Windows XP will be officially retired in June 2008. And maybe you’re the type of person that says "Well.. I like my computer the way it is and I really don’t feel like buying a new computer or changing the operating system. How long can I continue to use XP before it’s unusable?"
The answer is about 2 years (roughly).
"Unusable" defined: The point where little to no off-the-shelf hardware or software is supported by your computer’s operating system.
When any OS is retired, the computer industry doesn’t toss it aside like yesterday’s newspaper. Hundreds of thousands of people (and businesses) will continue to use it well past the retirement mark. If there’s a market for the OS, companies will continue to make both hardware and software products for it.
Taking example from the past
Microsoft ended support for Windows 98 in June 2002. This was well after Windows XP was available to the public (December 2001).
Even so, Windows 98 stuck around for a while. It took a couple of years before XP overtook ‘98 as the standard where the computer industry said "Okay, we’re not making stuff for ‘98 anymore. It’s XP now."
Taking example from the present
Windows Vista is not the #1 OS in use and won’t be for a while. It’s still XP and will continue to be for a while even after June 30, 2008.
In fact it’s probably a safe bet to say Windows Vista will never be the #1 OS due to the fact another Windows will appear in 2009 (supposedly). So if anything, the one to wait for is what comes after Vista.
To extend XP for as long as possible, use open source apps
If you’re the die-hard type that wants to squeeze every possible penny out of XP, the best way to do it is with open source applications.
Open source apps are designed from the ground up to be extendable. What this means to you is that they’re "light" and don’t require as much computing power as retail apps. So even if your computer box is old and XP is old, open source allows you to stay on top of the game even if you have a yesteryear OS and box.
Open source apps are easy to come by. You probably use a few of them already such as Firefox or OpenOffice. There are many others available.
When will the time be to throw in the towel?
Ultimately this is your decision, but you will know it’s time to ditch XP for something else when the computer industry itself won’t support it any longer.
At present this is not the case. There is still wide support for XP for both hardware and software. And even with Vista in existence the industry still champions XP. As of now there is absolutely no need to worry about obsolescence with Windows XP.
But in about 2 years it will be a legitimate concern, especially with new upcoming technologies that will become standard (like USB 3.0). If you run an OS that has no official support from the company who made it, there won’t be any native OS support developed.
I’m building a new computer now that will dual boot XP and Vista. I plan on using XP most of the time. Vista will be for “experimenting” as I don’t yet believe it will be reliable for everyday use, but I am going to give it a try anyways and when everything goes to hell I can always go back to XP.
I will be using Vista as my primary OS when it is better than XP, and so far, it isn’t.
I’d have to admit I was one of the hold outs still using Windows 98se until a year ago. Now I run Windows 2000 Pro and XP Pro on my machines at home. A word about Windows 2000 Pro. My company I work for which is a major defense contractor still uses Windows 2000 Pro on many PC’s(not all of them). I think that speaks a lot about that OS.
Dave, I have had a PC tower since April, 2001 and run
Windows 98SE on a 40GB Western Digital Hard Drive. I also
have a 30GB WD Hard Drive that has Windows XP installed. I
find that I have an easier time with the 98SE install, in
most cases, than the XP install. I use my hard drives in a
Lian Li Rack and Drawer. When I need XP I power down, then
unlock the drawer and remove 98SE and insert the XP drawer
to lock and power back up. As far as I’m concerned, Vista
will never be my choice until Microsoft stops it’s money
grabbing greed with the rest of the computer industry and
works to improve all software troughout. Dave C.
Yes there are many businesses who absolutely refuse to let go of Windows 2000. As far as their opinion is concerned, it works and moreover it’s paid for. They will only upgrade to XP kicking and screaming, never mind Vista.
I have at home 3 PCs wired in a small network. Two months ago one was running W98, another WMe and the third XP pro.
Now the teree run on XP.
Before installing Vista I will wait for service pack 2 at least, and only if a lite version can be tailored. (As XP lite etc.) Most MS OSs are ready to be used two years after their release.
