Is XP Support from Microsoft Flat-Lining?
by Frank Jovine on 05/15/2008 in Software
Once again the minds over at Microsoft are debating on when they will decide to put an end to the popular Operating System XP. The plan was to end the XP life cycle in June 2008 which would force customers to purchase the newest OS, Windows Vista, if they intended to continue receiving support and security updates. PC manufacturers such as Dell, HP and Lenovo will still offer a downgrade to Windows XP on newly purchased machines, at the customers request, until around 2009.
There’s no problem with ending product support eventually – every product has a life cycle. 
There are so many horror stories about Vista mishaps, it is understandable that people have trepidation about adopting the new OS.
We aren’t bad-mouthing Microsoft, but there is something to be said about products launching to hit a release date instead of a level of Quality Assurance. Early adopters are guinea pigs and should be paid for testing out-of-the-box products that should be beyond beta quality.
Apple is undoubtedly capitalizing on Microsoft’s every blunder and user interface design failure. Seen those PC vs. Mac ads lately? They just get more and more obnoxious.
What are your thoughts? Will you continue to use XP until Microsoft stops providing security updates? If you don’t use Windows, share what OS you use in the comments. (Remember, this is not the place for Flame Wars, be civil.)
Green-Bee.com
May 15th, 2008
I’m about to buy myself a new laptop and I’m seriously thinking about ordering it with XP… XP just works and I don’t see any big advantages Vista has over its “ancestor”.
Greetings from Switzerland
NeRo
Nathan
May 15th, 2008
Actually,
Product support for XP in the form of Windows Updates continues until 4/8/2014 and regular support goes to 4/14/2009 according to Microsoft’s Support Lifecycle page for Windows XP found here: http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3223
RT
May 15th, 2008
@Nathan, yes – the original plan was 2008. Thanks for the dates from the lifecycle page though!
ameo
May 15th, 2008
” Will you continue to use XP until Microsoft stops providing security updates? ”
YES i will , i’ve been also around open suse and ubuntu ,
so i think i have some good if not better alternative if Mr . M1cro$oft stopped xp support ,
p.s i was using win2k till 2006 and it was working just perfect even though i wasn’t updating it .. so i think winxp will survive that step if microsoft shut it down
William Burns
May 15th, 2008
Already using Vista Premium and it’s had less problems out of the box than I’ve ever had using Windows XP.
BSOD was a common thing with XP over the years, but with Vista and the year I’ve been using it such far, I’ve had exactly 3 BSODs all of which were intentionally caused by faulty programming on my behalf.
So far I’m using Vista with SP1 and it’s been pretty smooth sailing, so I have no idea why people are whining so much about it. Does that mean I happen to like Vista over say… Ubuntu? Actually at this point yes I do because Ubuntu has pretty horrid support for my hardware. How about Mac? I won’t even go there…
Comparing Vista to XP is like Comparing Win98 to WinXP (because Windows ME was useless). When people first were given the option, everyone bashed the hell out of XP and praised Win98 as more stable and all around better. Now with XP versus newer Vista, people are repeating the scenario by bashing the new OS and proclaiming how amazing the old one is.
I personally think we as a society are smarter than this. Either that or we just love to repeat ourselves every few years. No OS is perfect, and if there was such a thing then we wouldn’t have so many to choose from in the industry.
So until somebody invents OSUbuntu Vista Edition, just sit down and get over it.
Doug Rosbury
May 18th, 2008
I use win xp sp3 and it seems rather solid. My use pattern is casual so perhaps I don’t challenge my os. But to put out a large cash outlay for a copy of vista, would challenge my budget. I’ll keep on keepin’ on with xp sp 3 and
pretend that everything will be ok. I’m 72, so maybe I will be gone before xp
will. —Doug Rosbury
Dan Bunyard
May 18th, 2008
As far as I’m concerned, Vista is ME all over again. The lack of support for even the simplest of devices, coupled with the INSANE use of resources, ensure that I will be sticking with my XP for some time.
Seriously, how can you possible justify an OS that uses a gig of memory without even running any programs!?!?
It’s true, when XP was first released some 7 years ago, it wasn’t a great OS, and 2000/98 were still better choices. But over the years, Microsoft has actually managed to turn XP into a solid, reliable OS that just works.
The fact that MS has pushed the EOL for XP out until at least next year speaks volumes about the fact that XP is superior to Vista in every way, shape, and form.
Thank you Microsoft, for convincing us all that yes, you can actually make an operating system WORSE then ME…..
Ryan
May 18th, 2008
William, I have to agree with you completely. My computer runs better now with Vista Home Premium then it did the day I bought it two years ago with XP.