Windows XP is a Dead OS Walking (For Reals This Time)
Windows XP is a Dead OS Walking (For Reals This Time)
Posted 07/12/2011 at 7:07am
| by Paul Lilly
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We've lost count of how many times Windows XP has been sentenced to death, only to receive a stay of execution from Microsoft in some form or another. Give netbooks credit for keeping the popular OS alive longer than it probably would have been had netbooks never been popularized. But even those have migrated to Windows 7. Well, Microsoft has made the decision to finally retire Windows XP, for good, three years from now.
On April 8, 2014, Microsoft will cease providing security patches and hotfixes for all versions of Windows XP, the company's Stephen L. Rose announced in a Windows 7 Team Blog post.
"Wouldn’t it be great if the glory days lasted forever? But reality is trophies get dusty, records are broken, and what it took to be the best ten years ago, just isn’t enough for today’s standards," Rose wrote. "Things get better, faster. And eventually, it’s time to move from good enough to something much better.
"Windows XP had an amazing run and millions of PC users are grateful for it. But it’s time to move on. Two reasons: 1) Extended support for Windows XP is running out in less than 1000 days, and 2) there’s an OS out there that’s much better than Windows XP."
Once Microsoft cuts off support for Windows XP, machines running the decade-old OS will be susceptible to security threats. In addition, Microsoft claims third party software providers aren't planning to extend support either, which adds another layer of risk to those who refuse to upgrade.
Rose goes on to tout Windows 7 and its many advantages. By the time Windows XP is finally retired, however, everyone in Redmond will be talking about Windows 8.
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johntheadams
August 14, 2011 at 4:00am
"Once Microsoft cuts off support for Windows XP, machines running the decade-old OS will be susceptible to security threats."
After TEN YEARS, Windows XP is STILL susceptible to security threats? I use Windows 7, and every few weeks I receive Windows Updates to patch security threats. MICROSOFT is a security threat as they apparently don't have their heads screwed on straight. What kind of lame-brained software writers do they have? Well, it's probably hard for them to keep track because they hire and fire and hire and fire and hire and fire. We all know (or should know) that all software bears the mark of the person who wrote it. Like a painting. If Microsoft was in the business of producing paintings, then each painting would be the conglomerate of a couple of dozen artists. This is why their software is so vulnerable to security threats. Writer W doesn't know what writer A had in mind when the application was originally written, so writer W does things his or her way, and so on down the chain. Turnover at Microsoft is scandalous, and so is their spaghetti-coded software.
Windows XP is ancient, and should be afforded a dignified funeral and a decent Christian burial.
joeyjr
July 29, 2011 at 10:04pm
Hopes for the future. there are still a few older games that need XP because they will not run on a newer OS. W 7 lets you run some programs that need xp except games. I would be nice if W 8 fixed this.
Hiddukel
July 24, 2011 at 7:42am
I think Microsoft is missing a key metric in their logic. People hardly rely on Microsoft's patches as a good measure of security. By the time they release a patch, they're typically behind the ball. Most people rely on 3'rd party software for security.
With that said, I don't see how MS could ultimately be the ones to make the call on whether or not their OS will die. Just because they won't support it, doesn't mean that the OS will be officially dead. It'll just be an unsupported OS. Working in IT with SAP ERP software as a Business Intelligence Developer/Analyst/Team Lead, we always see companies running old versions of SAP that are no longer supported either.. that doesn't make it dead. The gaming community makes up a majority of PC users, if looking at demographics by group type... and since a lot of games never got a transitional update to run on Win7, most people still need a copy of XP. I think what's trending now are people running dual boot systems... Win7 and XP. I just can't foresee this OS going away, especially not when the "Horse's Mouth" is coming from Microsoft.
Personally, I don't even allow Window's hotfixes or patches to be installed when I do fresh installs on my Desktop... it takes up space and always seems to hurt my PC's performance (I'm an avid gamer, performance is everything, no matter how slight). Matter of fact, I won't even go beyond Service Pack 2, as I spent a ton of time testing performance between SP2 and SP3.... and unless you can afford high end components, SP3 actually hinders Dual Core processors (fan speeds increase due to the processor seeming to run hotter, even at idle, than before the SP3 install).
Sure, Windows 7 is a better OS... but that's subjective. It all comes down to what your comparing the two Operating Systems with. When it comes down to gaming performance.... well, there's actually more favorable arguments that XP is still better. I suppose, if you build your own PCs and have an unlimited cash flow to solve your performance issues by spending 5 to 12 thousands dollars on getting the top of the line hardware, it may not be an issue at all.... but let's face it.. the majority of gamers, aren't in the upper/upper-middle class. Most of us can barely afford anything above a $1200 build.
Favorite lines:
“Once Microsoft cuts off support for Windows XP, machines running the decade-old OS will be susceptible to security threats.”
