It still works ok, but Microsoft has ceased to support it and will not release new updates, fixes or security patches. The “XPocolypse” (as it’s been dubbed) marks the end for the ancient (by computer standards at least) system. However, with support for Internet Explorer 8 also coming to an end, this could mean that those still wallowing in the wasteland of dead software could be even more at risk with regard to security. Whilst some big institutions still struggle on with older operating systems (much of our Civil Service being a prime example), given all the recent hacking, security and privacy issues hitting the news over recent months (eg. Heartbleed to name just one!), it really is time for everyone to upgrade to something that’s still supported.
This is doubly true with regard to internet browsers – so if you’re still using IE 8 (or even older!) do get yourself updated – as not only are you running a very insecure browser, but you’ll start to find many big websites just don’t work properly on this outdated software. IE 11 (the current version) is superior in every way, but browsers such as Chrome and Firefox still lead the pack – and keep themselves automatically updated so you don’t have to worry about being out of date ever again!