Last Call for XP

[BarTopDancer]

Microsoft to stop selling XP on Monday.

Story here (http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/M/MICROSOFT_XP?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-06-29-23-47-30)

With some exceptions.

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.

[innerSpaceman]

Geez, I hope my computer lasts a lot longer than they're supposed to.

[Kevy Baby]

I wonder how long you will be able to get a copy at Fry's?

[lashbear]

Do you really want Fry's with that ?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I kept hearing that they were going to delay this at least until v7, due to the fact that XP runs wonderfully well on the small laptops that are becoming more popular (while Vista most decidedly does not). Guess the tech pundits were wrong.

[Moonliner]

How long before they turn off the validation servers and you can no longer re-install XP?

[Kevy Baby]

How long til Microsoft disappears?







A man can dream!

[BarTopDancer]

I kept hearing that they were going to delay this at least until v7, due to the fact that XP runs wonderfully well on the small laptops that are becoming more popular (while Vista most decidedly does not). Guess the tech pundits were wrong.

Stupid memory hog OS.

How long before they turn off the validation servers and you can no longer re-install XP?

Probably when they stop offering tech support for it...

[Kevy Baby]

Anyone know what the oldest version of Windows is that MS currently does offer tech support for?

I could go look, but then I am lazy right now.

[Moonliner]

Anyone know what the oldest version of Windows is that MS currently does offer tech support for?

I could go look, but then I am lazy right now.

I'm fairly sure it's XP.

[Kevy Baby]

It appears there is still some Windows 2000 stuff on there (http://support.microsoft.com/ph/1131). Although in this particular case, the only support should be:

Get XP

[BarTopDancer]

After thinking about it, I don't foresee them turning off the validation servers for at least XP Pro any time soon - to many corporations are on XP and they will not be upgrading because they have to rebuild a machine, nor will they upgrade on Microsoft's whim.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Stupid memory hog OS.


Less to do with memory than CPU and bus architecture. We have a desktop with Vista and a laptop. Each with the same memory. There's a marked difference in performance. Vista seems to have issues with mobile-optimized architecture.

[BarTopDancer]

Less to do with memory than CPU and bus architecture. We have a desktop with Vista and a laptop. Each with the same memory. There's a marked difference in performance. Vista seems to have issues with mobile-optimized architecture.

Interesting. My old roommate has Vista on a desktop with no issues either. But he also has a ton of memory in there.

Though it still seems the only people I know who don't have issues with Vista are people who are tech savy.

[LashStoat]

Bear and I, after a month or so of giving Vista a go on his new laptop, voted with our feet.

At the expense of blowing away some of the (small) proprietary apps, we installed XP...the Acer Aspire 5720 laptop now tows the line, we can get stable drivers, and most importantly, we don't have to deal with the inherent paranoia that is Vista.

One day, it is my express wish that some company will develop an Operating Sytem that doesn't think it should be "center stage" at all times, and keeps out of our face so that we can actually be productive.

But it probably won't be a Microsoft product, or in my lifetime.

Love and hugs,

The Stoat XXX.

[Chernabog]

I just hate the fact that games I have installed on my compy (or old favorites) WILL NOT RUN AT ALL on Vista. Gamespot did a feature on that a while back, most games totally bit it in Vista. Sucks. I'll be on XP till my current compy explodes, or until a stable 64-bit OS becomes the norm.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I guess I'm just pretty adaptable. And yeah, as for being tech savy, it does help that I know how to disable most of the gee-whiz features/over-protective-security-comfirmations in Vista. But to be honest, I feel that way any time I borrow someone's laptop with OSX.

I know Vista's got some big holes, and I'm on the edge of dumping it from the laptop. But I'm actually finding myself very attached to some of the finer points (ginormous thumbnail previews,the start search box.

And at least it's stable (not that XP wasn't).

Hell, everyone should just take a moment and be thankful it's not ME.

[LashStoat]

I just hate the fact that games I have installed on my compy (or old favorites) WILL NOT RUN AT ALL on Vista. Gamespot did a feature on that a while back, most games totally bit it in Vista. Sucks. I'll be on XP till my current compy explodes, or until a stable 64-bit OS becomes the norm.

Dear Cherny,

This may or may not help you: I have installed an MS product called Virtual PC that allows you to install any operating system inside a "sandbox". I have successfully run MS-DOS programs from the '80's with it no problemo. You can even share folders with the sandbox and your actual OS for file access.

Love and hugs,

The Stoat XXX.

[BarTopDancer]

Besides my roommates computer (that I didn't do much other than use the internet with) my only experience with it was trying to get BEs machine to run faster. It's a pretty OS, but I still prefer XP. Maybe if I had a chance to customize and remove the babysitting features I'd feel different.

My next machine will be a Mac.

[JWBear]

...One day, it is my express wish that some company will develop an Operating Sytem that doesn't think it should be "center stage" at all times, and keeps out of our face so that we can actually be productive...

They did... It was called O/S2 Warp. :D


(And talk about a cult.... Mac-Heads are nothing compared to O/S2 fanatics!)

[Kevy Baby]

And yeah, as for being tech savy, it does help that I know how to disable most of the gee-whiz features/over-protective-security-comfirmations in Vista.Yeah, that makes a big difference. I can't remember what the one thing that our rent-an-IT-guy told me to disable, but it made a WORLD of difference.

(And talk about a cult.... Mac-Heads are nothing compared to O/S2 fanatics!)I'll give you that!



At the risk of getting bashed, I have to say that I have been extremely pleased with the Mac operating system over the years. And the current version IS a very stable 64-bit OS.

[Kevy Baby]

I stumbled on this photo:

http://cdn.davesdaily.com/pictures/412-windows-vista.jpg

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh, I'm a Mac guy in the diaspora. I still feel deeply connected to Macs, and I'm a little bummed that we made the decision to invest back into the Windows world at a point where we could have pretty easily made the switch. But I realized the responsible thing to do was to invest in an actual backup solution and the simple fact was that I could get a technically comparable but less aesthetically desirable laptop AND a more than adequate backup option for the same money I would have spent on a single Mac system and adding reliable backup to that would have broken the budget. It was a tough decision, but in the end, as much as I love Mac, I love my data more.

Maybe I'll just try Linux of some stripe on the laptop.

[mousepod]

Sorry for this, but after almost two dozen posts, it's pretty much obligatory:

What's Windows?

[The Original OC Adventure]

How long before they turn off the validation servers and you can no longer re-install XP?

There are ways around that.

[Moonliner]

There are ways around that.

In corporate environment where we strictly follow licencing requirements?

[The Original OC Adventure]

In corporate environment where we strictly follow licencing requirements?

Okay, switch back to Windows 2000. No activation required. Just be sure to get the latest service packs.

[Kevy Baby]

But then you would be stuck with W2K. I think at that point I would rather have Vista.