Windows XP: The party's over - or is it?

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 25 June 2008 05:27

Business IT - Technology

While Microsoft would like everyone to move to Vista, those that are sticking with XP for the next few years will be heartened by Microsoft's decision to extend support until April 2014.

While mainstream support only runs until April 2009, that only extends to purchasers of retail copies of XP - support for OEM licences is the hardware vendors' responsibility.

What's more important to most people is that security updates will continue to be developed until April 2014. Patches for XP security issues are still being released most months, so those staying with the operating system will be reassured that the Security Response Team is staying on their case.

Non-security bug fixes will only be provided to Microsoft Software Assurance customers that have signed up for Extended Hotfix Support and are prepared to pay for individual fixes.

If you do get really stuck with a XP technical problem after next April, paid support will be available from Microsoft during the extended support period.

For many users who have obstinately stuck by XP and refused to move to Vista, the news that Microsoft is severing the umbilical cord will come as a blow. Vista has hardly been the roaring success that Microsoft had hoped and there is still a lot of resistance to it in the marketplace, where a significant number of users believe XP is a better operating system, notwithstanding Microsoft's huge investment in shoring up the security of its current OS.