So I hear that Microsoft will sunset XP as of June 30, forcing customers to upgrade the turd parade known as Vista or, possibly, switching to something else.

Let be clear: as much as I've extolled the virtues of Linux on this site, I find that Windows XP is a pretty decent operating system, especially since SP2 came out. And lots of people liked it. So much so, in fact, that people chose to "downgrade" from Vista. Of course, Vista sucking so much had a lot to do with it as well. Microsoft, after years of coding, finally created something that people hated more than Windows ME. And now Microsoft, in its finite wisdom, has decided to flip the bird to its customers. What to do, what to do? Well, the author of this article has some ideas and opinions on the matter. Excerpt:

On June 30, Microsoft will do something quite ordinary -- the company will stop selling a 7-year-old old product.

Microsoft has killed off many versions of Windows in the past. But there's a difference with the retirement of Windows XP: Most users hate its replacement, Windows Vista.

Microsoft has always suffered from a cultural flaw baked into its DNA: The company just doesn't do "simplicity." Microsoft thinks simplicity results from the masking of radical complexity with a user interface that hides, buries or disables options. Windows Vista stands as a monument to this flawed vision.

When the company shipped Vista -- which users hate precisely because of its over-complexity -- Microsoft compounded its error by segmenting out a dozen (or whatever it is) versions of Vista, creating confusion and paralysis.

Now, Microsoft is doing it again with uncertainty and complexity about when and where and which XP will be supported, not supported or semi-supported.
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In my own case, both my desktop and laptop run Windows XP, and I have an Asus Eee PC that runs Linux. If I choose to buy another system, and XP is unavailable to me at the time of purchase, I'll be forced to choose from one of four alternatives: 1) Linux; 2) Mac OS X; 3) Vista; and 4) an illegal copy of XP. For me, options 3 and 4 aren't even up for consideration. I'll choose either Linux or a Mac. Just for my own peace of mind, I might be tempted to convert my remaining systems to my new choice, and abandoned Windows altogether.

But if XP is available, on the other hand, I'll buy it. Microsoft will get the money. I'll continue to invest in Windows applications, and if Microsoft gets Windows 7 right, I'll upgrade to that.

Isn't maintaining XP better for Microsoft than pushing people away from Windows altogether?

The answer to that last question is apparently "no".

Posted by: Physics Geek at 08:11 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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