Microsofts plans for XP

[Gardner Denver]

Microsoft to stop selling Windows XP on Monday Sun Jun 29, 11:47 PM ET



Microsoft Corp. is scheduled to stop selling its Windows XP operating system to retailers and major computer makers Monday, despite protests from a slice of PC users who don't want to be forced into using XP's successor, Vista.

Once computers loaded with XP have been cleared from the inventory of PC makers such as Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co., consumers who can't live without the old operating system on their new machine will have to buy Vista Ultimate or Vista Business and then legally "downgrade" to XP.

Microsoft will still allow smaller mom-and-pop PC builder shops to buy XP for resale through the end of January. A version of XP will also remain available for ultra-low-cost PCs such as the Asus Eee PC.

A group of vocal computer users who rallied around a "Save XP" petition posted on the industry news site InfoWorld had been clamoring for Microsoft to keep selling XP until its next operating system, Windows 7, is available. The software maker has said it expects to release Windows 7 sometime in 2009.

Last week, Microsoft said it would provide full technical support for six-year-old Windows XP through 2009, and limited support through 2014.

[Raybdbomb]

Maybe it's time to switch to linux?

[MudHunter]

Vista isn't that bad.   I use it on my Laptop. Never did try to upgrade to visit from an XP Machine though. I hear that's where the pain is at, but who knows.  People overall don't like change anyways, but starting campaigns over things like what a company is selling is retarded.

  So Vista ended up like ME?  Big Deal..   That happened right before XP as well, and XP worked out great.  So maybe "Windows 7"  will be awesome as well.

Such a short memory computer people have. WIndows xp worked. EVENTUALY. Yer so forgetting the years of crap. the instability, the crashes. This happens to every MS OS released. Vista is crap. I also have vista on my laptop, and it is a huge hassle. Lets leave aside the insane requirements for a smooth running system. Why the fuck do you need like 3 gigs for it to run smooth? I have a gig, and it runs sluggish. takes 5 mins to boot....XP would be 2x faster and more stable. Stop licking MS's sack. They suck, but we're stuck.

[Vitoc]

Such a short memory computer people have. WIndows xp worked. EVENTUALY. Yer so forgetting the years of crap. the instability, the crashes. This happens to every MS OS released. Vista is crap. I also have vista on my laptop, and it is a huge hassle. Lets leave aside the insane requirements for a smooth running system. Why the fuck do you need like 3 gigs for it to run smooth? I have a gig, and it runs sluggish. takes 5 mins to boot....XP would be 2x faster and more stable. Stop licking MS's sack. They suck, but we're stuck.

Windows XP is still the best all-around desktop operating system out there. Period.

I still stand by that statement. ;)

[Gardner Denver]

I've seen that somewhere before I think :P

[MudHunter]

Windows XP is still the best all-around desktop operating system out there. Period.

I still stand by that statement. ;)

Only because we're stuck. the unix os's are more stable, but have nowhere near the support. Windows is bloatware. Just because its just barely good enough doesnt mean we hafta buy into the 'Its the best os' thing. Its the best only cuz there's nothing else. There's no reason that a 1.5 ghz dual core, with 1 gigs of memory should run laggy when just running a coule of megamuds and a browser. No reason at all. Every version of windows has gotten more and more bloated and stupid.

As an example, Windows vista is 11 gigs on my hd. 11 gigs?!? just sop I can use the computer? Jesus christ.

[The Crazy Animal]

Only because we're stuck. the unix os's are more stable, but have nowhere near the support. Windows is bloatware. Just because its just barely good enough doesnt mean we hafta buy into the 'Its the best os' thing. Its the best only cuz there's nothing else. There's no reason that a 1.5 ghz dual core, with 1 gigs of memory should run laggy when just running a coule of megamuds and a browser. No reason at all. Every version of windows has gotten more and more bloated and stupid.

As an example, Windows vista is 11 gigs on my hd. 11 gigs?!? just sop I can use the computer? Jesus christ.

go back to windows 3.11 then... lol

Seriously vista is just anouther windows millenia (sp) they just didn't have a chance to finish it properly just like the last time they planned a big change, I beta tested it so I know some of the stuff they left out...

[MudHunter]

go back to windows 3.11 then... lol

Seriously vista is just anouther windows millenia (sp) they just didn't have a chance to finish it properly just like the last time they planned a big change, I beta tested it so I know some of the stuff they left out...

