We here at Big Shiny Robot would like to give a warm send off to the little operating system that could, Windows XP. As of today (April 8, 2014) Microsoft has ended support for the operating system that kept on chugging. It was the OS that could because it was beloved, even after some fairly large gripes about the changes to the start menu. XP was a fairly stable after some initial service packs and it quickly became the OS of choice for most of the world. It was also the OS that could because of the miserable adoption rate of Windows Vista and the lukewarm embrace of the Windows 8 operating system by businesses.
Windows XP had an incredibly long life cycle as a supported OS by Microsoft mostly due to businesses unwillingness to let it go. Many legacy applications that worked just fine were slow to upgrade or become certified on the Windows 7 platform. Windows 7 is by and large the de facto operating system for companies but that may change with Windows 8.1 and future updates to Windows 8 planned by Microsoft. Although the start menu became larger and included an unwieldy pin list, consumers eventually came around to the XP GUI changes. Microsoft hoped the same would happen with Windows 8 mostly because their research showed that users rarely used the start button in XP any longer. Even with the enhanced search ability of Windows 7, most users still pinned applications to their task bar or accessed applications from shortcuts on their desktop. Microsoft had hoped that creating application launching tiles with live updated data from the applications themselves would win over consumers, but adoption has been slower than they had wanted.
For the users still on XP, the future has moved at an increasingly rapid rate
Still, Microsoft extended the support for XP to an incredible twelve and a half years hoping people would make the switch to Windows 8.1. Now Microsoft is allowing businesses to purchase OEM copies of Windows 7 and for manufacturers to sell new PC’s with Windows 7 pre-installed. That meant the old OS that kept on chugging up that hill was meant for retirement on the other side. That means no security updates from Microsoft, and that is a harrowing thought for anyone who supports XP or still owns a machine with XP installed on it. Many companies are refusing to update to a newer OS, even with their operations teams pleading the case for upgrades. According to CRN in the UK, the UK government has paid Microsoft nearly £5.5M to extend their support for Windows XP another year.
Others are left in the dust of the digital age and really, can we feel sorry for them? The average expentency of an OS lifetime is 3 years. Apple has updated their OSX operating sytem with large changes on an average of 18 month cycle. Competitive Linux distributions like Ubuntu and Mint OS have made their update cycle even less. With those influences, Microsoft has said they’re committed to making even more frequent updates to Windows. That could mean big things for the future as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has just announced at the Microsoft Build conference that Windows will be free for devices with screens under nine inches. As Microsoft has tried to take a page from Android in having a unified OS on all devices they’ve also committed themselves to a mobile community used to yearly updates to core operating system services and functionality. For the users still on XP, the future has moved at an increasingly rapid rate to the point that their stubbornness or comfort with their system is simply too old to be safe or efficient in the modern “Internet of Things”.
Goodbye old friend, most of us will not miss you but we thank you for all the great times.
All of that doesn’t matter to those that are happy with their computer and Windows XP. They’re left to wonder if they’ll be able to stay secure or if they’ll be forced to update. In the end, if they do decide to change but only ant to upgrade their operating system. What then are the options for anyone unwilling to toast to Windows XP’s retirement? Users could opt for a distribution of Linux that can run on older hardware. While newer versions of the more popular distributions of Linux have actually struggled to keep pace with the speed of Windows 8.1, many distributions such as Puppy Linux or Ubuntu Lite run great on old hardware. Those Linux distributions are continuously updated with security and feature improvements and they’ll run faster on older hardware than Windows XP could ever hope to have run. Others will think it’s time to jump into a new OS so they may as well try Apple.
The truth to that argument though, is that users who have refused to update are going to have to settle for slower or smaller machines such as a 21.5 inch all in one iMac or the underpowered Macbook Air starting at a thousand dollars. To those users who are on a budget, they’ll find the new Apple OS familiar with features similar to Windows XP but with the benefit of the very useful Dock, Launch Pad, Spotlight and Mission Control. The OS though, is feeling a bit aged and the Mavericks refresh last fall didn’t help that situation at all. Other options for those on a budget may be a tablet or a Chrome Book. Users who are more used to being connected will probably opt for anything other than a Chrome Book despite its enhanced system security features.
With most of the Windows XP issue being an issue for those that aren’t tech savvy, many tech users have friends and family who are still using Windows XP. Those users were comfortable and had moved on from Internet Explorer to Chrome or Firefox so their internet traffic is probably safe, but without security support, will those friends and family soon be calling? Having to throw out a beloved old pair of shoes is tough because they fit just right and have seen you through many miles. The same could be said for Windows XP and peoples attachment to it. Everything has it’s time to go though, and April 8, 2014 was Windows XP’s time. Goodbye old friend, most of us will not miss you but we thank you for all the great times.
Image from blog.backupbob.com