Neowin.net - Microsoft Extends Life of Windows XP

Microsoft Extends Life of Windows XP

Posted by HappyAndyK via seattlepi on 04 April 2008 - 01:47 · 34 comments & 16248 views

Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it will keep selling a version of Windows XP for use on a new breed of low-cost computers for at least two years longer than the older operating system will be available on mainstream PCs.

The software maker said Windows XP Home will be available through June 2010, or for a year beyond the release of the next version of Windows, for computers like Intel Corp.'s Classmate PC and ASUSTek Computer Inc.'s Eee PC. Those machines have smaller hard drives, less memory and slower processors than most Windows computers sold today, and most would have a hard time running the bulkier Windows Vista.

Microsoft had planned to stop selling most versions of XP at the end of June 2008, with exceptions for small computer-building shops and PCs sold in developing countries. But surprising demand in developed countries for what it calls ultra-low-cost personal computers prompted Redmond-based Microsoft to extend that deadline.

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(1 reply) #1 Posted by Unto Darkness on 04 Apr 2008 - 02:05: Microsoft's most sensible decision to date. Go Microsoft!

#2 Posted by Windam on 04 Apr 2008 - 02:08: Need Professional; but good move none the less ^^

#3 Posted by +petroid on 04 Apr 2008 - 02:11: Home edition? Bah!

#4 Posted by Sadelwo on 04 Apr 2008 - 02:14: The eXPerience is immortal.

(2 replies) #5 Posted by Dr_Asik on 04 Apr 2008 - 02:18: With 9 years of shelf life, XP will have been the longest-lived version of Windows ever, I believe. But it deserves it.

(1 reply) #6 Posted by Flae_qui on 04 Apr 2008 - 02:33: what do you call a lost cost PC??? when you can get a Vista based PC for under 400 now...?

#7 Posted by soldier1st on 04 Apr 2008 - 02:33: it may be the home edition but at least it is something.

#8 Posted by EaglePC on 04 Apr 2008 - 02:44: windows 3.11 was the longest OS 10 years

(1 reply) #9 Posted by [deXter] on 04 Apr 2008 - 03:30: What about WinFLP? Also, is XP Home better than WinFLP?

#10 Posted by +HappyAndyK on 04 Apr 2008 - 03:40: The move may be targetted to these low cost machines. And its the home user who whold go for such machines; so it makes sense to extend the life of XP Home !

#11 Posted by sanctified on 04 Apr 2008 - 04:05: I think WinFLP its the better option as deXter said, but this is good nonetheless.

#12 Posted by Redant751 on 04 Apr 2008 - 04:16: Hey I am just happy that at least we get to keep XP home for a bit longer......

#13 Posted by rpgfan on 04 Apr 2008 - 04:20: I still think Windows RG (Really Good Edition) was the best version of Windows to date...

Seriously, the extension of XP's life was a good move on MS' part. I can't stand Windows when a Linux computer is available, but I'd rather use XP over Vista. Much smoother.

(1 reply) #14 Posted by Chrono951 on 04 Apr 2008 - 04:30: Will this really matter in the long run? You won't be able to buy it unless it comes on a specific computer. This won't change the fact that Microsoft is going to push Vista on the mainstream. Even if you pick up a copy somehow OEM, it will be home, not pro and that just sucks. June 2008 still marks the end of XP and when that comes, most developers are going to start targeting Vista for future releases of their software.

Although I am glad that they are putting XP on these computers compared to Vista. In that environment, XP kicks Vista's butt.

Last edited by Chrono951 on 04 Apr 2008 - 04:58

#15 Posted by daniel_rh on 04 Apr 2008 - 04:59: Happy for that decision, I like Vista but XP deserve more time and at the end Windows in any of its versions is Microsoft.

(1 reply) #16 Posted by M118LR on 04 Apr 2008 - 05:45: For those who care to actually read the press release from Microsoft.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/feature...04-03xpeos.mspx

Sales of XP for Retail and OEM CD's will end 30 June 2008.

XP Home will only be available pre-installed on specific low cost Laptop Computers.

PressPass: Will Microsoft extend sales of other editions of Windows XP?

Dix: No, there is no plan to extend sales of other editions of Windows XP beyond June 30, 2008. We are very proud of the progress that we have made with Windows Vista over the last sixteen months. Since its launch, Windows Vista has become the fastest-selling operating system in Microsoft history, and more than 100 million Windows Vista licenses have been sold worldwide.

Last fall, our OEM partners asked us to extend sales of Windows XP to give their customers more time to transition to Windows Vista while we worked with other software vendors to expand application compatibility. Today, more than 2,500 applications have received the Windows Vista logo (a ten-fold increase since launch) and more than 78,000 devices and components are supported by drivers either in-box or on Windows Update. On NPD’s list of the top 100 consumer applications selling at retail, 98 are now compatible—and the latest versions of the top free downloads (Adobe Reader, Shockwave and iTunes) are all compatible.

Given this landscape and after consulting with our partners, apart from today’s announced extension of Windows XP Home for ULCPCs, we are maintaining the timelines we announced in September.

I should also note that there will also be no impact on our technical support plans—mainstream technical support will continue to be available until April 2009 and extended support will continue until April 2014.

(5 replies) #17 Posted by +tunafish on 04 Apr 2008 - 07:29: why wont it just die!!! why continue using old software

#18 Posted by tinyman on 04 Apr 2008 - 08:47: Long live Windows XP - it has brought me years of fun using the OS.

Considering it's an aging OS it isn't doing too badly..

(2 replies) #19 Posted by GEIST on 04 Apr 2008 - 09:29: What's the point of keeping XP Home but not Professional?

#20 Posted by hapbt on 07 May 2008 - 21:07: im not even going to bother responding to the 'vista sucks' comments, anyone who has actually used vista and has any knowledge of PCs understands that vista is fine, many manufacturers and software vendors in fact suck.

but using xp is just stupid, xp is dead, it wont be but a couple years and you wont even be able to find a machine you can boot and install it on without serious kludging if at all.

id love to see a message about vista sucking that actually explained what problems the user had and gave the specs of their machine.

also, just because your machine shipped with vista dosent mean it can run it, remember that whole intel-microsoft lawsuit?

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