Microsoft caves - XP support & updates available until 2014

[Holly_Hobby]

Microsoft has finally given in to public demand. The company has decided to offer technical support for Windows XP with updates and security patches for an extended period until April 2014. However, it will not go back on its decision to discontinue Windows XP sales after June 30.

This means that after June 30, Microsoft will stop distributing Windows XP as a stand-alone product, as well as stop licensing it to PC manufacturers like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others. However, it doesn't mean that XP will disappear overnight. Consumers may still find copies of the software or computers pre-loaded with it for months, as stores and PC makers typically work through their inventories.

Also, as per an announcement made at Computex earlier this month, the software giant said that 'nettops' better defined as PCs with limited hardware or ultra-low cost PCs will be available with Windows XP until January 2009.

Additionally, under another program, Microsoft is allowing customers to downgrade Vista systems to XP through a loophole in the company's licensing terms. So those purchasing a copy of Vista will also be able to run XP at no additional cost. Microsoft's move to extend the deadline for technical support is primarily influenced by large business customers, who haven't yet upgraded their systems to Windows Vista. The companies have been reluctant to switch to Vista due to the costs and heavy system requirements involved. So, large business customers might just skip Vista and continue with XP until the release of Windows 7, which is scheduled for release in 2010.

http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Windows_XP_Support_Extended_until_2014/551-90615-580.html

[Rick Myers]

1. Thank you, Jeebus!

Micro$oft sees the light on Bill's last day!!!

[Selatius]

2. So, is Vista going to become another Windows Millenium?

I'm still running Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4) on this thing.

[Warpy]

10. Since Windows 7 is in the works

and scheduled for release in another 2 years (per last week), it doesn't look like the upgrade to Vista will be worth it for most of us unless our puters fry to the point we're left with a chunk of charred plastic.

[CRF450]

3. Why? Low end computers 2 years from now will have no trouble running Vista

Bceause of hardware advances in speed.

[Xenocrates]

4. Don't fix what aint broke

But as we all well know, Windows 7 is really Vista Service Pack 2 with a different skin.

[bananas]

5. "Microsoft is allowing customers to downgrade Vista systems to XP"

Good news.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Personally, I view Vista---->XP as an upgrade.

I just bought a Lenovo with XP. I have too much legacy stuff, including one DOS BASIC program, that I depend on.

[pokerfan]

16. Does XP support quad core?

Not an issue for me (I'm still running a P4) but it is for a friend of mine.

[newmajority]

21. There is a 64 bit version of XP out there.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/default.mspx

I'm still running an AMD Athlon XP 2400 myself, so I don't know how it compares to the 32 bit version.

[Captain Angry]

6. They'll discontinue it in other ways.

I'm typing this on a G4 based Mac, and Microsoft has stopped updating their Silverlight software for older Macs. So I can't hit certain sites at all anymore, I need to upgrade my whole computer. This computer is as fast as machines still for sale brand new. (in MHz, memory, video memory and disk space terms).

So, in a year, XP will stop getting flash updates or something like that. People will end up moving to Vista just to get access to newer websites and media formats.

It's easy PR for them to say this now, and nobody said they had to release timely patches either. :-)

[Poll_Blind]

7. A long-overdue recognition of an epic failure of vision.

  It's always been amusing to me to see how Microsoft would handle this. Shortly before the release, panicked analysts began gingerly talking about the "upside" to needing 2 GB for an operating system- and were swatted and shouted down by everyone from regular computer buyers to just about the entire enterprise market.

  Microsoft has made a great deal of money and made Bill Gates (and many, many others) terribly rich. But Microsoft's biggest secret was to spend enormous amounts of money to imitate pre-existing "cool" or "useful" ideas and drive them out of the market.

  And then proceed to fuck up the imitated technology and charge a premium for it through insane licensing.

  Beyond that, I can't recall any real innovation, just derivation and imitation.

PB

[MannyGoldstein]

9. I Switched To Ubuntu Linux Instead Of Getting Vista

Everything works great - we've been using it on our primary home computer for more than six months. The only time I need to go to Windows is for Quicken: I have a laptop that still runs XP for that.

[SecularMotion]

13. Have you tried Gnucash?

http://www.gnucash.org/

It will import Quicken files.

[Toucano]

24. Look for KMyMoney or Moneydance

Quicken ain't so special.

Moneydance is like $29 but KMyMoney is open source.

Quasar Accounting is a good open source enterprise solution. Tricky to set up though.

Happy Hardy Heron user here!

[bluestateguy]

11. I got a new machine with Vista in it, and I love it...so far

That could all change if some problem occurs.

[rucky]

12. windows' new UI design sucks all around.

pretty colors, though.

[rox63]

14. I'm glad I got my new laptop with XP a couple of months ago

I've heard too many Vista horror stories. I'm waiting until they get more of the bugginess fixed.

[Joe Fields]

15. good news for me. I'm a big fan of XP.

[Rex]

17. Microsoft should just concentrate on making a good product and supporting it.

For a rich company, they sure are stupid.

[lpbk2713]

18. A departing gift from Gates?

Good deal. I intend to hang on to XP for as long as I possibly can.

I tried Vista for a while and I just don't care for it. :thumbsdown:

[ReadTomPaine]

19. They will kill XP with a silver bullet "Service Pack" when the time comes. n/t

[lpbk2713]

20. Genuine Advantage may not be such an advantage as time goes by.

I'm sure they will have something built in to 'coerce' movement toward Vista.

[DailyGrind51]

22. Thank you!

I don't know a Vista user who is really satisfied with it.

[Clark2008]

26. Hi. My name is Clark2008.

Now you know someone who is satisfied with it.

[mmonk]

23. I have one laptop with XP and 3 other computers with Vista.

XP remains a lot more trouble free.

[Clark2008]

25. We've had Vista at home for nearly a year now.

I LOVE it.

I still don't understand the whining.

:shrug: