java. If you are not planning on building websites, there really is no need to install Java.
Apache Office, an open-source productivity suite similar to Microsoft Office, also requires the Java Runtime Environment. The same goes for some parts of Libre Office, an alternative to Apache Office, but not all of it. Only the database management exclusively requires Java installed in order to work.
So, there is really no letting go of Java if you need these applications. But one thing you can do to enhance your security when running Java on your computer is to keep it disabled it where it’s not needed. Applications such as your web browser don’t necessarily need to have Java enabled. Brian wrote a comprehensive guide to managing Java on your Windows PC that is well worth reading.
Java, which is quickly fading from relevance, should not be confused with JavaScript. JavaScript continues to be as essential as HTML and CSS. JavaScript is actually a bit of a misnomer since it is not nearly as related to Java as you might think. You can get by on the web without Java, but JavaScript is more prevalent. While some experts say you should disable scripting in your web browser, I have found that doing so can sometimes make things behave weirdly. If you depend on certain web browser plugins, you will need to have JavaScript enabled. For example, I use Grammarly and some other plugins, which are built using this scripting language. I have also noticed if you disable scripting, it can affect web page elements like comment boxes or interactive controls.
Quicktime
One of the early media player pioneers in the 90s, Quicktime became just as ubiquitous as Macromedia Flash. It was used in all sorts of multimedia projects, whether its multimedia content for CDs included with textbooks; as the web add-on for viewing movie trailers; or as a platform for delivering streaming video.
While Apple still maintains Quicktime in macOS – called Quicktime X – the company has abandoned the Windows version. Yet there are users who pop up from time to time asking about how to install it or fix a broken installation. Quicktime is dead on Windows and Apple didn’t bother to even patch an open vulnerability before its discontinuation. So, anyone choosing to use it is doing so at their own risk.
Just like Flash, Quicktime has been superseded by much richer web technologies like HTML5. Unless you want to view that Backstreet Boys or Britney Spears enhanced CD from 1999, there really isn’t much reason to still be using it.
Windows Live Mail
The history of Windows Live Mail goes back as far as Outlook Express, which made its debut with Windows 95 OSR2 in the mid-90s. The built-in Windows Mail client has evolved over the years. The first major change came with Windows Vista in 2007, which included an improved spam filter, redesigned layout, and instant search technology. Users had to wait five years for this upgrade, which was tied to the ill-fated Windows Longhorn development.
The launch of Windows 7 unbundled Windows Mail and other applications like Photo Gallery and Movie Maker for the first time. Instead, users could download them separately as part of the Windows Essentials suite, while receiving regular updates. Over time, Windows Live Mail became neglected in favor of the modern Mail app that came with Windows 8. Earlier this year, Microsoft discontinued the development of Windows Essentials leaving users who depended on the suite without a viable alternative.
How long the suite will continue to work on Windows 10 remains to be seen. The issue for many users still dependent on Windows Live Mail is that there was no clear transition from the desktop Mail client to the modern Outlook Mail. It’s basically starting from scratch unless you had synced all your mail to Outlook.com. There really is no way to get your emails over to Mail in Windows 10 offline. Some users don’t like using the new Mail client in Windows 10 either, but that doesn’t mean you are out of options. Over the years, numerous third-party email clients have shown up as alternatives to Windows Live Mail. The most famous one to date is Thunderbird, from the developers of the Firefox web browser.
Providing a familiar user experience, users running Windows Live Mail can even back up their messages and easily import them into Thunderbird. This is still a desktop app, but at least it’s still supported, which might be the best interim solution users still dependent on the unsupported mail client can use until they make the transition to Outlook Mail. I personally have reduced my dependence on local clients overall.
My choice for communications includes Outlook.com, Gmail, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. They are fast, provide quick access, and are supported not just on Windows but other platforms you might be using such as iOS and Android. Sure enterprises might still need Office Outlook for integration with Exchange Online or Server, but I see that as a legacy investment. Even Exchange has supported a web-based Outlook service for a couple of decades now.
