Windows XP users fight to save the OS from Microsoft cull
By Dave Parrack
Windows XP will soon be no more, with only a few months left before it becomes unavailable, and a year until full support ends. I think it’s time we showed Microsoft who is boss.
Windows Vista has been nothing short of a disaster for Microsoft. Oh it may have sold by the bucket load but that’s only because anyone buying a new PC has very little option but to get stuck with Vista, unless they switch allegiance and buy an Apple Mac or PC with a Linux based operating system.
And this lack of other options is about to get worse, as Microsoft will no longer offer Windows XP for sale after June 30th. And that makes me, and a lots of other fans of the OS angry, angry enough to do something about it, and try and change Microsoft’s mind.
Galen Gruman, a technology journalist, and big fan of XP, has even gone so far as start a petition to try and force Microsoft to halt its strategy of forcing consumers to switch to Vista. As well as taking the OS off shop shelves, full support will end in a year’s time (April 2009).
What this is clearly meant to do is force both domestic and business users to buy in to Vista, an operating system that very few people like, and is known to be bloated and worse performing than its six year old predecessor. And people aren’t happy.
Yahoo News tells of the Wells Manufacturing Co. in Illinois, which at the moment has 200 PCs running Windows XP or 2000. While they usually upgrade a quarter of their computers every 18 months, in the last round of purchases they stuck with XP, and will continue to do so until the fabled Windows 7 is released in 2010 (fingers crossed).
But Microsoft isn’t stupid, and knows that with a full 2 year gap between Windows XP being taken off the shelves, and Windows 7 making an appearance, Vista will be the only choice for many.
Which is why it has so far ignored Gruman’s pleas for a meeting to discuss the petition.
Windows Vista is an overblown, shoddy piece of work, which just doesn’t warrant buying, especially with everyone still happy using XP. Do yourself, and everyone else a favour and sign the online petition now, and force Microsoft’s hand over the issue. Mac users need not apply.
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Read more entries by Dave Parrack.
Stumble It!
April 14th, 2008
Just what exactly does it take to get people to take a closer look at Linux? Does Microsoft have to start shooting customers at random?
April 14th, 2008
“But Microsoft isn’t stupid, and knows that with a full 2 year gap between Windows XP being taken off the shelves, and Windows 7 making an appearance, Vista will be the only choice for many”
No its not, Linux will be the choice for many. And more each day are downloading the many different choices of Linux flavors. Instead of being forced between Windows and Mac and Linux, people now have the option between Windows, Mac and 100 different choices of Linux.
Dual booting has become quite popular, even those who have minimal computer experience. The Live CD option is a great way of trying all the many great options of Linux. You don’t have to install anything either if you didn’t want to.
This is the 21st Century, so lets embrace it with 21st cutting edge technology like Linux. Lets leave that relic from the 20th century (Windows) behind with their hundreds of thousands of viruses.
So MSFT decides to leave us its core customers by taking XP off the market…so MSFT is leaving us, OK we get the hint…were leaving too.
So Microsoft is leaving us with one option, …Vista.
So now we are leaving Microsoft for 100 options and saying Hasta la Vista.
December 21st, 2008
I don’t see what you guys are objecting to. Microsoft has to end support and move forward – that is true with any operating system maker. Apple no longer makes updates for os x 10.2 either. You might think 10.2 is way better than 10.5, but it doesn’t change the fact that they have to focus on new products at some point and let go of the old.
Further what exactly is the problem- you can still buy and install windows 98 if you wanted to. Yes there is no official support fixes but plenty of people manage to keep it secure via third party apps. :).. Really if you want to use XP you can.