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Has it been a decade already? A little more, actually. Two days ago marked the 10-year anniversary of the day Windows XP hit RTM (release to manufacturing) status before graduating to retail on October 25, 2001. Despite the fact that it's a 10-year-old operating system, XP still powers more than half of all Windows PCs around the world.
Microsoft didn't acknowledge the occasion, probably because the Redmond software giant is doing everything it can to encourage XP stalwarts to finally pull the plug on the decade-old OS and invest in Windows 7. Microsoft isn't alone.
"Let's compare the major computer operating systems at the moment. We have Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7. We have various Linux distributions. And we have Mac OS X," security firm F-Secure wrote in a blog post. "Of these, obviously Windows XP has the weakest security, by far. And Windows XP has the biggest market share, too... As a result, attackers right now would be stupid to spend their time and money targeting any other operating system...
Do a good deed today. Uninstall an XP."
That's easier said than done. Even when you throw Linux and OS X into the OS equation, Windows XP still accounts for about 42 percent of all PCs, according to StatCounter. The 10-year-old OS was given a new lease on life when the first round of netbooks emerged, with Vista being too heavy at the time and consumers showing little interest in Linux.
Do you still run XP on any of your machines?
Comments are closed on this article
JBC548
August 26, 2011 at 10:49pm
I have an old HP 7100 that is constantly losing drives to trojans, etc. I got a new HP with W7, but it is already being replaced with W8, so I feel I should switch to Linux with my next desktop. Seems to me that Windows has a nack for making systems that are full of holes. It never ends.
supercourier
August 26, 2011 at 10:13pm
Let's not forget the elephant in the room: Anyone working for a federal agency can remind you that nothing but XP is on their networks. This customer alone must've had no small hand in keeping XP viably supported through 2014.
hisqo
August 26, 2011 at 7:19pm
No, but I purchased W7 Pro just because it runs XP through the virtualization option. I somehow feel like XP was the only, or the most OS released by Microsoft with genuine efforts toaward perfection!
AnglicDemon00
August 26, 2011 at 3:15pm
I have two XP machines. Though the main reason is these computers are both fairly old. As for other places. If we are getting on the Case of XP machines in the work place as well as public insitutations. Shouldn't we be more so complaining about the machines sill running OS pre XP? Even though these are small in number, I am pretty sure a 98 machine is still more inscure then an XP machine.
RUSENSITIVESWEETNESS
August 26, 2011 at 3:14pm
I like XP. I realize I'd have to upgrade if I got a new rig, but I prefer XP to W7. With W7, I feel the goal was to change things whether they needed to be changed or not, whether it was for good or ill never seemed to matter. Just make it look new!
ShyLinuxGuy
August 26, 2011 at 12:27pm
I recently became a network tech for a university I just so happen to be attending, and there's still a lot of XP workstations in use and I don't think there's any replacement plan for the next year or so. That also seems to be the case everywhere else. Granted, Windows 7 had more sales than Vista, but we still have some corporations, home users, schools, colleges, government institutions still using XP en masse and making no plans to replace XP with Windows 7 within the next year or so. What non-IT people don't realize, yes, XP worked, but no, you shouldn't keep using it because for one, it's 10 years old, and it was engineered for 10 years ago with three adjustments (service packs) made along the way and you cannot expect to keep using any software product in perpetuity because it gets outdated. Windows Vista is technically obsolete, and it's only about 5 years old...XP is maybe a little too obsolete, ya think???
PCLinuxguy
August 26, 2011 at 1:22pm
+1 In a call center I went to to fix a system, all their computers were still XP, though I'm not sure their upgrade plan if there is one. For schools (such as computers that students use in the classroom, normally along one wall or in the library) could be refreshed with Linux or BSD-Unix depending on how they can go. Plenty of options to keep them running and up to date if they don't have the money to spend on Windows 7 or new computers that are able to run the OS. Heck when I was in school and 98 came out, they still had 3.1.1 on their computers, some were still older DOS only machines without a GUI.
I've seen on youtube, a library getting their old systems redone with Ubuntu 8.04/8.10 so they could keep running as they couldn't afford new computers but needed the current ones to stay running.
vader95
August 26, 2011 at 12:22pm
Honestly, I use both 7 and XP. Some of my computers just don't have the hardware to run 7 and when they are 6-7 years old, there is not point in upgrading. Plus not to mention microsoft is exreamly to expensive. I don't have the money to upgrade all the computers. Windows XP works just fine, uses less resources and that way i have more resources for my programs to run.
jayson001
August 26, 2011 at 12:06pm
Both of my folks PCs (which I am sadly responsible for) are running XP. Both of my machines run 7, but my desktop has XP mode installed.
