I just installed Linux (Lubuntu) as a dual-boot on an older XP netbook. (For the uninitiated, a "dual-boot" simply means that you're given a menu to choose which operating system will load during startup.) Mostly I will run Linux (esp. when online), but by keeping XP available I have the option to handle a native Word file if I really need to. BTW, I can't say enough about the Lubuntu installer; it handled everything including partitioning the hard drive without requiring any sudo-fu. (Lubuntu also runs on systems with as little as 512MB RAM while still giving a Windows-ish graphical interface and real web browsers. Not too shabby. End of commercial.)

Apparently the next (and last) two "Patch Tuesdays" for XP machines will include a pop-up warning from Microsoft regarding end of life support. There are also hints of a skinny, ad-driven version of 8 being offered for cheap/free, but I'll believe it when I see it.

BTW, Linux folks shouldn't get too smug. Just as Apple recovers from a gaping security hole, a serious hole of similar size has been found in Linux and affects most of the major distributions: http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/03/...-eavesdropping/