No actually there’s MANY way to solve the problem. First and foremost make the company that makes the software fix their damn software, there is simply no valid excuse for software to not be able to run on more current OSes than XP, Vista has been out 7 years they have more than enough time to behave like professionals. Another is VMs, Windows 7 Ultimate comes with XP VM free in the OS just turn it on no new licenses needed, plus there’s tons of other ways to run VMs of old OSes (really if you’ve got the disk and a license you can just go), if this specialty software won’t work in VM then again that company needs to act like professionals the VM revolution is older than Vista.
The customers already have a way forward. They’ve known this day is coming for the better part of a decade. George Bush was in the White House XP’s replacement was announced and the first EOL schedule came with it, a schedule that’s been pushed back. Anybody finding themselves between a rock and hardplace now PUT themselves there with years of not bothering to plan for their own future.
Which comment basically shows that you are totally ignorant on the subject. One example....Agilent Gas Chromatographs are used in literally thousands of labs. Agilent "death-marks" their equipment just like M'soft currently does, but far sooner that the real service life of the GC Hardware, and they WILL NOT upgrade their software. Their reply is "tuff titty"....just buy a new chromatograph.
"Another is VMs, Windows 7 Ultimate comes with XP VM free in the OS just turn it on no new licenses needed, plus there’s tons of other ways to run VMs of old OSes (really if you’ve got the disk and a license you can just go), if this specialty software won’t work in VM then again that company needs to act like professionals the VM revolution is older than Vista.
And my recommendation is simply an expansion of this out to other Windows versions. I don't see how what I am suggesting is all that different from the "Window 7/XPVM" route already taken by M'Soft.
"The customers already have a way forward. They’ve known this day is coming for the better part of a decade. George Bush was in the White House XP’s replacement was announced and the first EOL schedule came with it, a schedule that’s been pushed back. Anybody finding themselves between a rock and hardplace now PUT themselves there with years of not bothering to plan for their own future.
The problem is that, despite your protestations, the customers do NOT have a way forward, or at least not without huge hassle. This is something M'soft has already done, just broadened out. It offers a standardized, "one stop shop" solution to a widespread problem.