Left out? yamean it should be 15 gigs on my hd?

Windows 3.11 was more stable than any of the ones to come after, cuz it was simplier. I like the GUI os as much as the next guy, but its getting out of hand with the bloat. NObody can justify 11 gigs on my hd JUST FOR THE OS. Its lazy programming. And lazy people.

[Vitoc]

Left out? yamean it should be 15 gigs on my hd?

Windows 3.11 was more stable than any of the ones to come after, cuz it was simplier. I like the GUI os as much as the next guy, but its getting out of hand with the bloat. NObody can justify 11 gigs on my hd JUST FOR THE OS. Its lazy programming. And lazy people.

We've been over this before MudHunter and you refused to acknowledge this.

ALL GUI desktop operating systems are bloated.

Take a look at this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_lines_of_code

The Mac OS is based on a BSD (unix) kernel.  86 million lines of code went into it as opposed to Windows XP's 40 million.  Debian (a flavor of Linux) appears to have over 280 million in version 4.0.

Your hate for XP and Microsoft in general is misguided.  Hate them for Vista if you want, XP is still the best damn desktop operating system out there, bar none.

[Raybdbomb]

I don't agree that XP is the best operating system out there period.

I think that XP is great for game playing.  OS X is getting there, but still nowhere near.
I think that XP is great for graphics editing, but OS X is better.
I think that XP is just OK for development productivity, but Linux is better.  Regarding Microsoft specific tools, the .NET mentality works well for some people, but not all people are created equal. 
I think that XP is just OK for extensibility, but Linux is better.
I think that XP has poor to VERY poor security policies.  It is miles ahead of 98/ME, but miles behind of Vista, miles and MILES behind Linux.  Don't have a firewall or anti-virus on a windows machine?  Prepare to get an unrecoverable system issue in a matter of months -- even if you have a firewall and anti-virus in many cases.  Prepare to have your system degrade in speed as it becomes bloated over time "due to natural causes", forcing you to eventually upgrade just so that your trojans can flood your network more efficiently.  OR, you can upgrade to Windows Vista for only $179.99.  After all, linux is confusing and for uber tech geeks anyway, so you have to do this -- we're phasing Windows XP out, so either upgrade to get screwed.
I think that XP is ok as far as system stability goes, but if you have a single app with a memory leak it can still bring a system to its knees, unrecoverably.  BSOD anyone? 

XP is becoming dated.  2001 operating system with now 3 minor overhauls that has hardcoded limits as far as memory support, major limits for new hardware support out of the box (ever try to install on a sata hard drive?), legacy hardware requirements (why do you need to use a floppy to do anything interesting for install?), expensive buy-in, etc. etc.

I adopted XP in 2002 and have used it primarily for years.  I'm not a linux fanboi, I happen to use OS X, Linux and XP; they each serve their purposes.  It just happens out-of-the-box a FREE linux install is miles ahead in productivity, security and usability to Windows XP.  And if it's not, YOU have the power to change it.

[MudHunter]

ust becasue xp is bloated doesnt mean it hasta be.

Windows 95 was like 10-20 megs installed. 98 20? and its gotten worse from there. No matter how much you try and cry and close yer eyes and plug yer ears and go "nananana" the facts are XP is alright. Windows in general are just enough. They beta test like shit, they make os's take up 11 gigs. Thats simly insane.

The reason for the bloat is lazy programmers, and the computer speeds always goin up. MS figgers "Why streamline? in a year all computers will have enough speed for this bloat!". I am of the commie 64 generation. The comodore 64 lasted for something like 12 years. The same computer, same everything. and yet graphics and games got better all through the time it was in use. Why? Programmers had to be creative and clever to use what they had. Thats gone. No programmer would spend time streamlining something anymore. 'Computers are fast enough to cover my bloat coding!" Its sad.

[Vitoc]

I don't agree that XP is the best operating system out there period.

