Windows XP support runs out next week

[gem]

From PCW - News

Windows XP support runs out next week
Mainstream support for XP comes to an end on 14 April
Daniel Robinson, vnunet.com 07 Apr 2009
Windows XP will pass another milestone on the road to retirement next week when Microsoft withdraws mainstream support for the operating system.
While the company said that it will continue to provide free security fixes for XP until 2014, any future bugs found in the platform will not be fixed unless customers pay for additional support.
Mainstream support for XP will end on 14 April 2009, over seven years after the operating system originally shipped.
However, the passing of the deadline will place Microsoft in the unusual position of no longer offering mainstream support for its most widely used product. Windows XP accounts for about 63 per cent of all internet connected computers, according to March 2009 statistics from Hitslink, while Windows Vista makes up about 24 per cent.
Windows XP also continues to be sold with low-cost mini laptops, otherwise known as netbooks, as Vista is too heavy on system resources for this level of hardware.
The key message, according to Microsoft, is that the company will continue to provide security support for XP users.
"We will provide critical security fixes via Windows Update for all editions of XP until 2014," said Laurence Painell, Windows marketing manager at Microsoft UK.
Microsoft's mainstream support includes problem resolution over the phone, and covers fixes for security and non-security related issues such as bugs and requests for changes.
Once Windows XP moves out of the mainstream support phase, customers will need an extended support contract with Microsoft or one of its channel partners to address any issues not related to security.
With a platform as mature as XP, this is unlikely to prove an issue, according to Microsoft.
"XP has been out a long time, so we would hope that there are not many issues that would require that level of support," said Painell.
analyst Michael Silver agreed, adding that he had not spoken to any companies planning to pay for extended support.
"The only thing extended support buys you is creation of new non-security fixes, at a hefty fee for each one. After all these years, most people figure that most of the functional bugs [in XP] are already worked out," he said.
In the past, most customers would already have moved to a newer platform before this deadline arrived. But because there was such a long gap between XP and Vista, customers have had only a couple of years to make the transition.
Many customers have also chosen to skip Vista and go straight to Windows 7, once this becomes available. Microsoft said that companies now have an opportunity to look at their options for a transition away from XP.
"Windows 7 is built on the same core architecture as Vista, and we provide a number of tools and applications to help companies understand any problems they might face," said Painell. He reiterated that customers can use Vista or the Windows 7 beta as test platforms for planning a migration to the forthcoming platform.
Meanwhile, Microsoft revealed that, while Windows 7 users will be able to downgrade to Windows XP, the reverse will not be true.
Microsoft said in its Engineering Windows 7 blog that XP users will have to perform a full install.
"There are simply too many changes in how PCs have been configured (applets, hardware support, driver model etc) that having all of that support carry forth to Windows 7 would not be nearly as high quality as a clean install," the blog entry said.

[silver]

hum, if I had to build a PC tomorrow I would likely put win2k or XP on it,. mebbe vista is cool but the few times I've seen it it's been v slow..

"Windows 7 is built on the same core architecture as Vista, and we provide a number of tools and applications to help companies understand any problems they might face,"

starting with vista.. humm and providing tools to understand problems,. neither sounds positive!?

"Meanwhile, Microsoft revealed that, while Windows 7 users will be able to downgrade to Windows XP, the reverse will not be true. Microsoft said in its Engineering Windows 7 blog that XP users will have to perform a full install."

oh dear,. so windows 7 comes fully loaded with XP 'hidden' inside it,. how strange to bloat the install with that,, unless its' really a way to keep XP going forward for lower power computers...

[tommy t]

mmm,the wga legit check is doing the rounds again,but as in most cases as soon as gates and co activate the nag screens ect on a dodgy copy of xp/vista ect there's a crack/patch out there to make it go away again,lol but as for xp,who do they think is going to buy a legit copy now?in the next few years there won't even be security updates(not that they make your system more secure)

Thanks for this article. Lol don't worry MS will still support Xp for security update, and OEM manufacturer will still support you for both (security and optional updates). I think we may just need them only, even my friends offlince PC havent got any update for years (except Xp SP3 offline install) without any problem at all, especially since Xp has been pretty stable after SP2 and SP3 and some latest optional updates. You'll still be able to get Xp for years forward i.e from ebay, some remaining stocks (believe me, there are many!), or use downgrade rights, netbook etc. It's the most popular OS ever! Even in illegal way if you really wanted it bcoz MS doesnt give us more options by selling it legally lol sorry kidding (but it's still a fact). There are still many 3rd party softwares and hardwares which will support it for years forward while some people and companies will still keep it (as i've seen the same i.e for Windows 98 and 2000 nowadays), considering large Xp users.

Btw if you want to enhance Windows Xp so it will serve you as well as Vista and Windows 7, longer and better, alternatively just visit and read the entire article here:
"List of Vista and Windows 7 Applications Features for Xp or 2003":
http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/inde...howtopic=20480 and
http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/inde...howtopic=21246

, very worthy article imo, hopefully useful for Xp or 2003 users even you can get some original Vista applications ported to Xp etc! Personally i'll keep Xp longer, even maybe 2014. Anyway good luck and long live Xp! - The best Microsoft operating system, again fact. Cheers!