end of life

Don turned on his Dell laptop and he got a message that his version of Windows is out of the support range. Does he need a new computer? Leo says no. It's likely that the version of Windows 10 Don has, hasn't been updated in a while. All you have to do is run Windows update. But if your computer is too old, it's possible that updating it may not work for that Windows version. But Leo doesn't think so. Check out this link to Microsoft's end-of-life site.

Lex wants to know what he can do with an old mobile phone. Leo says that over time, cell phone companies gradually phase out support for older technologies. GSM, CDMA, and others have already been turned off. 3G phones will be turned off soon as well. Then LTE will be phaserd out. And phone manufacturers will also stop updating the operating systems, making them a security threat. So eventually, the phone will stop working as a phone. But he could use them as a handheld computer with WiFi. Or a media player. 

Ann has an old Vista computer but she can't get online to it. Leo says you shouldn't be online with a Vista computer because Microsoft stopped supporting it in 2019. The computer Ann has is over ten years old and as such, it's a security risk to get online with it anyway. So Leo recommends keeping it as an offline machine and get a Chromebook for all your online activities. 

Anne wants to know why her Chromebook isn't getting updates anymore. And can she keep using it? Leo says that the older your Chromebook is, the more likely Google will stop updating it. But it'll be fine for a while. Chrome is very secure. The issue though will be if your browser is still updated. If your Chromebook is one of the first, and as such, its end of life, then it may be time to get a new one.

Jeff has a Chromebook that has reached "end of life." What? Leo says you can still use it, but they won't be supporting them with updates anymore. But it's still secure for use. If it's that old, however, it may be time to upgrade it. The latest round of ChromeOS devices support Android apps and are much more powerful. And the price ranges are very affordable. 

Is has a Windows 7 computer and is concerned that it will stop working due to the end of life. Leo says no. It'll keep working, and during the crisis, Microsoft continues to update security patches. So you'll be safe for at least the end of the year. It's important to keep your computer updated, especially Windows Defender. Set your updates to automatic. But all that won't protect you against your own behavior online. Be careful what you click on. Don't install a third-party version of flash. Go to Adobe and manually download the updates and use Firefox as your browser. 

Alan wants to know if Philips Hue Lights would work as lights for a video webcast. Leo says since they can change colors, they can look really good on camera. But he also hears that older Hue bridges are being placed into its end of life. Leo says they are depreciating the older models, but that doesn't mean they won't continue to work. But the problem is, any bulb that is connected to the Internet may result in a security issue for your network. That's the main thing. It's important to get all the patches you can. But in most cases, you'll likely be fine.

Mike wants to get his parents a new Chromebook, but he's concerned that Google won't update them after a few years. Leo says that Google says that they will update them up to five years. But one, Chromebooks are extremely secure by design, so even after its end of life, you still can use it online and two, Chromebooks are cheap to replace. Worst case, you may run into issues visiting some websites. Check out about Chromebook's end of life and Auto Update policy here.