Bowing to pressure from customers and computer makers, Microsoft plans to keep Windows XP around a little longer.
Large PC manufacturers were slated to have to stop selling XP after January 31. However, vendors have successfully lobbied Microsoft to allow them to continue selling PCs with all flavors of Windows XP preloaded until June 30, a further five months. Microsoft also plans to keep XP on retail shelves longer and will allow computer makers in emerging markets to build machines with Windows XP Starter Edition until June 2010.
This is good news to anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Vista and all its amazing security issues. I am usually not one to pile on, in fact I’ve even been known to defend MS and even GW (what can I say, Herny Fonda in 12 angry men left major impression) but when it comes to Vista I can’t help myself. Granted XP has security issues, but at least you could update a graphics card without spending an hour and 20 minutes on the phone with tech support trying to re-register the OS. Those kinds of problems need to be fixed.