Really? As if Microsoft support actually did anything to levy security threats..lol
“In addition, Microsoft claims third party software providers aren't planning to extend support either, which adds another layer of risk to those who refuse to upgrade.”
When did Microsoft become a spokesman for 3'rd party software developers?
JohnP
July 13, 2011 at 9:04pm
I am a MS Technet subscriber. I can still download Windows 3.11 for Workgroups along with XP and Vista... BOB is missing though, so is Win95, WinNT and Windows Me.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/history
thetechchild
July 13, 2011 at 2:50am
Facing facts, XP is sufficient for most average user's needs. However, Microsoft has a business model that is tried and true, if outdated. It appeals to the mass market to buy a new OS (version) every few years for the latest eye-candy and a few OS improvements. Realistically, you can't make a perfect OS that stands the test of time without support, and you can't make any money offering free support/maintenance indefinitely.
The Linux model is the way of the future -- free as in free beer and free speech, and driven entirely by the community's contributions and desires.
nightfly
July 12, 2011 at 9:34pm
"Can we expect MS to support thier OSes forever?"
Should manufacturers support their products? Or should they sell them and let them die, so you have to buy a new one of their products which do the exact same thing? Face it, 99% of the population can do everything they need to do with XP. The only reason they will have to upgrade is due to the deterioration of the OS and lack of drivers available for new hardware (not to mention that they've gotten manufacurers to stop distributing installation disks, so people cannot reformat their own computer back to it's original quickness, which of course makes them think their computer is 'too slow', and that they need a new one, which comes with, guess what? A new copy of Windows that they have to buy with the computer). M$ has planned obsolesence as it's marketing doctrine; that's how they keep selling their products. M$ doesn't want to support anything that doesn't continuously generate revanue for them. Hey, Microsoft? Make a good, stable OS and you won't have to do continuous patches. Then you can put those programmers to work developing something REALLY phenomenal, and stop trying to buy out another product by over marketing your own, like you're doing with Bing (does anyone really need another search engine? NO; all that Bing does is steer people towards microsoft products). C'mon, everyone, when was the last really great NEW product that Microsoft created (and lets not forget all the XBOXs that died in the middle of games)? See; no one can remember.
winmaster
July 12, 2011 at 7:42pm
Uh, this information has been on Microsoft's lifecycle page for a long, long time now. Its hardly news.
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3223
dwellman
July 12, 2011 at 1:24pm
Heh.
Just read an email yesterday that five servers in the data center were upgraded to Server 2003. . . Oh well. I don't have the heart to forward this story.
winmaster
July 12, 2011 at 7:36pm
Win2K3 will be supported until mid 2015: http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3198
winmaster
July 12, 2011 at 7:38pm
Your ads break the commenting system when they appear during the process.
MattGreer
July 12, 2011 at 1:18pm
(with apologies to the Bill Clinton 1992 campaign...)
I dual boot Win7 and WinXP primarily because of games. I have a Soundblaster Fatil1ty Pro card that occasionally provides 5.1 surround in Win7, but ALWAYS provides that in XP. Just yesterday I was playing TF2 in WinXP and noticed sounds coming from behind me. I'd never noticed that in Win7 before. Perhaps it's the settings? I doubt it.
Until Win7/Soundblaster gives me 5.1 surround in my games I'll keep WinXP around. DX11? I was never dissatisified with DX9!
lashek
July 12, 2011 at 9:37am
Sold? Hmmm Windows license... you can't own it, it doesn't go off but it expires. You don't upgrade because you need to XP > vista = duff upgrade
XP > Win 7 = purchase new license.
Because you can't buy old hardware at the store, you won't be... able to use XP.
Floppy > CD = Dos > Windows
Windows > XP = cd > DVD, Blu Ray
XP > W7 = HD resolution 3d graphics (DX10, DX11)
Windows 8 doesn't offer a compelling enough reason for me to upgrade my XP licenses as yet... Still looking at Windows 7...
winmaster
July 12, 2011 at 7:41pm
Not 100% sure what this comment means, but your Windows XP license doesn't "expire." You can still use XP as long as you want, it just won't be updated anymore. Can we expect MS to support thier OSes forever?
lashek
July 12, 2011 at 9:37am
Sold? Hmmm Windows license... you can't own it, it doesn't go off but it expires. You don't upgrade because you need to XP > vista = duff upgrade
XP > Win 7 = purchase new license.
Because you can't buy old hardware at the store, you won't be... able to use XP.
Floppy > CD = Dos > Windows
Windows > XP = cd > DVD, Blu Ray
XP > W7 = HD resolution 3d graphics (DX10, DX11)
Windows 8 doesn't offer a compelling enough reason for me to upgrade my XP licenses as yet... Still looking at Windows 7...
maleficarus™
July 12, 2011 at 8:07am
XP has slowed gaming down by about 5 years now....time to put it down!!
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