File structure is better? Can you give an example? There is no difference that I'm aware of.

The best thing about newer versions of Windows (7 and up) is being able to open programs without searching through the start menu or even moving a hand to the mouse. You tap the Windows key, type the first few letters of the program you want to use and hit enter. Much faster.

Second best is window management on multiple screens with Windows 10.

Maybe the best is reliability...heck, there are lots of things I like on 10, lol.

Anyway, in regards to XP, if I needed an old computer for the hardware that was available at the time, I would install a good version of Linux and then I would install Windows XP as a virtual machine within Linux and give XP access to the serial port.

Have you tried Keyspan USB to serial adapters? That's the brand that worked well for me while I was using 7. I haven't had need for a serial adapter for awhile now though so I don't know how it works with 10.