Colin Barnhorst added these comments in the current discussion
du jour ...
I wasn't aware that MS considers XP obsolete. That would be
reading more into MS's statements than they themselves have
said. XP is still in active support, after all. New features
are still possible. SP3 is a major project.
I don't know that they have. But, I don't think they still sell
it and it does have an announced date sometime in 2009 when
support ceases except for critical updates to fix security holes.
If someone knows different, I would appreciate hearing about it.
If anyone is considering XP obsolete it is the computer
manufacturer's who are only shipping Vista preinstalled and
not writing XP drivers for their new systems for those who
still prefer XP. I'm not criticizing them for making such a
business decision, but it is a statement on their part that XP
is obsolete. They are saying to their customers that "it is
time to move on." Hopefully their customers who want XP will
move on...to another brand.
I'd like my nephew and tech support guru to build my wife a new
PC with XP on it but he says that he can't buy a retain version
of XP SP2 anymore from MS or any of his normal wholesale or
retail sources for HW and SW. I suppose that it can be found on
eBay and the like and I'm sure that some stores still have it,
but AFAIK, it has been dropped like a hot potato. Still, your
point is well taken, Colin: MS "encourages" both SW developers
and PC OEMs to install the latest and generally still forces them
to at least pay the royalty in order to say they are MS
certified. It's too bad that they won't offer XP anymore but
then, car companies cease production of last years cars, ditto
home appliances, and even clothes go out of style once a year.
The way the world works is to make it at least appear that the
previous version of whatever is like last week's lettuce so that
the customer will feel some sort of OCD-like compulsion to buy
the latest and greatest at any cost in money, time, and
frustration.