Topic: Shutting Down XP...

[georgecloner]

As we all know Microsoft have stopped the distribution of sales for Windows XP within the first quarter of 2009. They have also announced that XP consumers will still be supported until April 2014. In addition, in which they released Service Pack 3 for XP.

Later on, Microsoft have made confirmation that support for this product will  end up this April 14, 2009. This is truly an unfortunate fact for all XP users because Microsoft will no longer enhance nor fix its XP's functionality problem in the days to come.

Microsoft gained huge sales with Windows XP over the years and made all business as well as home users grow in the digital infrastructure. Sad to say in reality most users will find more problems need to be fixed and will turn out not to be fixed accordingly.

XP no more? With the change of events will all consumer of Microsoft products willing to upgrade with the new releases - Windows Vista or Win7? Are we already in the position for an upgrade?

Do we have a choice? 

[haz]

I HATE Vista ! I wont say the same about windows 7 coz I didnt really try it yet.
and now as the XP support is gone; I think I will consider converting to Ubuntu for good, its a good OS, does almost everything I need ( except the graphics programs that I use in XP ) and they dont oblige you to use specific features you dont need, doesnt have as much of viruses or malware, and it FREE !
Thanks

[whales]

i havent try window 7 but out of all windows vista products, i believe home basic is ok because i used it. But all the same i still enjoy windows xp.

[Samker]

Since I have dual boot (XP & Vista) probably will keep XP and uprade Vista to 7. 

I never tried Linux, who know maybe this is my one more option for future?

[mashed]

i think i may well update my desktop to vista or 7 if xp support is going.  i wonder how this is going to effect business, i dont really fancy rolling out vista or 7 to all the work station, lol

[tempe]

most of univ and college in my country use xp on their workstations. they have been sticking with xp coz vista is still considered buggy. a small talk with the head of tech division in my univ reveals that next policy will favour a big switch to mac os when the workstations are obsolete. current proportion between mac and pc are 35% and 65% respectively. the next policy might increase mac proportion to around 60%. this kind of policy are somewhat resonate around univ and college across my country. big education institution has been putting up microsoft unilateral action for a while. and their cost benefit analysis reveals that it's better to switch to mac. take that microsoft, i wonder what will happen when intel sees its market share drops. will it blame its long partner microsoft? who knows?

[Samker]

most of univ and college in my country use xp on their workstations. they have been sticking with xp coz vista is still considered buggy. a small talk with the head of tech division in my univ reveals that next policy will favour a big switch to mac os when the workstations are obsolete. current proportion between mac and pc are 35% and 65% respectively. the next policy might increase mac proportion to around 60%. this kind of policy are somewhat resonate around univ and college across my country. big education institution has been putting up microsoft unilateral action for a while. and their cost benefit analysis reveals that it's better to switch to mac. take that microsoft, i wonder what will happen when intel sees its market share drops. will it blame its long partner microsoft? who knows?

You got a right... but why switch to Mac?

If some decide to change OS why not go to Free one like Linux?

[georgecloner]

I have decided i will go for W7, (now downloading... )

Frankly speaking we people always appreciate the most popular ones.  Microsoft being the most popular and yet may still be buggy but we like the stuffs anyways.

 

[tempe]

most of univ and college in my country use xp on their workstations. they have been sticking with xp coz vista is still considered buggy. a small talk with the head of tech division in my univ reveals that next policy will favour a big switch to mac os when the workstations are obsolete. current proportion between mac and pc are 35% and 65% respectively. the next policy might increase mac proportion to around 60%. this kind of policy are somewhat resonate around univ and college across my country. big education institution has been putting up microsoft unilateral action for a while. and their cost benefit analysis reveals that it's better to switch to mac. take that microsoft, i wonder what will happen when intel sees its market share drops. will it blame its long partner microsoft? who knows?

You got a right... but why switch to Mac?

If some decide to change OS why not go to Free one like Linux?

well it's not easy to drastically change the op system to linux. there are plenty of reasons why mac has been the best second option.

1. NOT everybody is using PC. please keep in mind that as public institution, the uni needs to provide a fair go for peops who needs computer access. if all workstations are pc, regardless the os used whether it be win or linux, then some mac users will find it difficult to inter-operate their files within the institution.

2. most univ and college has site licenses for most common apps. to mention a few:
-adobe pro
-ms office
-endnotes (referencing app)
-antivirus
-macromedia
-and other softwares requested by every department to support their needs.

a common case is when those softwares are not ready to migrate to the new os. sometimes you have to wait for quite a while for those apps to work in the new os. both the app vendor and of course microsoft will point their fingers on each other. eventually the app vendor will lose and release their major update. however that update sometime quite pricey, the app vendor will claim that the update will cost you cause it is a "major" update. duh. imagine how tight this situation on the end customer. that is, change to the new os might requires more money for updating to new apps that support the new os.

thanks to the site licenses, in most case both win and mac version are available to use in the workstations. hence the uni can make the most of their "sunk cost" by using the mac version of their common apps. i know that linux also has similar app that mimic the abovementioned apps. but remember we are dealing with people that (naturally)cannot easily change their habits. the element of stadardisation and familiarity are quite strong here.

3. mac is user friendly. i can assume that most peops know how to use win os. apparently switching to mac has proven easier than switching to linux. please aware that there is a steep learning curve involved when you use any os at the first time. you don't wanna frustrate everybody who is not as computer savvy as you are by using linux.

keep in mind that the main point is most institution will eventually change their obsolete workstations. what i am trying to say that microsoft's habit of releasing unstable os before it fully matures and less buggy has make some institutions to choose a different platform (i.e mac instead of pc) with its friendly os.

[Samker]

It's look like you're Mac. fan... 

As I remember first Computer that I was use at 1995 was Macintosh. 

Anyway, before few days because of some problem with my Laptop I was first try Linux Ubuntu and it's look very nice... also some Country's take a step to them: http://scforum.info/index.php/topic,2339.0.html