Concerned that customers are confusing the impending end of Windows XP retail availability with the end of support, Microsoft Corp. has reminded users that the aged operating system will be supported until early April 2014. Jared Proudfoot, a manager in Microsoft's support life cycle group, reiterated the final support dates for Windows XP in a post to a company blog.
"Recently, there have been a number of posts in the blogosphere about Windows XP and the upcoming end of direct OEM and retail license availability," said Proudfoot. "Some people are interpreting this as the end of support for Windows XP."
Not so, Proudfoot said. Windows XP will remain in what Microsoft calls "mainstream support" to April 14, 2009, and continue in "extended support" though April 8, 2014, he added. The former delivers free fixes -- for both security patches and other bug fixes -- to everyone. During the latter, all users receive security updates, but nonsecurity hot fixes are given only to companies that have signed support contracts with Microsoft.
Those are not new dates, Proudfoot reminded customers last week. In early 2007, for instance, Microsoft extended support for Windows XP Home and XP Media Center to the 2009 and 2014 dates to match those already set for Windows XP Professional.
View: Full Article @ ComputerWorld
"Recently, there have been a number of posts in the blogosphere about Windows XP and the upcoming end of direct OEM and retail license availability," said Proudfoot. "Some people are interpreting this as the end of support for Windows XP."
Not so, Proudfoot said. Windows XP will remain in what Microsoft calls "mainstream support" to April 14, 2009, and continue in "extended support" though April 8, 2014, he added. The former delivers free fixes -- for both security patches and other bug fixes -- to everyone. During the latter, all users receive security updates, but nonsecurity hot fixes are given only to companies that have signed support contracts with Microsoft.
Those are not new dates, Proudfoot reminded customers last week. In early 2007, for instance, Microsoft extended support for Windows XP Home and XP Media Center to the 2009 and 2014 dates to match those already set for Windows XP Professional.
View: Full Article @ ComputerWorld
I am not bothered anyway as I will be migrating to vista next month for good, as I have tested everything I need got 32 bit as the 64 bit had some hardware issues.
So hasta la vista xp!
r.i.p.
I am not bothered anyway as I will be migrating to vista next month for good, as I have tested everything I need got 32 bit as the 64 bit had some hardware issues.
So hasta la vista xp!
r.i.p.
Why would you have to pay for the extended support? They haven't charged users anything else for any extended support for their OS's in the past as far as I'm aware.
Plus, what's the point in charging some users to develop a patch that anyone could use anyway?
I have tried vista on a dual boot for 6 odd months now, it's fine.
I don't like some of the gui, however I can change that to suit my viewing.
It only took 7 years.
I'm still wondering what do people want though? Microsoft to support Windows XP (free of-course) till Windows "7" comes out? Then what if you don't like "7" and it's a "Windows Me Third Edition" What then? Support XP till Windows "8" comes out? 7 of-course will more than likely be using more power than most of us have now. The 2.4Ghz Quad Core system you have will be "outdated" in 3yrs from now.
Hehe.... it never ends.
That does not imply that places like Best Buy will pull retail copies off the shelf on June 30th, but one can figure that places like that will start pulling copies soon thereafter or just let them sell out and not re-stock them.
Basically protection from exploits, new device type support, and reliability fixes.
Of course this is like McDonald's having to put "Warning:Hot" on their coffee cups. Some people are simply unable to grasp the obvious.
Beats having to install years of updates between milestones.
And alot of people still use 98 (mostly older types) because they don't have the need or the capacity to switch even to XP.
(and my reason for not upgrading, is because I don't have the money to upgrade my computer and buy Vista. XP is currently working fine.)
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