Conclusion
These six apps and technologies were great during their time on the market. There are others like Movie Maker I didn’t mention, but it too will soon be replaced by a modern video editor built into the Photos app. Brian recently previewed the new Story Remix app, which simplifies and automates video editing. It’s not your grandfather’s Movie Maker by any means, but users need to rethink what it means to use such apps in 2017 and beyond.
While they might still have some semblance of relevance, legacy desktop really is tied to a past that’s fading fast. Windows 10 S, Microsoft’s new edition of its desktop operating system is described as the soul of Windows. It’s what Windows 10 is truly supposed to be, free of a classic desktop app legacy that has brought Microsoft and third-party developers great fortune over the past few decades, but at the expense of innovation, performance and security.
Jump in the comments and let us know your thoughts on legacy and modern apps on Windows 10. Which ones are you still using? Why?
DebbyS
June 21, 2017 at 8:07 am
I’ll be happy to stop using any software you experts don’t like if you’ll pay for replacements (for it is hard to find totally free ones) that are just as good or better. I’m using IE11 on my new Win10 computer because I can access all my old favorites from my Win 7 days. I also use Pale Moon for grabbing YouTube videos. Edge was scary and unpleasant. I just loaded Word2000on (not the whole Office 2000 suite, don’t need it) because I’m so used to Word (through 2007) and the nice LibreOffice doesn’t use the same commands. Sometimes old programs, if they’ll run on Win10, are still useful to load.
Now help us out by telling us how to get some simple games on Win10 (Spider, FreeCell) that don’t require access to Windows Store or being online all the time to use them. I’ve been searching around and haven’t had any success. Note that I’ve been on line since about 1995, so I’ve picked up some skills during that time.
Richard
June 22, 2017 at 6:46 am
As far as the games you were referring to (Freecell, Spider Solitaire, etc.), you can log onto the Microsoft Store and download the Microsoft Solitaire Collection – it’s free to download. This collection has all the games you referred to. Here is the kicker, you may have to log into a Microsoft account to download it. But if you have to do this, once the download is complete, you can simply log off your account and play these games as a “guest.” Just make sure you log off of your new account with Microsoft (in the Store webpage) after the download, and, once you open the Solitaire Collection, (1) make sure you are logged off your account, and (2) click on the “guest” button if it should appear……
DebbyS
June 22, 2017 at 1:15 pm
I see, good tips. A suite of simple games came bundled with Win10, but one had to be online to use them and shortly after playing one game a few times, there came strong hints I should consider buying the suite or at least investing more into the store. I’ve gotten some tips about getting into the store as a local user (rather than surrendering to MS, giving them all my info and control, which no one in their right mind should do, IMO), and I may do the limited sign on eventually. But perhaps someone will create some simple games one can download that can be played without having to turn on a modem. I’ve downloaded quite a few programs already (Irfanview today, for example; Calibre yesterday). I usually played the simple games (Free Cell, Spyder) while awaiting downloads. I have to get used to reading an ebook off my tablet instead, which is actually a better use of my time. Nice chatting with you :)
Cow Bovine
June 9, 2018 at 4:05 am
Why do people insist on having educated – yes, years of financially invested education – developers churn out hundreds upon hundreds of hours of codes on very expensive equipment, then publish their work to others to use, then to gain users who don;t wish to pay them for their work. Why do people want everything for free? Do the world a favor, for EACH and EVERY ‘FREE’ software you use, contact the developer and ask them how much they think that one software package is WORTH. THEN, write a check to them for 1/2 the amount they feel is good. TRUST ME, they will use that money to invest in more programs for the public. OR, train and develop yourself to produce a ‘better or improved’ program and have it published. If you don’t loose your home or car in the process, tell me if YOU will give it away for free. Hmmm.
