XP user here - should I go with Vista or Windows 7?

[TroglodyteScholar]

34. From a technical standpoint, XP is far from the best OS they've released.

Bear in mind that the OS you look at on your machine today was likely the recipient of 3 service packs and countless other patches to make it what it is right now. It's a cobbled-together mess, and it's amazing that it still works for anything at all.

Paint Shop Pro is an alright program, but what exactly are you doing in it that's so important? There are tons of other programs, many of which are free of charge, that will do some fairly sophisticated stuff with your images. Don't let yourself get locked in just because it's what's familiar. The very worst reason to do something is "well, that's what I've always done." I'd start by taking a look at the GIMP. There will be a learning curve with the different UI, but it's powerful and documented pretty well.

As for Nero... what a piece of garbage! That program hasn't been worth using since literally 2003 or so. Again, there are free options that will do the job great. ImgBurn will burn discs for you, Exact Audio Copy will rip audio CDs, etc...

The main problem with "end of support" is that you no longer get security patches. This leaves you vulnerable to hackers. If you absolutely MUST keep your old programs, I'd suggest leaving the machine just how it is after the final XP update...and then disconnecting it entirely from the Internet. Keep it stand-alone style for continuity, then, while you learn Windows 8.X on the low-cost laptop or desktop that you've picked out for yourself. An adequate system can be had these days for $300-$400 if you watch the sales.

My point: end of support isn't the end of the world, but it shouldn't be taken lightly. It doesn't break your computer, it just makes it untrustworthy for network use. So keep it as long as you want to, but you will ultimately have to deal with a modern operating system at some point.