CalDrumr
August 26, 2011 at 11:51am
Windows XP was a great OS. If you considered it a replacement for Windows 98 or ME, it was an astounding jump forward. I used it through the years, and through the dark days of Vista, when I might have told you I would be using XP forever. However, Windows 7 is great. For a long-time XP fan like myself to jump so quickly off the XP bandwagon and never look back, you know it's good. It's simply better.
thefuzz4
August 26, 2011 at 10:10am
Every desktop in my house is running Ubuntu, the only XP machine I have in my house that runs constantly is a VM that runs PlayOn on my ESXi server. Other than that I have several Win7 VMs on desktops.
knipfty
August 26, 2011 at 9:49am
Let's see, at home I have Win 7, Vista, Ubuntu, OS X, iOS (Ipad), and a few Blackberry's, but no XP.
At work however, we are still using XP :(
schwit
August 26, 2011 at 8:43am
I switched to windows 7 a month ago. I miss the XP's explorer file manager and search interface. Other than that Win7 is worth the upgrade.
Exarkun1138
August 26, 2011 at 8:55am
You miss the search feature in XP? Windows 7's search is far superior and more intuitive, IMHO.
Exarkun1138
August 26, 2011 at 8:42am
I installed Windows XP back in 2002, and ran it until WIndows 7 was released in 2009. I installed Windows 7 Pro on my workstations and 2 laptops, and would never go back to XP. XP was good in its day, but its day has long since been gone. Windows 7 is superior in just about every aspect over XP, especially speed, network, UI, and protected Kernel and Network Stack. Anyone still running XP needs to seriously consider 7.
noobstix
August 26, 2011 at 8:21am
My mom and oldest brother still run Windows XP on their computers. Although my mom doesn't go to any malicious websites at all, my oldest brother still does. I remember the pain of reinstalling Windows XP since it seemed like it took forever to do. After installing Windows 7 on my computer as well, I haven't looked back (well worth the $200).
Slingblayde
August 26, 2011 at 8:07am
I bought win7 when it first came out, put it on my main Pc, and havent looked back since, XP was a PITA to install and update.
Ive got win7 on my main gaming PC, HTPC and laptop and I love it.
Tedster
August 26, 2011 at 7:34am
there is one machine in my house still running xp, but it only runs folding@home. GPU clients don't run as well in linux under WINE.
bpstone
August 26, 2011 at 7:30pm
That depends on your hardware and what you're running. If you're running a Windows program or game with an AMD GPU, then it is most likely going to look like crap. A system running newer quality equipment with Nvidia GPUs will have less problems running WINE. There are plenty of ported plus exclusive professional programs available too. I wouldn't recommend it as a gaming platform. If the developer community start leaning more toward OpenGL after 4.2, then it might be more plausible. Those of you running high-end machines shouldn't notice too much difference from consoles on DX9. People running high-definition native Windows games on iffy hardware (crappy monitor) shouldn't be complaining anyhow. lol Linux is perfect for the average Joe or a small business needing a web browser and office suite. It is not just for geeks anymore. ( -_>^)
praack
August 26, 2011 at 7:34am
I just closed out my last XP machine with a sniffle- it had been up and running without a rebuid since 2005. I found XP pretty solid.
Still have it on my mums machine but at 88 now- well she is still complains that I changed her from win 98- and I did that 8 years ago!
so moving her to win 7 is not an option
praetor_alpha
August 26, 2011 at 7:22am
Only in a VM. I'd be running Linux exclusively if it weren't for AAA games. Even replaced XP with Linux (Xubuntu) on my parent's desktop over a year ago, with surprisingly few issues since.
gmvolk
August 26, 2011 at 7:14am
Most of our PC's at work still run XP, hell we even have a few 98's and quite a few DOS6.22 boxes(I even found a machine the other day with DOS 3.0! still on it). Why? Because they work and do what they are supposed to do. Some only connect to the internal network, so not really woried about security. Besides, with a good firewall and common sense your machine "should" be secure.
At home, two of my laptops run 7, but three other machines are running XP, two were just upgraded from Win 2000 about 8 months ago. Again, they work and are mainly just for the kids to use anyway. The third is acting as a "home server" to store pictures and mp3's, and to hang the printer off of.
