Posted on 04/14/2008 6:23:53 AM PDT by Red Badger
Microsoft Corp.'s operating systems run most personal computers around the globe and are a cash cow for the world's largest software maker. But you'd never confuse a Windows user with the passionate fans of Mac OS X or even the free Linux operating system. Unless it's someone running Windows XP, a version Microsoft wants to retire.
Fans of the six-year-old operating system set to be pulled off store shelves in June have papered the Internet with blog posts, cartoons and petitions recently. They trumpet its superiority to Windows Vista, Microsoft's latest PC operating system, whose consumer launch last January was greeted with lukewarm reviews.
No matter how hard Microsoft works to persuade people to embrace Vista, some just can't be wowed. They complain about Vista's hefty hardware requirements, its less-than-peppy performance, occasional incompatibility with other programs and devices and frequent, irritating security pop-up windows.
For them, the impending disappearance of XP computers from retailers, and the phased withdrawal of technical support in coming years, is causing a minor panic.
Take, for instance, Galen Gruman. A longtime technology journalist, Gruman is more accustomed to writing about trends than starting them.
But after talking to Windows users for months, he realized his distaste for Vista and strong attachment to XP were widespread.
"It sort of hit us that, wait a minute, XP will be gone as of June 30. What are we going to do?" he said. "If no one does something, it's going to be gone."
So Gruman started a Save XP Web petition, gathering since January more than 100,000 signatures and thousands of comments, mostly from die-hard XP users who want Microsoft to keep selling it until the next version of Windows is released, currently targeted for 2010.
On the petition site's comments section, some users proclaimed they will downgrade from Vista to XP - an option available in the past to businesses, but now open for the first time to consumers who buy Vista Ultimate or Business editions - if they need to buy a new computer after XP goes off the market.
Others used the comments section to rail against the very idea that Microsoft has the power to enforce the phase-out from a stable, decent product to one that many consider worse, while profiting from the move. Many threatened to leave Windows for Apple or Linux machines.
Microsoft already extended the XP deadline once, but it shows no signs it will do so again. The company has declined to meet with Gruman to consider the petition. Microsoft is aware of the petition, it said in a statement to The Associated Press, and "will continue to be guided by feedback we hear from partners and customers about what makes sense based on their needs."
Gruman said he'd keep pressing for a meeting.
"They really believe if they just close their eyes, people will have no choice," he said.
In fact, most people who get a new computer will end up with Vista. In 2008, 94 percent of new Windows machines for consumers worldwide will run Vista, forecasts industry research group IDC. For businesses, about 75 percent of new PCs will have Vista. (That figure takes into account companies that choose to downgrade to XP.)
Although Microsoft may not budge on selling new copies of XP, it may have to extend support for it.
Al Gillen, an IDC analyst, estimated that at the end of 2008 nearly 60 percent of consumer PCs and almost 70 percent of business PCs worldwide will still run XP. Microsoft plans to end full support - including warranty claims and free help with problems - in April 2009. The company will continue providing a more limited level of service until April 2014.
Gillen said efforts like Gruman's grass-roots petition may not influence the software maker, but business customers' demands should carry more clout.
"You really can't make 69 percent of your installed base unhappy with you," he said.
Some companies - such as Wells Manufacturing Co. in Woodstock, Ill. - are crossing their fingers that he's right. The company, which melts scrap steel and casts iron bars, has 200 PCs that run Windows 2000 or XP. (Windows 2000 is no longer sold on PCs. Mainstream support has ended, but limited support is available through the middle of 2010.)
Wells usually replaces 50 of its PCs every 18 months. In the most recent round of purchases, Chief Information Officer Lou Peterhans said, the company stuck with XP because several of its applications don't run well on Vista.
"There is no strong reason to go to Vista, other than eventually losing support for XP," he said. Peterhans added that the company isn't planning to bring in Vista computers for 18 months to two years. If Microsoft keeps to its current timetable, its next operating system, code-named Windows 7, will be on the market by then.
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On the Net:
Save XP Petition: http://weblog.infoworld.com/save-xp/
Microsoft's Windows support timeline: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy
There is a small difference. At least oil companies have to got out and do some work.................
Apple will take a BITE out of MS’s butt......................
I’d buy a Mac if I were....
not already operating three of them!!!
(ET phone home!)
My daughter is trying Linux Live on her HP/XP laptop. With Linux, it’s more stable than it has been in the four years she owned it.
Change is good.......Obama tells me so............
“”No, it’s an admission that once a product is released a new one will follow.
On a related note, I was shocked to find that my local BMW dealer refuses to sell me a 2001 3-series!”
Wow, thanks for the thinnest argument ever. Vista’s only been out a year and Microsoft announces a new OS will be shipping in a year or so?
Vista sucks, the public knows it, Microsoft knows it.
Isn’t amazing how people stood in line at stores for Windows 95? Remember how many stores, like Best Buy, had midnight sales the day Windows 95 was first available and people were so excited?
What a study in contrast to that dog Windows ME...er, Windows Vista.
Depends on what you do, but I recently put a dual boot of XP and Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu is the closest to being ready for prime time of any Linux I’ve touched. Installed easily, found all my hardware, comes with browser, email client, and open office.
Microsoft is running down the path that IBM took about 20 years ago. Microsoft won’t go away, but they are going to take some serious hits in market share.
My XP machine is only a year and a half old...............
Time to move to Open Suse Linux.
“Apple will take a BITE out of MS’s butt.........”
Yup, it’s already happening. Apple Mac and Macbook sales over the last year have gone up quite a bit.
Why do folks feel compelled to buy this stuff? I am using Win2k Pro and Server and I am just totally satisfied with it. Who cares if M$ supports it. It doesn’t need support as far as I am concerned.
It is the same wit all these vendors. bright lights and bells. I am using IDE’s that I bought in 1999 and developing apps for
XP, Vista etc. No bells and whistles.
Server OS has been going out about every three years or so. Why should client be any different? Personally, I don’t think you’ll see a new client OS next year.
“Blah-blah” sucks has got to be the thinnest argument ever. What sucks about it?
I want to upgrade to XP, but here's a question for anyone.
For my computer there are XP drivers available on the manufactures website. Now while I know computers very well I'm no expert, so I don't have full confidence in my ability to switch.
However, One bad thing that could be a plus is it only came with a 111GB hard drive which I'm filling up rapidly (I have lots of pictures & videos), so I am going to need another hard drive. This is no problem, There's plenty of space & plugs in my computer for it. I'm looking at getting 500gb one which by itself should be more than I will ever need.
Now if I buy a new hard drive, can I install XP on the new drive, put the right drivers on it and then just switch the plugs to make that my C:\ (boot up)drive? If anything goes wrong then I can just switch them back. And if it does work, just delete all the vista files and use the current hard drive I have as back up & storage.
I know I will have to reinstall much of my software, but it would be worth it to escape Vista Hell.
Is this a good idea or a stupid one?
Gates has to work hard too. Its not easy to screw an entire planet. But then he has supported Dems so I guess he has a lot of practise.
I have new laptop with Vista and wanted o know if I can load XP without formating drive?
So?
We just got all new computers on our network here at work. All XP machines. I asked why they didn’t buy Vista, and was told, “We wanted a network that actually worked.”.............
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