I think that XP is great for game playing.  OS X is getting there, but still nowhere near.
I think that XP is great for graphics editing, but OS X is better.
I think that XP is just OK for development productivity, but Linux is better.  Regarding Microsoft specific tools, the .NET mentality works well for some people, but not all people are created equal. 
I think that XP is just OK for extensibility, but Linux is better.
I think that XP has poor to VERY poor security policies.  It is miles ahead of 98/ME, but miles behind of Vista, miles and MILES behind Linux.  Don't have a firewall or anti-virus on a windows machine?  Prepare to get an unrecoverable system issue in a matter of months -- even if you have a firewall and anti-virus in many cases.  Prepare to have your system degrade in speed as it becomes bloated over time "due to natural causes", forcing you to eventually upgrade just so that your trojans can flood your network more efficiently.  OR, you can upgrade to Windows Vista for only $179.99.  After all, linux is confusing and for uber tech geeks anyway, so you have to do this -- we're phasing Windows XP out, so either upgrade to get screwed.
I think that XP is ok as far as system stability goes, but if you have a single app with a memory leak it can still bring a system to its knees, unrecoverably.  BSOD anyone? 

XP is becoming dated.  2001 operating system with now 3 minor overhauls that has hardcoded limits as far as memory support, major limits for new hardware support out of the box (ever try to install on a sata hard drive?), legacy hardware requirements (why do you need to use a floppy to do anything interesting for install?), expensive buy-in, etc. etc.

I adopted XP in 2002 and have used it primarily for years.  I'm not a linux fanboi, I happen to use OS X, Linux and XP; they each serve their purposes.  It just happens out-of-the-box a FREE linux install is miles ahead in productivity, security and usability to Windows XP.  And if it's not, YOU have the power to change it.

Let me post my quote again:

Windows XP is still the best all-around desktop operating system out there. Period.

Read it again, and pay particular attention to the word desktop.

I've run a FreeBSD (unix) server for years now, and it's great... for a server.  Over the years I've tried a few flavors of Linux/Unix.  RedHat became way too commercialized way too quick, and checking in with the RedHat mothership was far more intrusive than Microsoft's update system.  I tried PCBSD a year or so ago and the install process was so screwy it went into an infinite crash/reset loop.  But it wouldn't have mattered because as far as a desktop operating system; none of them would play my games nor would they run the software I already paid for, and driver support for the latest devices was spotty at best.  I gave several of them a try, but they just didn't work for me as an operating system I had to use on a daily basis.  I laughed when I learned Macs can run Windows... imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. ;)

Btw, I've been using Vista at work for the past several months.  Like most, I don't like how they've moved everything around, but I must say IIS 7 is pretty slick.  I haven't had a single BSOD (yet, heh).

[Vitoc]

ust becasue xp is bloated doesnt mean it hasta be.

Windows 95 was like 10-20 megs installed. 98 20? and its gotten worse from there. No matter how much you try and cry and close yer eyes and plug yer ears and go "nananana" the facts are XP is alright. Windows in general are just enough. They beta test like shit, they make os's take up 11 gigs. Thats simly insane.

The reason for the bloat is lazy programmers, and the computer speeds always goin up. MS figgers "Why streamline? in a year all computers will have enough speed for this bloat!". I am of the commie 64 generation. The comodore 64 lasted for something like 12 years. The same computer, same everything. and yet graphics and games got better all through the time it was in use. Why? Programmers had to be creative and clever to use what they had. Thats gone. No programmer would spend time streamlining something anymore. 'Computers are fast enough to cover my bloat coding!" Its sad.

The problem is backwards compatibility.

People bitch when Microsoft says "We aren't going to support <insert legacy hardware or software here> anymore" but then people like you bitch about the size of the OS.  It's a no win situation for them.  By the way, did you click on that wiki link I posted?  Go click on it right now and read it.  Any desktop OS that isn't "bloated" as you call it won't be able to support all the hardware that's been sold for Windows-based PCs over the years.

[Raybdbomb]

Let me post my quote again:Read it again, and pay particular attention to the word desktop.

yes, ubuntu is meant to be a desktop linux distro.  and yes, that is the distro i was talking about.

[Vitoc]

Ubuntu is way too flashy for an operating system for me.  I don't want bouncing icons and sparkle effects, thanks.  Plus it still won't play 95% of my games or run Visual Studio, which has been and likely always will be the de facto standard for .NET development.  An OS is useless to me if companies aren't willing to port their productivity software or games for that matter.

Don't get me wrong, I hope one day Linux will surpass Windows in usability and availability of software, but they're still years behind.  Kudos to those who are trying to bridge the gap.