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.
---
On the Net:
Save XP Petition: http://weblog.infoworld.com/save-xp/
Microsoft's Windows support timeline: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy
The stupid folks at dell should never have sold a laptop with only 1 gig when running Vista!
It was so hated and despised that new computers came with the option of 4.01 or 3.31 until DOS 5.0 came out.
Okay, the look is different I’ll buy. There are somethings I love about it and others that are annoying.
I drag/drop files from my removable media (SD cards, flash drives, external hard drives) all the time. The mechanism for doing so hasn’t changed, either. Are you getting an error or something?
The Google bookmarks thing is a “gift” from your hardware vendor, not from Vista. You could remove it if you don’t like it.
You can also run Windows/Linux etc. off of the Mac (Intel Chip) in "Boot Camp" but that means rebooting to run either OS whereas Parallels (and VM Ware - don't own but have heard is good) let you run 'seamlessly' without reboot.
Note to the wise, if following this route, get maximum memory - Virtual Machines NEED IT!
I bought an HP with 3gigs of ram and it has issues. Not so much with games but with simple tasks. It really hates playing any kind of video and internet explorer for some reason.
“What’s stinky about it?”
If you don’t count;
Using a Gig of RAM for operating
50G of hard drive space VISTA software itself
Not being able find the right buttons
No drag and drop for the moving files to a thumb drive
The exorbitant price
Frequent “crashes”
Waiting forever for the PC to boot
Advertising intense orientated operation system
Nothing stinks about it - it is just as good as MS ME.
So, you don’t have any gripes of your own? In other words, you’re making stuff up. How do you know that’s “most” and not “some”?
Never mind. I don’t have much use for people who talk in hyperbole. Have a nice day.
“Change is good.......Obama tells me so............”
Obviously racism and bitterness have caused you to cling to XP, and to be afraid of Macs.
Good info. I’ve printed it and will go that route if Gates’ GREED and GALL pushes XP out of the marketplace.
>>Not this boy. I’m just itching to give a mac a try.
Out of the frying pan, into the fire.
I’m starting to play with Ubuntu.
You can’t drag and drop either? I just sat here and did that while I was responding to another post. What happens when you try?
That's all fine and dandy, but what if you want to upgrade your hardware but find that all of the vendors aren't making Win2K drivers any more?
Some attribute it to the 'rule of lawyers' scared silly of a revisit from Dept.Justice for anti-trust violations to previous conviction. Lots of the tricks that M$ pulled off came out in M$ own anti-trust testimony in the 90s. Gates must have lost 20 pounds of sweat over that time in the witness chair.
Yeah, boy, we only got 9 years out of the GM Advanced Design series trucks (47 to 55 First Series). Also, can you say small block 350? Was around from 1967 to 2002 and is still manufactured for replacements.
Qam1,
Yes you can do this. The easiest way to do this while preventing potential problems is to disconnect the old drive plug up the new drive and install away. Once everything is up and operating you can add the old drive back in and format it or do what you want with it. You may have to do some drive letter remapping because you cant have two “C:” drives at the same time and thats what Windows likes to boot from.
There are some ways around this limitation but you have to have the correct hardware and you have to go through some machinations to get things steady side by side. email me if you want more info.
Syn
BTW if you do, tell them to take their current OS and stuff it.
Yep, Ubuntu FTW. I’m eagerly awaiting Hardy Heron.
I think you must mean Open Souse Linux. Straight from the bottle!!
I was just trying to be helpful. I apologize.
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.