Reality....XP is long in the tooth and as time goes on, there's less and less to choose from and even then, they're dated, also. IMO, security coverage on such an old system isn't up to today's needs.
I never liked the suites. I used to pick and choose individual apps that worked best for me.
Frank had a good suggestion on refurb computers, but I don't know what you have available in Scotland. Here, on a Newegg sale, an HP with win7 can run from $100 to $200 US.
If money is an issue but you have good hardware and aren't adverse to putting in a little time, Installing a distro of Linux is a cheap alternative.
I use a distro called Tahr Puppy that's burned to a DVD and boots from it, never needing a hard drive for anything other than saved files. I use a USB thumb drive.
Every time you boot it up, it's the same system you originally configured.
Or you could install Linux Mint on your hard drive and you'd have the general appearance of your XP system.
In addition, if you stay with XP, look for an app called 'Sandboxie'.
You run your browser in it and by whitelisting what you allow to be run in that sandbox, you eliminate a lot of threats that come in through your browser.
You'll have to go to current reviews on AV products to find out how it compares. IDK.
Frank likes Avast and his opinions are well respected here.
I used it many years ago but switched to MSE.
Currently, I don't use any MS operating systems on the Internet or networked with other computers. Only as a standalone in a family/home office environment.
I'm posting from a 10 year old computer that runs on a Linux distro, booted from a DVD.
It has a firewall and I have a NAT router in place.
Every time I boot up, it's a clean operating system the same as I originally configured it because I don't need/use/rely on a hard drive. Everything on my DVD is copied into RAM on boot and the DVD removed till I reboot. I also browse with Firefox that has numerous security extensions.
There's no guarantee I can't be hacked, but all I have to do is reboot and I've got back my pristine operating system.
But Linux isn't for everyone. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't.
With the recent change in the Feds views of online privacy, doing all your daily routines through the 'cloud' and saved there may not be such a great idea if that data becomes a commodity for sale .....imo.
I could go on, but it's obvious care is needed with any means of computing and data storage....and I haven't even gotten to the issue of the Feds wanting to know what we're up to or how vulnerable data saved in the 'cloud' is to resale. In a perfect world, it would be safe.
Yeah!
And the clencher.....
Robert the Bruce doesn't seem interested in buying a new computer.
Wow. I never heard someone so against Chromebooks. Most of what you posted is wrong. Don't scare people away from a great system. There's a whole section on this site dedicated to getting rid of viruses and stuff. You can't get one with a Chromebook. Schools all over the world are using them instead of Windows because they're so much more secure. You can do a full reset in like 5 minutes.
DaveA, a Chromebook is nothing like a Mac. Do you know something about Chromebooks with viruses?
Wow. I never heard someone so against Chromebooks. Most of what you posted is wrong. Don't scare people away from a great system. There's a whole section on this site dedicated to getting rid of viruses and stuff. You can't get one with a Chromebook. Schools all over the world are using them instead of Windows because they're so much more secure. You can do a full reset in like 5 minutes.
DaveA, a Chromebook is nothing like a Mac. Do you know something about Chromebooks with viruses?
My Puppy Linux does a 'full reset' every time I boot it up and it takes about 2 minutes from a DVD. So what? Every time I boot, it's a pristine os just the way I configured it. And I didn't have to spend any money beyond the DVD I burned it to and the electricity I used in making the LiveCD. (I chose a 10 year old PC no longer usable as an Internet Windows machine it's use already paid down) Let's round up and call it a dollar ( ) Can you beat that? ( legally )
And my off line Windows PC? That's the price for security. BTW, it was a leftover Lenovo Win7 computer I bought new for $199 at Staples.
Chrome OS is an operating system designed by Google that is based on the Linux kernel and uses the Google Chrome web browser as its principal user interface. As a result, Chrome OS primarily supports web applications.
ie....It's a Linux distro that's Internet dependent.
And it's likely going to be susceptible to the same security vulnerabilities that Linux users used to deny. There are malware/viruses in the Linux universe, not many, but they do exist and Google wouldn't have incorporated a 'reset' if they were truly fearless of them.
A lot there to read.
What you'll come away with is that elements of client side derived data get stored on that server side ( 'the cloud' )
And there's the rub.....security is now out side the bounds of the client ( the Chromebook owner ) and it ( the data ) can get hacked/infected as I pointed out earlier.
Again, my point: Any means of generating data and saving it has security implications, Chromebook included.
Even a stand alone set up is going to have some vulnerability of a physical invasion.
Those that are blind to reality are likely going to be burned by it.....sooner or later.
For now, I'll rely on my stand alone setup for finances and family concerns and Puppy Linux for Internet browsing till something better comes along.
I do not see how a Linux distro that's Internet dependent, storing data off site has an advantage over what I currently have
You didn't say which Windows version you're using.
I use the built-in Windows Defender Antivirus in Windows 10.
I use the free Microsoft Security Essentials in Windows 7.
I use the free Avast Free Antivirus in Windows XP and Vista.
I use Avast Free anti virus - they will try to push the paid for version but stick to the free one. Top free anti- virus according to computeractive mags test of all. Kaspersky is good and fairly cheap
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