Windows XP support?

I just noticed a disturbing thing for many people. Microsoft is ending support for XP SP1 & 2, limited support for SP3. See here http://www.computeractive.co.uk/computeractive/news/2265264/microsoft-alerts-xp-vista-users

It doesn't really affect me as I use Linux OS except for an old laptop with XP that I don't use online (only used to control Windows specific hardware).

 

Recently XP has really slowed down on my computer. My OH is convinced that Microsoft is sending downloads to scupper it so that people will trade up to Windows 7 - which will, of course, turn out to be every bit as reliable as Vista ...

 

Thanks for pointing that out Larkshall. It had to happen. To be honest I couldn't care less about Microsoft's support, the biggest problem is that third parties are given the green light to ignore XP.

I am still running Windows 95 on an old machine. And it works perfectly, except that third parties keep trying to download newer versions of their software (without asking - in some cases) which screw up Windows 95. So I have to keep fending off all the new freebies that do so much damage.

 

CL, I wouldn't accuse them of that. The slowing down is often to do with anti-virus applications and having more than one can cause real problems. But which ONE is the best?

PS, I agree, that is why I don't use XP online now.

 

Hi Larkshill

Given Microsoft's alleged dirty dealings with competitor companies and their complete failure to deliver software that isn't riddled with bugs and security flaws, why would scuppering XP be so unthinkable? Microsoft makes its money out of selling new operating systems. No one in my OH's (IT) company is at all impressed with the way Microsoft does business. As a Linux user, you might be interested to know that Microsoft is currently claiming that some parts of Linux operating system have been patented by Microsoft and Linux users should therefore pay Microsoft a fee for the privilege of using it. At the moment the patent only applies in the States but - guess what? Good ol' Bill Gates is attempting to get European law changed so he can coin it in from us too.

 

They haven't got a Cat in Hell's chance of collecting from Linux Users. The terms of the GNU Public Licence allows free distribution, anyone can install it on as many computers as they like, it doesn't have to be registered. I don't think Mark Shuttleworth will allow them to get away with it. Once it's out in the wild there's no stopping it, like the IBM type PC, everybody is building them now (except Apple/Mac). MS thought they could use Adobe's .pdf system until it was pointed out by Adobe that it was still their copyright even though Open Office was given permission to use it without charge and MS must pay if they wanted to use it. It later became an ISO standard. I don't think MS are seriously considering investing in chasing up Linux Users, it wouldn't be viable.

 

I think MS is more interested in chasing up suppliers who are making products with Linux embedded in them, rather than Mrs Bloggs down the road with her home computer. As such, it is worth MS's while because it is looking for future sources of income as its own products start to die away. From MS's point of view, securing a slice of Linux would be perfect; a passive source of income which involves no creative effort whatsoever.