Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft
Microsoft will support Windows XP until 2010 -- on low power laptops only
by Brad Linder Apr 3rd 2008 at 6:30PM
Last week we were speculating that Microsoft could issue a stay of execution for Windows XP. Computer makers are supposed to stop loading the OS on new PCs at the end of June. But here's the thing, some of the most popular laptops on the market this year are pretty much incapable of running Windows Vista. That's because low power ultraportable devices like the Eee PC and the Everex Cloudbook are hot this year. But these low cost devices also have low powered processors, not much storage space, and even less RAM. So if Microsoft were to kill off Windows XP entirely, the company would be giving Linux an awful big push, because various Linux distributions run beautifully on these tiny computers.
So what's a software company to do if it wants to promote its new OS while making sure that as many computers as possible have Windows on them? Easy. Microsoft is going ahead and telling most computer manufacturers to stop installing Windows XP. But companies that are putting out Vista incapable devices can continue to install the operating system until 2010 and possibly longer.
The move makes a lot of sense. But you know what would make even more sense? Letting computer makers install XP on any machine. While Windows Vista SP1 has brought some reliability and stability improvements, there are still a lot of people out there who prefer Windows XP. By discontinuing the operating system, Microsoft is essentially telling them to hold off on buying a new computer unless they've got a spare XP install disc lying around.
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So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
anonying.1 said 2:13PM on 5-15-2008
Microsoft Extends Windows XP Support To 2014
The extended support for Windows XP Home and Windows XP Media Center matches policies already in place for the business-oriented Windows XP Professional.
By Gregg Keizer, InformationWeek
Jan. 24, 2007
URL: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197000165
Microsoft on Wednesday extended support for its Windows XP Home and Windows XP Media Center operating systems through 2014 to match policies already in place for the business-oriented Windows XP Professional.
The addition of a five-year "extended support" phase to Windows XP will take effect in May 2009. In Microsoft parlance, extended support is the period when all support is fee-based and non-security hotfixes are produced only for corporate customers. Until April of 2009, Windows XP Home and Media Center will remain in what is called "mainstream support," which offers some no-charge support and free updates that don't deal with security issues.
Previously, all support for Windows XP Home was slated to end two years after the release of Vista, in other words, at the end of January 2009.
Windows XP debuted in October 2001. By the time it exits extended support, it will have been viable for more than 12 years, a record for Microsoft. In comparison, Windows Vista, which will ship to retail next week, is slated to enjoy support for just 10 years, until April 2017.
Microsoft gave no reason for the support changes to Windows XP.
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