NOTE: I use legal freeware (yes, do remember that there are ‘rules’ to who and where you can actually use the freeware, even if it IS a game. Also, make sure you realize that many freeware programs won’t take your money, but MIGHT take your identity or data to personal information.) – but I digress. I look for a DONATE button or other means of compensation to the author, and I forward them something ($5, $10, or a ticket to a concert). Reason being? Some Authors have tens upon thousands of people using their software, and in any given month, I may have been the ONLY one who gave them a $10 bill. It’s sad that computer users compensate the authors less than migrant workers.
Paul Freeman
June 21, 2017 at 8:09 am
Thank you for your reasoning of why to go to Windows 10. It was the clincher I needed to stay with Windows 7.
DebbyS
June 22, 2017 at 1:22 pm
I decided to get a Win10 laptop because my ~4 year old Win7 gave me a scare recently (turned out my external keyboard had a stuck key, but it was scary anyhow). So I did a lot of study (lots of YT videos and such), got a good (I hope) new laptop (~$350), added more RAM (instructions on YT), copied things over — but I have kept the old Win7 for things like banking and Amazon. I’ve also made the 10 at least look like 7 (using programs I got used to on the Win7, including MS Word 2000!), which eases the transition. I’m glad I waited this long to make the change (let others be the Guinea pigs), and it is the way I would recommend that others do it. Take your time, study up, try not to be *forced* to change but take charge of the process :)
Wine King
June 21, 2017 at 8:29 am
I am using explorer because Edge is not compatable with Norton, I tried an experiment and for a day used Edge and Defender and ran a scan it showed no problems, I then immediately re installed and ran Norton and it came up with 12 tracking cookies low level maybe but Defender did not find them.
Bob R
June 21, 2017 at 8:46 am
Dump Norton. Likewise dead.
Richard
June 22, 2017 at 6:55 am
Try Comodo…… It’s free – to download and use. It is also just as good (if not better, I feel) then Norton or McAffee. You couldn’t get me to use either one of these, if they were the last anti-virus software on the market. Check it out – http://www.comodo.com
Daniel Hyndman
August 7, 2017 at 3:58 am
Suggestion, get MalwareBytes or Trend Micro, Norton sucks.
Jul Kornbluth
June 21, 2017 at 8:37 am
Updating to Windows 10 is slow, confusing and and times does not work at all. I have a beautiful large screen Sony Viao, absoliutely love it.
But I can’t activate windows 10 because it claims the drivers for my NVIDIA GeForce 210M don’t exist. But they do! It is making me cry. I am starting to get very angry with Microsoft.
DebbyS
June 22, 2017 at 1:24 pm
Maybe Sony could help with the drivers? I had a Vaio years and years ago… really liked it. I think it had Win98.
Glynn Brooks
June 21, 2017 at 8:46 am
I still have one Windows 7 PC that is my HTPC. I upgraded it to W10, but was not happy with Kodi, so I downgraded back to W7.
I have a TiVo with a cable card that I use to record OTA and cable TV programs. I only use WMC to watch downloaded TV programs (.MKV files). Both the TiVo and the HTPC are plugged into the big screen TV.
The two WMC features that are still important to me are playing the .MKV files and using a dedicated WMC remote control (Gyration AirMedia R4000). If I could find another WMC equivalent that did those two things, I could upgrade to W10 and stop using WMC.
DebbyS
June 22, 2017 at 1:27 pm
I can’t help you with the TV control, but VLC media player will play MKV files, and they recently came out with a good Android ap that can play MKV files on (in my case) a Samsung Tab A when before the built-in Samsung ap would only play mp4 files… but then the built-in learned from the VLC ap and now the built-in Samsung ap can play MKV files. Strange. Perhaps someone on this forum can help you with the TV thing.
Henry
June 21, 2017 at 9:30 am
What viable replacement is there for Media Center to manage our Tv TUNER boards? And XBMC is NOT the answer.
