On a mission to save Windows XP

Following Microsoft’s announcement that it will stop selling and supporting most versions of Windows XP from 30 June 2008, online forums and blogs have attracted impassioned consumer comments opposed to the decision by the software giant. On the IT website InfoWorld, Galen Gruman launched the ‘Save Windows XP’ online campaign that has received 111,543 responses to date.

“Millions of us have grown comfortable with XP and don’t see a need to change to Vista. It’s like having a comfortable apartment that you've enjoyed coming home to for years, only to get an eviction notice,” states the petition.

As the disappearance of Windows XP computers from retailers and the phasing out of technical support looms, an increasing number of blog posts on the website are adopting a panicked tone.

One blogger stated: “I've been considering a move. If Microsoft ends XP; Apple I'm there in a hurry.”

In an apparent attempt to placate fans of XP, Microsoft recently extended the availability of Windows XP Home for ultra-low-cost PCs until 2010, and system builders will be able to sell Windows XP until January 2009. Ullrich Loeffler, program manager A/NZ for analyst firm IDC said Microsoft has made the right move by weaning users off the popular operating system gradually.

“It makes sense for Microsoft to keep customers happy in the meantime, while working on a successor version of Windows,” he said.

In a recent article, Loeffler predicted the new Windows 7 operating system to be released in a few years will most likely be based on the Vista code. Consequently, Microsoft is faced with the challenge of elevating consumer opinion of Vista, he stated.

“A lot of companies that I’ve dealt with are of the opinion ‘if it aint broke don’t fix it’. XP is a stable environment and has a huge footprint in the market so for a lot of companies to move away from this stable system there has to be major benefits,” he explained. “From what I can see a lot of companies don’t see that in Vista, they don’t see an incentive in moving across.”