Users Fight to Save Windows XP ... Me? No thanks ...

[riffin-rich]

Not sure if you all have heard or not ... but M$ has decided to retire
Windows XP ... to force its entire user base to switch to Vista:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080414/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_save_xp

"Users Fight to Save Windows XP" ... And me? No thanks ... I will
make no time for petitions, blogs, or otherwise beyond this initial e-
mail because saving Windows XP is simply not worth my time or
effort ... I will simply walk away and be done with Microsoft forever!

Sure I like Windows XP Pro because it's stable ... it works well ...
and it's an industry standard around the world ... but it, like all
other M$ products, it lacks ingenuity ... and unless you've
familiarized yourself with a Mac, you have no idea of what I'm talking
about. But don't worry ... I am a Mac convert ... I'm not a fanatical
Mac propaganda machine. Enough about Mac superiority (yes ... the
commercials are not only funny, but they're realistic).

For those of you still reading, I bought my first Intel-based Mac a
year ago and I love it! I run Windows XP as a virtual machine inside
of Mac OS X (Leopard). And just 4 hours ago, I purchased another GB
of memory for each of my two PC's; my plan was to run Linux as the
host OS on them, and VMWare to run virtual machines of Windows XP
within them. This announcement may render my plan a "temporary"
exercise in futility.

HEY MICROSOFT! I WILL NOT SWITCH (OR DOWNGRADE) TO VISTA ... and if
you quit supporting XP, then I'll remove my virtual XP machines and
make the conversion to the Mac platform across the board, except for
my Linux intrusion detection systems, servers, etc.. Yeah, I am alone
as I type this e-mail, but I can assure you that "I" will become
"we" ... and "we" will become "most" ... and hopefully "most" will
become "all" ... so go ahead and quit supporting XP ... you'll finally
motivate me/us to say goodbye forever!

P.S. I have a friend that's been running his same Mac for 8 years
now! And he just put the newest operating system (Leopard) on it.
Here's a challenge for you: try installing any MS operating system on
your 8 year old hardware.

Later ...
Rich

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

MS has not decided to retire XP. They have only scheduled when XP will be
withdrawn from retail sales and preinstallation on new computers. XP
continues in mainstream support until April 2009 and extended support until
April 2014. "Retirement" in the MS docs and announcements means the end of
support for a product.

 

[HeyBub]

Not sure if you all have heard or not ... but M$ has decided to retire
Windows XP ... to force its entire user base to switch to Vista:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080414/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_save_xp

"Users Fight to Save Windows XP" ... And me? No thanks ... I will
make no time for petitions, blogs, or otherwise beyond this initial e-
mail because saving Windows XP is simply not worth my time or
effort ... I will simply walk away and be done with Microsoft forever!

I am so happy for you. Would that other malcontents, nit-pickers, pokenoses,
cut-purses, nay-sayers, atheletes of the tongue and pedagogues would feel
the same.

I think you made the right decision; both groups will be happy with your
choice.

 

[riffin-rich]

Colin, your reply was informative; I apparently lacked some facts, so
I kindly thank you for your clarification. It is still disappointing
that Microsoft, whose Vista sales are sagging below expectations for
obvious reasons, has decided to withdraw the XP OS to help generate
its Vista revenues.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Regardless, the decision is based on long-standing policy and input from the
user base, not sales.

By policy, a Windows operating system is withdrawn from sale a year after it
has been superceded, mainstream support ends two years after supercession,
and extended support five years after that. This is all scheduled by policy
and not based on sales.

MS does extend the dates on occasion, as they did with Win98 (extended
support was extended two years) and the retail sales of XP (the original
date was Jan 30 of this year) in response to the user base (which usually
means enterprise users, not consumers).

Another case of that is the extension for two more years of the
availablility of XP Home OEM copies for manufacturers of the so-called ultra
low cost computers.

MS states that they have passed the 100 million mark in Vista sales. The
picture is better than the Vista nay-sayers would like you to believe.

 

[riffin-rich]

HeyBub, I hastily vented to the board after having received yet
another "JOIN THE FIGHT TO SAVE XP NOW" e-mail and I regret that now.
That said, there's a great deal of truth in my post (ref. the Mac). I
used to laugh at the pro-mac vs. pro-PC disputes and while my post
wasn't meant to start another one of those volleys, I realize it has
the potential to start one, so hopefully we'll kill it right now. A
flaming war was one that I never intended.

But ... regarding your esoteric ostentatiousness, I'm sure we can find
you a ready and waiting anal cavity to host the quick but loose
dweller of your oral cavity. Next up, we'll just need to figure out
what to do with those speedy fingers of yours. Oh! Silly me! It
appears that you already know what to do with them! And look at you!
There's enough room for ALL of them!

 

[Bill in Co.]

Regardless, the decision is based on long-standing policy and input from
the
user base, not sales.

