No seriously this time…
Microsoft is claiming it will finally put an end to Windows XP – which became something of the de facto operating system for the better part of 10 years – by 2014.
Of course, by now many people have either purchased a new computer with Vista or Windows 7 pre-installed, or they’ve gone to the trouble to update a PC that used to run Windows XP.
But we’re just talking about individual consumers here. When it comes to businesses, that’s a whole other story. Companies that have networks of hundreds of computers, all powered by XP, are sometimes hesitant to upgrade.
Since 2001, Windows XP has gone on to sell hundreds upon hundreds of millions of licenses. You’d be hard-pressed to find any adult, at least in the US, who hasn’t used XP. It’s unclear, however, exactly how many of those licenses remain active and in use today.
“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 10 years ago just isn’t enough for today’s standards,” wrote Microsoft’s Stephen Rose in a blog post.
“Things get better, faster. And eventually, it’s time to move from good enough to something much better,” Rose encouraged.
The final day for Windows XP support will be April 8, 2014. However, just because Microsoft is pulling support doesn’t mean the OS won’t continue to live on. There are bound to be some stubborn and/or cheap companies that hold onto XP even though it will slowly become inoperable with software and online interfaces.
