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Microsoft Pledges Windows XP Support Through 2014 [informationweek.com]
In an unprecedented move, Microsoft has committed to providing support services for its soon to be retired Windows XP through 2014 -- a full 13 years after the operating system was originally released.
In a letter sent to customers this week, Microsoft senior VP Bill Veghte said the software maker will provide security patches "and other critical updates" for Windows XP until April, 2014."Our ongoing support for Windows XP is the result of our recognition that people keep their Windows-based PCs for many years," Veghte wrote.
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So what do they have to lose with this decision? Not much. Since a new copy er... I mean licence of Windows will cost about the same, regardless of its version, what they will lose out on is those who would have "upgraded" from XP. Now, since that was obviously not happening this was the only logical move not to lose customers because of unpatched, unsecure, unworkable XPs.
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They leaked a promise for Windows 7 yet again ( 2010 ) in order to make sure you know the schedule: if Vista is not for you, upgrade to 7 from XP. I just hope they won't *rush* its development beyond reason.
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[edited by: engine at 12:06 pm (utc) on June 25, 2008]
[edit reason] added quote [/edit]
Though Vista is a huge pain, it's a welcome freshening. Once you learn it, it's pretty easy to move around in it. I do still use XP on my main work machine though because it ALWAYS works with everything I plug in, and all my SEO software, etc.
It also raises an interesting question; why are they willing to support three operating systems at the same time? XP, Vista and 7 from 2010-2014. Do they not have high hopes for the adoption of 7?
Do they not have high hopes for the adoption of 7?
They had better have high hopes for it - but realistic ones. The reason Vista was a flop is because they invested in it thinking it would spread like fire, but it didn't.
MS needs to see if Win 7 would really be wanted/needed before investing into it. If they do it carefully, they can make 7 a success.
More then anything I am comfortable using XP. All my preferences are the way I like them and I am efficient in my work because I am in a familiar place.
I see no reason to upgrade. If they release an OS that has some "have to have" features I will look at switching but for now I am content to stay in my happy XP place.
If there is one thing Microsoft can claim "Geniu$" for this year, it is this one decision. Congratulations, you've most likely just "won" over a very large audience.
you've most likely just "won" over a very large audience
I think the very large audience just won over Microsoft.
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[edited by: skibum at 7:25 pm (utc) on June 25, 2008]
I think the very large audience just won over Microsoft.
Okay, so they are maintaining market share, I'll concede. :)
It also raises an interesting question; why are they willing to support three operating systems at the same time? XP, Vista and 7 from 2010-2014. Do they not have high hopes for the adoption of 7?
It sounds to me that 7 may be more of a repackagaing than a completely new OS.
Microsoft VP on Windows 7 [networkworld.com]
"You've also let us know you don't want to face the kinds of incompatibility challenges with the next version of Windows you might have experienced early with Windows Vista. As a result, our approach with Windows 7 is to build off the same core architecture as Windows Vista so the investments you and our partners have made in Windows Vista will continue to pay off with Windows 7. Our goal is to ensure the migration process from Windows Vista to Windows 7 is straightforward."
Lovejoy
Is that for sure, that XP will no longer be available for sale?
I hope they at least fix IE6 (and IE7) somehow to make it go away much sooner.
Is that for sure, that XP will no longer be available for sale
Official: June 30 will be the last day Microsoft sells XP [tech.yahoo.com]
Just to answer Marcia's question...
MS is being a little self-contradictory here. They're saying they'll coninue to support XP until 2014 - in fact encouraging the use of XP - but stopping its sale in 2008. Where do they think we're going to get XP for the next six years?
MS can't be selling XP until 2014. If it did, then the people buying XP in 2014 will have less than 1 year support.
MS did not make this decision for any other reason but market forces demanding XP support and the utter PR/application disaster called Vista.
Forced obsolescence of XP to generate sales for an immature Vista operating system was a mistake and IMHO damaged the brand.
Yeah, most people are sheep when it comes to technology, but the sheep revolted this time against an inferior product (IMHO).
Forced obsolescence of XP to generate sales for an immature Vista operating system was a mistake and IMHO damaged the brand.
I hope MS will consider keeping XP available on the market for at least a few more years as well.
IMHO damaged the brand.
It damaged Vista brand for sure, there is zero chance next Windows update will have "Vista" in its name. Microsoft already has got experience with bad OS releases: MS-DOS 4.0, Windows ME and now Vista.
Yeah sure they got it wrong big time. Trying to reinvent the wheel is always a bad thing to try.
What were they thinking? Me thinks the went a Double Mocha frappe too far.
The advantages of Vista over XP are small whilst the disadvantages can be very large. Vista works ok on my laptop but I still use XP most of the time because it's easier and faster. Vista does have stronger security than XP but not nearly as strong as it could/should have been.
Kaled.
[edited by: tedster at 7:36 am (utc) on July 1, 2008]
I recently spent just over an hour in the tech support area of a major retailer of home and business computers. In that short time I over heard four different customers complaining to Tech Support about their Vista woes. And I am talking about new, maxed out hardware here, too.
Out on the sales floor, there was a lot of chatter among the customers about why to avoid Vista, and urging each other to grab XP while it was still on the market. I stocked up on a few extra XP licenses, because I'm pretty sure that over the next few years I'll need them!
I've never used an open source operating system. I'm a business man and have only minimal time to learn and tweak my tools. So I'd appreciate it greatly if Microsoft would get it right the next time. Win2K and XP were pretty solid.
My most recent laptop purchase came with Vista. After a few weeks I gave up on it and installed XP - all that new hardware just ROARS with XP in there. Vista was probably just too forward looking and essentially premature for the market. You can't always force feed a new product, no matter how much of the market you appear to own.
So all praise to Microsoft for acknowledging what much of the marketplace already knows. If 2010 brings a better OS, then 2014 for end of XP support sounds about right.
Vista was probably just too forward looking and essentially premature for the market. You can't always force feed a new product, no matter how much of the market you appear to own.
Probably the most accurate outlook concerning Vista that I've heard. I think the developers at MS just overestimated the hardware that the OS would be generally running on, and then upon discovering their blunder just tried to circumvent it by "dumbing it down".
Maybe Windows 7 actually will be mostly Vista, but they figure by 2010 the average unit will have enough processing power to actually handle it.