By policy, a Windows operating system is withdrawn from sale a year after
it
has been superceded, mainstream support ends two years after supercession,
and extended support five years after that. This is all scheduled by
policy
and not based on sales.

MS does extend the dates on occasion, as they did with Win98 (extended
support was extended two years) and the retail sales of XP (the original
date was Jan 30 of this year) in response to the user base (which usually
means enterprise users, not consumers).

Another case of that is the extension for two more years of the
availablility of XP Home OEM copies for manufacturers of the so-called
ultra
low cost computers.

MS states that they have passed the 100 million mark in Vista sales. The
picture is better than the Vista nay-sayers would like you to believe.

But how many really had a choice? (you know what I mean, in the broader
context)

 

[Telstar]

Not sure if you all have heard or not ... but M$ has decided to retire
Windows XP ... to force its entire user base to switch to Vista:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080414/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_save_xp

"Users Fight to Save Windows XP" ... And me? No thanks ... I will
make no time for petitions, blogs, or otherwise beyond this initial e-
mail because saving Windows XP is simply not worth my time or
effort ... I will simply walk away and be done with Microsoft forever!

Sure I like Windows XP Pro because it's stable ... it works well ...
and it's an industry standard around the world ... but it, like all
other M$ products, it lacks ingenuity ... and unless you've
familiarized yourself with a Mac, you have no idea of what I'm talking
about. But don't worry ... I am a Mac convert ... I'm not a fanatical
Mac propaganda machine. Enough about Mac superiority (yes ... the
commercials are not only funny, but they're realistic).

I have a MacBook .. new .. and there is absolutely postively nothing
superior about it. I crashed it totally in Leopard within a few minutes.

 

[riffin-rich]

But how many really had a choice? (you know what I mean, in the broader
context)

I agree with you, Bill: "But how many had a choice?"
Every new PC ships with Vista.

 

[Bob I]

I agree with you, Bill: "But how many had a choice?"
Every new PC ships with Vista.

No they don't, for example simply go log on to Dell and pick your
operating system. Xp or vista.

 

[Bill in Co.]

I agree with you, Bill: "But how many had a choice?"
Every new PC ships with Vista.

Yup, that's pretty much my point. It is amazing how it eludes some, who
chalk up Vista's "success" (cough) to "everybody supposedly wanting it out
(of some great desire, or whatever)".

 

[Bill in Co.]

Can't do that with all of their lines, or even with every computer in
a given line.

Only with a select few (and that's only for Dell). So our point was
pretty much right on.

 

[Bob I]

Only with a select few (and that's only for Dell). So our point was
pretty much right on.

The statement was "Every new PC ships with Vista." , 'nuf' said.

 

[Bill in Co.]

The statement was "Every new PC ships with Vista." , 'nuf' said.

Fine. Correct it to say, nearly every new PC, with precious few
exceptions.

 

[Bill in Co.]

In the future, please endeavor to be correct the first time so we
don't have to read numerous retractions, OK?

Remember: some folks here are on dialup access and time is probably a
consideration... especially if no local number is available to them.

And I wasn't the one complaining about Anna's posts being too long to read.
That was you - and I'm on dial-up, so what's your excuse?
As I said, old school values.... I'll still leave the light on for ya.
Maybe. (Although you may be as hopeless as that db~~><... guy).

 

[Bill in Co.]

In the future, please endeavor to be correct the first time so we
don't have to read numerous retractions, OK?

No. I'm going to teach you some old school endurance.

 

[riffin-rich]

Not sure if you all have heard or not ... but M$ has decided to retire
Windows XP ... to force its entire user base to switch to Vista:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080414/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_save_xp

"Users Fight to Save Windows XP" ... And me? No thanks ... I will
make no time for petitions, blogs, or otherwise beyond this initial e-
mail because saving Windows XP is simply not worth my time or
effort ... I will simply walk away and be done with Microsoft forever!

Sure I like Windows XP Pro because it's stable ... it works well ...
and it's an industry standard around the world ... but it, like all
other M$ products, it lacks ingenuity ... and unless you've
familiarized yourself with a Mac, you have no idea of what I'm talking
about. But don't worry ... I am a Mac convert ... I'm not a fanatical
Mac propaganda machine. Enough about Mac superiority (yes ... the
commercials are not only funny, but they're realistic).

For those of you still reading, I bought my first Intel-based Mac a
year ago and I love it! I run Windows XP as a virtual machine inside
of Mac OS X (Leopard). And just 4 hours ago, I purchased another GB
of memory for each of my two PC's; my plan was to run Linux as the
host OS on them, and VMWare to run virtual machines of Windows XP
within them. This announcement may render my plan a "temporary"
exercise in futility.

