If you really need MS Windows, stick with it. Helping people with Windows systems is the primary work in my computer ministry. However, my primary mission is to help people to need less help. If you can learn to make Windows work for you, it's not that hard to migrate to Linux. Not a comprehensive guide, this companion guide can help you explore the possibilities give you greater control over your own computers, and save you a lot of money. You'll gain from the author's long experience as a computer support technician, learning to avoid problems and gotchas not covered in the official online sources. Your old XP hardware is quite suitable for a currently supported Linux operating system and you don't have to relearn all your computer use habits to do it.