Andre Da Costa
June 22, 2017 at 7:09 pm
You could check out Media Portal https://www.team-mediaportal.com/
Brian
June 21, 2017 at 11:49 am
The only thing in Edge I find lacking is “tabs to the front”. When I open a new tab, I want it to come to the fore.
Steve
June 21, 2017 at 2:05 pm
Andre, you forgot to talk about Silverlight.
Andre Da Costa
June 22, 2017 at 7:08 pm
How could I forget, I do come across users requesting info how to get it installed.
Richard
June 21, 2017 at 4:30 pm
I agree….. Until Microsoft quits trying to track my location, keystrokes, ink usage, and how much toilet paper I use, I’m staying away from Cortana and Edge…..!!! I do not need the tracking cookies on my computer either.
DebbyS
June 22, 2017 at 1:30 pm
Turning off Cortana was one of the first things I learned about even before my new Laptop came. There are lots of YT videos that help you preserve as much privacy as possible. The only good thing I’ve found about Edge so far is that it presented properly one website I rather like visiting (Yelp) while IE and Pale Moon don’t quite get it. I also found (again via YT) that one can tell Edge to show a favorites bar, so now I have one favorite there.
Andre Da Costa
June 21, 2017 at 9:17 pm
As I noted in the article, not everyone will be able to make the transition. I am sure Norton supports Firefox and Chrome too. What I want users to realize is, sooner or later, these technologies are going to be on a chopping block and its better to start preparing to move on even if it means using a dual strategy or finding a non-Microsoft alternative. The world is a different place from 10 years ago. I am going to admit, I personally don’t use Edge much either, I am mostly invested in Firefox both for performance and syncing.
Jul Kornbluth
June 22, 2017 at 2:56 am
Yes I understand that. But surely a transition should allow for a perfectly good PC to still carry on working. Without the screen working, my Sony is dead in the water. And without the driver, the screens won’t work. So any actually useful suggestions, Andre
DebbyS
June 22, 2017 at 3:58 am
I appreciate your honest reply! :) I do understand about moving on, I really dreaded the idea of moving from Windows XP to Windows 7… though I can’t recall fearing the move from Windows 3.1.1 to Win 98, but I was younger then! Also, I managed to skip the unsavory/unloved versions (like Vista and 8/8.1). On the other hand, I recall being intrigued by Word 2 and making the move from WordPertect 5.1 (both of these I used in my work as a wordprocessor [new-fashioned word for typist]). At home I could be more daring in my computer use, but still until recently was behind in adopting expensive new tech, waiting to see how it was working for others.
So maybe it is the uses we put an OS, software and various forms of hardware to as well as the way it is introduced that makes a difference when it comes to acceptance or rejection. CD burners were a huge step up over little 5″ floppies, but I have yet to acquire a taste for using a touch pad over a mouse.
Eliezer
June 21, 2017 at 9:28 pm
Just to clear things up, Java as a language is not going away any time soon. As you can see here ( https://www.tiobe.com/tiobe-index/ ), Java is still the most popular programming language. Android apps are also written in Java.
Cindy H
June 22, 2017 at 12:11 pm
Very interesting article.
I was hoping you’d mention ‘Works’, but I guess that’s so far gone, it isn’t even on the radar.
My boss still uses it, (bless his heart), and I wish someone could tell me a really good reason I can pass on to him as to why it’s time to let it go! :D
We do have Microsoft Office 2007, so it’s not like he doesn’t have a viable alternative!
I might add he has Windows 7 still because it will apparently be another 3 years before support ends.
Thanks – I enjoyed reading this and the comments.
Andre Da Costa
June 22, 2017 at 7:07 pm
Maybe he likes the wizard and interface which is reminiscent of the older style standard and formatting toolbars.
Libre Office is a recommended alternative if a future revision of Windows 10 breaks it.