My first time here. Good website and keep it up. I’m now other the other side which is Vista. I find Vista to be more appealing to me than Windows XP. Don’t get me wrong, I used to be a XP user. I can’t wait to see what’s in store the next few years!
“My company I work for which is a major defense contractor still uses Windows 2000 Pro on many PC’s(not all of them). I think that speaks a lot about that OS.”
Like Rick said, a lot of this is likely due to money. If there is no reason to upgrade then there is not reason to spend money. I’m sure some of the reason you are seeing XP is because thats the only OS(other than Vista) thats available. I would be surprised if a company buys a new PC and wipes XP for W2K. I don’t think is speaks as much about the OS as it does about the cost.
I BUILT MY COMPUTER ABOUT 10 MONTHS AGO AND I AM DUAL BOOTING WITH XP AND VISTA. WAS MAINLY USING XP UNTIL RECENTLY. WITH DDR2 MEMORY SO CHEAP I UPGRADED TO 4 GIGS AND AM NOW USING VISTA REGUARLY. SINCE MICROSOFT RELEASED SOME COMPATABILITY PATCHES I CAN USE ALMOST ALL OF MY OLD SOFTWARE, AND THE ONES THAT DONT I ONLY USE RARELY. I BOUGHT THE RETAIL VERSION SO I CAN GET VISTA 64 BIT FOR JUST SHIPPING BECAUSE MEMORY REQUIREMENTS ARE SLOWLY PUSHING US PAST THE 4 GIG LIMIT IN A 32 BIT OS. IM SURE THE NEXT WINDOWS WILL BE 64 BIT ONLY. VISTA RUNS EXTREMELY WELL WITH 4 GIGS OF MEMORY AND IS VERY STABLE TOO. JUST MY 2 CENTS.
Tried Vista, went back to XP for my games.
I’d wipe XP/Vista from my puters today, if more games would support Linux.
like lots of people i have my pc installed as a dual boot, i used to do 50/50 between xp and vista, and used xp for my games, but its mostly 90/10 vista now, now i’ve got a ps3
10% only accounts for code testing and apps that dont work on vista due to some driver issues or syntax change or what not
I’ll do like I did with my old OS 3.1 before I upgraded to XP, I’ll run it till I cann’t run it anylonger and then I will switch to the latest OS on the market. Hopfuly it won’t be Vista!!
Windows Xp is good and stable windows for normal and average pc’s .Vista requires a highly configured computer which most people dont hav they have to upgrade their pc for that
I’ve been supporting PC’s since the heady days of DOS 2! Vista is the first Windows OS I’ve installed before SP1 and I LOVE IT! I’ve fully upgraded here at the office to Vista Business (25+ PC’s) and at home to Vista Ultimate. So far, we’ve had not one problem with hardware and only one application that can’t run under Vista – AIB Business Banking, which I have a dual boot system for. PC’s are godd spec, not fantastice – Dualcore P4 2 or 3 GHz, 1 – 2 GB RAM, 80+GB SATA HDD. I can honestly say that the number of support calls from my users (who are not techno-philes!) has dropped by at least 50% since I put up Vista.
I suggest that anyone who is thinking about Vista go for it. It works and it’s much more stable than XP.
How long will updates through Microsoft be available for Win XP? For me that’s the major concern. I would just as soon stick with XP forever, well almost ever!!!
The real answer is: until you can get Linux working for you or get a Mac Pro with OS X delivered.
I have finally made the break. I am tired of Microsuck delivering half finished, slow, bloated operating systems that are as secure as a sieve and require a mini-mainframe to work. Vista basic, what a joke. They want us to keep paying them to re-invent the wheel.
Sorry, time to move on, I am really impressed with the Dell I got with Ubuntu pre-installed. I also like the Mac Pro, which I will probably turn into a server. OS X has all the control of a UNIX box and the GUI for my more timid associates, what a deal. It even runs my XP copy using Parallels, which I like better than the Mac bootcamp, but it works well also and may change my mind.
