The End of XP support

So.....Windows XP is officially a thing of the past.  Too bad, because, Microsoft had its first stable operating system.  While not perfect, it was tried and true.  Then came along Vista, the beast that made everyone upset.  We'll forget that Vista still exists, because Windows 7 made that a possibility.  While I am quite used to 7 now (and fairly happy with it), I still run an older PC with XP.  As a quasi-geek, I use several computers for testing software.  One of these is the only PC that I have bought brand new - with an XP license.  I have since been given other obsolete PCs from friends, accompanied by a legitimate XP license.  I also now have two used laptops with legitimate Windows 7 licenses.  One of these laptops also runs Ubuntu, which is a free flavor of a Linux GUI operating system (more to come about that).  And finally, I am learning Windows 8 via a 90-day trial version, just to get used to the OS, as more clients are now using the dumbed-down OS, er, I mean, the "user-friendly" OS.  Actually, I understand the philosophy behind the Apps look and feel of Windows 8, as Apple has dominated the tablet market with its Apps GUI.  Ah, but I have gone off the path on a tangent.  Even though XP is now no longer supported by Microsoft in regards to the common user, I'll still be using it.  I just hate the thought of having to buy a Microsoft license, when I don't need one, much less a brand new piece of hardware.  So if your PC ain't broke, don't fix it.  Keep running XP if it does what you need it to.  Now if you happen to be running an ATM machine with XP, well then we should talk about upgrading.  Something about a little word called security.  More on that later, too.