Microsoft’s XP operating system was going the way of the dodo bird coming this June as Microsoft announced that it was planning to discontinue XP for OEM and packaged editions in favor of Vista taking over the reigns as the main OS for PCs. But it seems that XP may have been given a stay of execution.
The decision by Microsoft to stop making XP initiated a petition over at InfoWorld’s website in order to save XP. At the moment over 75,000 signatures have been gathered. In addition, the website is posting a series of articles regarding why individuals, organizations, and businesses are protesting the fact that Microsoft is "forcing" them to switch over to the unpopular Vista.
A survey done by King Research of 961 IT professionals showed that 90% had concerns about Vista due to issues regarding stability, compatibility problems, and the cost of upgrading Vista to their present hardware base. Almost a majority of the respondents indicated that they would consider going over to a non-Windows operating system in order to avoid switching over to Vista and its associated problems.
Microsoft responded to InfoWorld’s petition by staying, "We’re aware of it, but are listening first and foremost to feedback we hear from partners and customers about what makes sense based on their needs. That’s what informed our decision to extend the availability of XP initially, and what will continue to guide us.
"Therefore OEMs will continue to sell XP through June 30th 2008 and system builders will be able to sell XP through January 2009 as they cater to the small business markets. In emerging markets where XP Starter Edition is sold, it will still be available through June 30th, 2010."
The remarkable resistance to Vista has apparently caught the attention of the brass at Microsoft. In the meantime businesses and consumers can breathe a temporary sigh of relief, as the migration from XP to Vista has at least been slowed down for now.
[via computerworld]