HEY MICROSOFT! I WILL NOT SWITCH (OR DOWNGRADE) TO VISTA ... and if
you quit supporting XP, then I'll remove my virtual XP machines and
make the conversion to the Mac platform across the board, except for
my Linux intrusion detection systems, servers, etc.. Yeah, I am alone
as I type this e-mail, but I can assure you that "I" will become
"we" ... and "we" will become "most" ... and hopefully "most" will
become "all" ... so go ahead and quit supporting XP ... you'll finally
motivate me/us to say goodbye forever!

P.S. I have a friend that's been running his same Mac for 8 years
now! And he just put the newest operating system (Leopard) on it.
Here's a challenge for you: try installing any MS operating system on
your 8 year old hardware.

Later ...
Rich

Very interesting. This article simply couldn't be timed "more
better."

"Vista 'broom' sweeps top execs out the door ... No 'brain drain,' but
analysts connect Vista problems with Microsoft departures"
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9077980

It links to:
"Windows is 'collapsing,' Gartner analysts warn. The researchers damn
Windows in current form, urge radical changes"
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9076698

 

[Colon Terminus]

Not sure if you all have heard or not ... but M$ has decided to retire
Windows XP ... to force its entire user base to switch to Vista:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080414/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_save_xp

"Users Fight to Save Windows XP" ... And me? No thanks ... I will
make no time for petitions, blogs, or otherwise beyond this initial e-
mail because saving Windows XP is simply not worth my time or
effort ... I will simply walk away and be done with Microsoft forever!

Sure I like Windows XP Pro because it's stable ... it works well ...
and it's an industry standard around the world ... but it, like all
other M$ products, it lacks ingenuity ... and unless you've
familiarized yourself with a Mac, you have no idea of what I'm talking
about. But don't worry ... I am a Mac convert ... I'm not a fanatical
Mac propaganda machine. Enough about Mac superiority (yes ... the
commercials are not only funny, but they're realistic).

For those of you still reading, I bought my first Intel-based Mac a
year ago and I love it! I run Windows XP as a virtual machine inside
of Mac OS X (Leopard). And just 4 hours ago, I purchased another GB
of memory for each of my two PC's; my plan was to run Linux as the
host OS on them, and VMWare to run virtual machines of Windows XP
within them. This announcement may render my plan a "temporary"
exercise in futility.

HEY MICROSOFT! I WILL NOT SWITCH (OR DOWNGRADE) TO VISTA ... and if
you quit supporting XP, then I'll remove my virtual XP machines and
make the conversion to the Mac platform across the board, except for
my Linux intrusion detection systems, servers, etc.. Yeah, I am alone
as I type this e-mail, but I can assure you that "I" will become
"we" ... and "we" will become "most" ... and hopefully "most" will
become "all" ... so go ahead and quit supporting XP ... you'll finally
motivate me/us to say goodbye forever!

P.S. I have a friend that's been running his same Mac for 8 years
now! And he just put the newest operating system (Leopard) on it.
Here's a challenge for you: try installing any MS operating system on
your 8 year old hardware.

Later ...
Rich

Uhm ... I run XP/SP2 on a machine I built in 2000 and it runs superbly,
thank you.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a mac basher. Ain't nuthin' wrong with a Mac,
but there ain't nuthin' wrong with my Abit VP-6 based XP machine either. I
challenge your friend and his eight year old Mac to a Photoshop duel with my
eight year old Intel box. I'll win hands down.

 

[riffin-rich]

Uhm ... I run XP/SP2 on a machine I built in 2000 and it runs superbly,
thank you.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a mac basher. Ain't nuthin' wrong with a Mac,
but there ain't nuthin' wrong with my Abit VP-6 based XP machine either. I
challenge your friend and his eight year old Mac to a Photoshop duel with my
eight year old Intel box. I'll win hands down.

No problem Colon ... I'm not bashing either. My point was that his 8
year old mac is running Apple's _newest_ version of Apple's OS: Mac
OS X, ver 10.5, "Leopard." A more fair comparison/analogy would be
for you to put Vista Ultimate onto your existing machine without
having upgraded it from the norm of 8 years ago. Can it be done? I'm
not so sure ... 8 years ago, 512MB was double the RAM of a standard
installation. So Vista on your machine configured that way? Probably
not ... but perhaps possible with a memory overhaul and video card
upgrade... But I would surmise it won't run Vista very well. Anyway,
regarding his mac, it opens and runs the majority of our standard apps
just like my year-old MacBook Pro ... you just darned near can't tell
the difference. I presume it would not shine so brightly on a
processor-intensive task, but for booting and running 90% of our
standard apps. Something else that blew me away: his motherboard
quit about 5 months ago. He brought it in to the local Mac shop ...
they told him that they'd take a look at it ... would be ready in 3
days. He asked how much a new mobo would cost and they said around
$400. He decided to go for it. A day later, they called and told him
to pick-up his system. They replaced the mobo, free of charge! There
was a problem with the particular board that was causing premature
failure. Amazing! I am still stunned! Have a great day, -Rich

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

How is his eight-year old Mac running Leopard? Leopard isn't even supported
on a G3.