Farewell, Windows XP; we hardly knew ye
Gamers, get used to Microsoft Vista, whether you like it or not. Today, Microsoft just kicked its predecessor, Windows XP, out the door.
That means no new computers will be sold at major retailers with XP preinstalled. To get it, you’ll have to buy Vista first, then downgrade to XP.
Microsoft is tired of nursing the aging system and wants everyone to start using Vista, no matter how clunky and inconvenient it is, and what better way to make that happen than to render XP obsolete. (However, full technical support continues through next year, and limited support through 2014.)
Windows XP was heralded as the next best thing in computing when it debuted in late 2001. The start was inauspicious at best, with glitches hampering preview ceremonies staged around the country, including St. Louis. (Among other things, the demonstration of video conferencing at the show in America’s Center failed on three attempts.) In later years, XP received an “F” for security by being so porous to hacker attacks that “malware” and “computer virus” became household words.
But Vista weighs in at almost twice XP’s size, which made it too big for most computers to run effectively when it was released in January 2007. Vista also has had numerous compatibility issues with assorted peripheral devices, cumbersome licensing terms and slower operation overall than XP.
Even Intel Corp., which knows a thing or two about computers, has decided to stick with XP until something less cranky than Vista comes along.
Gamers won’t have that choice. Starting today, you’ll have to trade the devil you know for something much more scary.
Typical Microsoft. Force everyone to troubleshoot their new cumbersome bug-filled junkware while the “old” XP has finally been cleaned up and running [for Microsoft] reasonably bug free after 7 years. Microsoft needs to be trimmed down to size just like Standard Oil was years ago when the government realized that they were the only game in town and stripped them of their monopoly. The EU has been trying it’s best to get the 800 lb. MS gorilla and all of their anti-competive obstruction tendencies under control. But that ain’t gonna happen in the U.S. anymore since the mega-Corporations now have the politicians paid off and in their pockets thru the legalized bribery system known as lobbying.
That’s all you have to do is take a look at SBC re-acquiring all of Telecom back as AT&T and the TV/Radio media doing the same thing.
Stupid article… I’ve had Vista for nearly a year now and rarely have any problems with it. On the rare occasion I use my old XP desktop, I find it very noticeable how convenient and easy to use Vista is compared to XP.
MAC
I have always liked Microsoft. It took me a while to warm up to XP, but I did. No matter what I had tried with Vista, it is just slow. That is my main complaint. If I had not spent so much time and energy learning how to use Visual Basic, I would be using Unbuntu. That OS has it’s act together.
Having been through the NT to 200, 200 to XP and now XP to Vista moves, I must say, its getting old. There are no complaints about Vista that were not voiced about XP, except maybe driver support out of the box. Anyone STILL complaining about that 18 months after RTM clearly hasn’t actually tried to install a reasonably new piece of hardware on a Vista machine.
Furthermore, when will people stop and read what they write. Vista is incompatible with old hardware and software because of the very changes made to address all the security issues the public derided MS about during XPs reign. So quickly we all forget.
And the Intel “example” being thrown around in the media is a joke. I know shops that are still running 2000. Switching operating systems in a large organization has nothing to do with “Vista being bad” and everything to do with the amount of work it will take to migrate all hardware, policies, directory services management tools, applications, etc.
Lest someone throw in the Mac comment, give it a rest. Oh wait, I’m too late. A fine OS, to be sure, and a fine piece of hardware. But its not the holy grail of computing. Stop acting like it is.
When Apple and Linux make inroads into corporate IT shops, and developers start writing more applications for Linux and Mac, MS may be in trouble. Until then, big shops will continue to use MS products, and most consumers will continue to use MS products at home, because face it, we’re not all computer geeks.