Cindy H
June 26, 2017 at 7:29 am
Thank you Andre, that’s great, and I wrote it down so I can keep it for when he finally breaks down and loads Windows 10. :)
Gerry
June 23, 2017 at 1:25 am
Hi
I’m a Dashlane Password Manager fan.
According to their customer support they are working on an extension for Microsoft Edge but they have been saying this since August 2016.
As Internet Explorer is no longer supported by Microsoft
Can you recommend an alternative to Dashlane ?
Regards
Gerry
Steve Krause
June 23, 2017 at 6:54 am
For a password manager, I “personally” don’t think you will find anything better than 1Password. https://www.groovypost.com/unplugged/how-i-secure-everything-in-my-life-1password/
We’ve written about it quite a bit. Works great across all platforms (Mac/Pc/iOS/Android) and supports Dropbox to ensure all the passwords are available on each device. Granted, it doesn’t support Edge yet – https://agilebits.com/onepassword/extensions.
Hope that helps. ;)
DebbyS
June 23, 2017 at 11:15 am
“As Internet Explorer is no longer supported by Microsoft”. This may not be what you mean, but IE 11 comes with Windows 10 and is still in Win 10 version 1703 Build 15063.11 (the version on my laptop and it’s up to date as far as I know). Since MS included it IE 11, I can’t see why they would not support it at this time. Note that I have found a few websites that render better in Edge than IE11 but I stick with IE11 for 98% of what I’m surfing to see currently.
Richard
June 23, 2017 at 11:24 am
Another password manager, that is very good and that I use and love, is LastPass. However, since I DO NOT use Edge and use Firefox, I do not know if Edge allows the LastPass extension. LastPass is free, and very easy to use. I switched from TrueKey to LastPass and have never looked back. Check it out – LastPass.com
Danny
June 26, 2017 at 7:58 pm
Edge does support LastPass extension. After installation of LastPass, you have to click on the 3 dots in the upper right corner in order to login to LastPass.
Bond Shands
June 30, 2017 at 1:30 pm
I’m still using Eudora Pro version 7 as my primary email program. I never delete non-commercial messages and have archived messages dating back to 1999. I would lose all that if I abandoned Eudora. I also continue to use Mailwasher v6.5.4 to perform checks of my half-dozen email accounts. I stopped updating Mailwasher when they started adding features I didn’t need and switched to annual licenses. I have found both programs continue to perform under Windows 10 and have no plans to abandon them. I also use Outlook to handle commercial mail and newsletters. It’s a nice program but not nearly as versatile as Eudora nor does it have comparable internal tools for messaging and storage.
Jeff Goebel
October 24, 2017 at 10:18 am
I love Eudora too, as it’s the only tool I’ve ever found that allows two simultanious open inboxes… however I’ll let you know if you ever do switch there are ways to export into other tools. With luck, we’l never have to switrch! EUDORA 7 forever!
BBB
July 19, 2017 at 2:58 am
1. for the simple games, like Solitaire, Spider, etc. just copy them from a Windows XP CD… if you like them a bit fancier, then copy them from Win7 or Vista…
2. Graphic Drivers – if your laptop has an nVidia graphic chip, then by all means go to the nVidia driver site and see if they have an up to date version of a driver… same goes for AMD/ATI but respectfully the AMD driver website…
Before upgrading (Win8.1 to Win10 as an example), and not doing a clean install, one should always UPDATE all drivers to the latest possible first… that way you will most assuredly be spared many “install and deinstall” loops…
3. unfortunately, there is only one alternative to the Media Centre (Center in the US) and that is KODI… but someone has transferred the MC including an installer for Win10… Google for it (hint: Windows Media Center Windows 10) and you will be surprised…
4. to the one that had problems using Kodi and Win10… never had any on my end, starting with the 2015 release of Kodi, and it is a charm with the most recent version…
5. those of you who are privacy minded, as I am, should take a look at, I highly recommend it:
Spybot Anti Beacon
https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/