14 DAY TRIAL // One of the bright sides of the Windows XP end of support is the fact that organizations that are moving to a new operating system also need to replace their computers, so old machines can be easily used for another purpose.
The Los Angeles County has decided to donate 8,000 old Windows XP machines to nonprofit organizations, according to a report published today by Daily News, as local authorities completed the transition to Windows 7 and, as part of the migration, new computers have also been added to their inventory.
“This is an innovative solution that has involved multiple city agencies cooperating with one another,” Councilman Bob Blumenfield has been quoted as saying by the source. “By thinking about the entire life cycle of our electronic devices, we can make strides in bridging the digital divide, benefit underserved communities and reduce our e-waste footprint.”
The hardware upgrades that are absolutely mandatory when moving from Windows XP to Windows 7 are actually one of the reasons many people have delayed the switch, so 25 percent of the desktop computers worldwide are still said to be powered by this unsupported operating system right now.
Microsoft obviously doesn't want Windows XP to remain on these computers, but it's still a pretty good way to provide organizations with affordable access to IT resources without the need for any investments.