I have one box with Vista and I am scrapping together the drivers to run either XP or 2K if I can, if not I will run through the Linux distributions until I find one I like.
I am running 64 bit Vista on my main desktop. It allows me to address all 4 GB of memory in the machine. With a 32 bit OS (XP or Vista) I could only use a little over 3 GB memory. I do need to use virtualization to run apps that will not run on Vista, So I am running a virtual XP machine using VMWARE. So far, this seems to be a good solution for me.
Vista is a slap in the face to consumers. The reason it’s so resource intensive is the ungodly vista DRM system which comprises the #1 bigest deference from XP. These servieces must authorize your video and audio subsystems 30 times per second , monitor titlt bits the vendors must build into thier hardware to be licensed as vista complatable. Tilt bit’s can be anything from a minor voltage fluxuation to god knows what and looking at the pinball anology it’s designed to dump the relted subsystem , yes they would prefer to crash rather than risk any possible , change that you are say watching video on an unsupported device at full resolution with out full DRM compliance. Also to be compliant the vendors software must be closed source. I recently found that I could not longer play , DVD’s or watch netflix instant watch movies as MS revoked DRM right’s insisting I upgrade my graphics card driver and then I must according to netflix and MS “reset my DRM” a process which means I may never play any content I purchased from amazon unboxed and many of my other media will be lost for ever. MS knowledge base politly suggests that while I may not be able to watch my previously purchased content ever again I will be free to enjoy future protected content and ends in “this behavoir is by design” another word buy your content again and again and do so at our whim. If you think it’s even about protecting copyrights your wrong as those who steal movies on P2P are unaffected and those who rip HD dvd video (the encryption was cracked in less than a week when a programer found he could not play his new store bought DVD on Vista incidentaily) Microsoft like many comapanies has run out of things to add to their software to justify a new purchase and wishes to move to a subscription based sales model for future versions of windows (they filed a rather unerving patent on this) Core windows os cheap or free but want dircet x and hardware video acceleration ? Purchase the 3D gaming module only $7 a month. Want to use all of your hard drive it will cost you ? Welcome to the world where your own hardware is held for ransom until you pay to enable it’s features, and where you rent your software and your computers hardware and software environment is constantly analysed for licence compliance. We are seeing the beginings of this technology today and while it seems harmless the day is fast aproaching where the sofware creators dictate how you may use your PC and will revoke your right to use your hardware at will. Also anything they can claim as being a content protection system is illegal to turn off , analyze or attempt to circumvent under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copy right Act) I’m dumping MS for Ubuntu as Microsofts tactics will soon escalate to the unreasonable. Your already paying in rscources for hog of an os designed to police you at your expense. it’s less stable and more restrictive ( more secure who told you that one, just wait until a virus author decides to shake those hair trigger tilt bits and you have a DOS attact where security proffesionals and AV software legally can’t stop your computer from blacking out, better reinstall your OS after you get permision to have your license activated again that is) Wait Vista has UAC yay. The equivilent of doing an XP “runas command” while running as a non admin or like when using the unix root account for a non privleged account (that ones been around for like what over 10 years ?.) This is new ? Direct x 10 is vista only huh oh better upgrade for that since there is nothing of value in vista that could not have been added or dose not already exsist in XP. They are beting on the fact that they own the market and users are dumb. A little PR spin, a shiney new set of OSX like icons and half assed clones of OSX features, and a faux security model for stupid users that can’t under stand what to do and not do on their own to be secure, and they can blatently rape their customers and most of them never even realize it. Just how far is too far ? As far as we the consumer will allow them to go and the longer we abide blindly the harder , and more painfull it will be to say no that’s the line , you crossed it I will not buy your product even if it mean’s I can not play X game or watch x movie or use x application so long as it’s on windows and windows is an insulting consumer nightmare I will demand alternitives and be willing to pay for them on another OS.