Rather than using XP mode, just get yourself set up with a proper virtual machine setup. I use VMWare Fusion (which is for mac) and a lot of people here use VMWare Workstation (which is the PC equivalent) with very good results. There are a ton of good reasons and benefits to this, and once you have it set up, most people can navigate it pretty easily after a few hours tinkering.
The last place I worked had to set it up to support old Modicon PLC's. We had a shift crew comprising of a wide variety of different people, from a Gen Y tech yuppie (me) to an old Scotsman in his late 60's who was very good with his hands, unless they were on a keyboard, in which case he had very little patience. But every one of us picked it up and rolled with it in no time. The key is getting it set up, tested, and working well before you throw it over to your techs, so they don't start with a bad taste in their mouth.
