Posted on 04/07/2007 6:51:09 PM PDT by Halfmanhalfamazing
If you were looking for any glimpse into the mind of Microsoft, this is it: The company has completely abandoned Windows XP, and it has absolutely no plans to ever ship an XP SP3. My guess is that Microsoft will do what it did with the final Windows 2000 Service Pack: Claim years later that it's no longer needed and just ship a final security patch roll-up. This is the worst kiss-off to any Microsoft product I've ever seen, and you'd think the company would show a little more respect to its best-selling OS of all time. But the reality is, Microsoft is looking ahead to new revenue and not behind to money that's already in the bank. And though hundreds of millions of people will be running XP for years to come, despite Microsoft's best efforts at selling them a later Windows version, the company has absolutely no plans to actually support those customers. This flies in the face of its publicly-stated life cycle support plans. And it really freaks me out. It should freak you out as well.
(Excerpt) Read more at windowsitpro.com ...
Yep, time to cut off XP.
Thurrott being the MS koolaid drinker that he is, I don’t see much reason to discount the information.
MS’s own history would also lend validity to it, I’d think.
In fairness, I think you should point out that eliminating SP3 is editorial speculation on the part of the author, not anything that has been stated by Microsoft. Without clicking the link and realizing that the article is basically a blog, it reads as though Microsoft had in fact cancelled SP3.
Also, I didn’t see anything there about Linux?
IB4GE
I’m sure GE can respond better, but internally MS has a SP3 and has been labeling certain hotfixes as SP3 for at least a year.
To those who create their own slipstream winXP install disks, ryanvm.net has continuously updated SP3 slipstreams available. Every few months as more SP3 fixes are added by MS, ryanvm.net recompiles the slipstream and privides a torrent to d/l it.
I have a feeling I’m not saying anything most people here don’t already know though.
It’s hard to say—IIRC, MS announced that they were going to release an SP1 for Vista later this year. Not to mention that they finally released SP2 for Win 2k3...
Could simply be an XP SP3 in the works; just tightly wrapped and possibly putting in some additional crap.
My guess is that MS is going to take its sweet-ass time and try to, er, convince people to upgrade to Vista—all while going ahead on Fiji and Vienna.
Linux is still the superior option; its primary problem is that it is still largely perceived as a geek’s OS.
This is crazy and beyond inconvenient to customers who have XP. If they left it like it is now, someone who installs XP with even SP2 slipstreamed, after the OS install the user has to download and install around 50 updates from Windows Update for bug and more importantly security patches. Even with a fast computer on a broadband internet connection this process takes around 1-2 hours. They could easily create a SP3 with all of these updates rolled into a single install. Not to do so is a slap in the face to existing customers who bought XP in good faith.
Linux has come a LONG way as a desktop OS. The only big problem that still remains, and this has always been a problem, is hardware support. Really this isn't as much of an OS problem as it is hardware vendors not being prompt about creating compatible drivers.
I recently built a new computer using all the best components from newegg. I planned on installing Linux for the OS only to find no Linux distros yet support Intel's DG965WG motherboard. I can't even get a Ubuntu or SLAX live CD to boot because of it. I've read others are having this problem, and I expect drivers will be forthcoming. Right now it's just a waiting game. Who knows, there may be drivers now. I haven't checked in the last month or so.
Quick Linux question. How do you install something? I loaded Ubuntu on my mom’s old computer and tried to install some stuff on it, and it was not as easy as it has been on either Windows or OS X.
I don’t know, but I installed Ubuntu on an older computer (I am on it now actually) and it freezes up frequently. I have basically abandoned the whole idea that linux is more stable than XP.
Yes, I’m well aware of that—however, a lot of the people I work with just can’t use it because even now, it requires some technical savvy (I’ve handled problems with people who don’t know how to do really basic things such as save a file in Word or open IE)
I know I can use it (and I do)—and I recommend Linux to those who’re familiar with their computers (you should know me enough here 8^)
Here, I speak about the public as a whole—which IMHO includes not only people who are simply unfamiliar with computing, but outright n00bs as well. Suffice it to say, these people would be lost if I threw them in front of a Mac desktop, let alone a Linux one.
True, there’s xpDE, and KDE has come further along, but it’s still not yet at the point where it can slaughter MS and Windows.
Still, you need to be aware of dependencies.
Are you getting the packages directly, or are you using a manager like Apt-get or Synaptic?
^^^^^^^^^^^6In fairness, I think you should point out that eliminating SP3 is editorial speculation on the part of the author, not anything that has been stated by Microsoft.^^^^^^^^^^^^
You are, of course, correct.
I’m sure this guy has sources somewhere telling him what’s coming down the pipe.
^^^^^^^^^^^^Also, I didn’t see anything there about Linux?^^^^^^^^^^
It was a joke.
LOL
Yeah, that’s what I’m saying.
However, one poster did make a valid point that I didn’t stress enough. It’s not a statement of fact. But one surely has to wonder given how MS has acted in the past.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^How do you install something?^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5253052326994067125
Here, watch the video. :-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.