Guys, XP is dead. It’s time to move on.

One of my biggest annoyances when it comes to the world of computing today is Windows XP. The operating system that is finally going away, but people are still kicking and screaming about it. C’mon guys, this is 2010, not 2005 anymore. We live in a world of high speed internet, multi-core processors, 4+ gigabytes of RAM, GPU acceleration, etc. Clinging onto Windows XP without a good excuse is just plain unacceptable. What is even worse is when people think it is in Microsoft’s duty to continue to support it, simply because they still run it. Looking at that from a business standpoint, it is impractical. Looking at that from a technological standpoint, it is impossible.

 

Impractical in the sense that Windows XP isn’t going to turn anymore profits for Microsoft, so to continue to pour resources into supporting XP, would hurt them financially. They are a tech company, they can’t live in the past too longer or they will be left behind! The operating system is also 9 years old. In the tech world, this would make it a Trilobite, which leads me to my next thought….

 

The API’s embedded in XP also make it impossible to support newer technologies. This is why newer operating systems are released, they take the previous generation and build up from that. So to continue to argue “Microsoft should update the code base, blah, blah, blah…” is just a waste of air. They HAVE updated the code base. Twice, in fact! One update was called Windows Vista, the second, Windows 7. There you have it. Microsoft HAS updated the code base, but alas, that still isn’t enough because now you have to pay for it. Well guess what?
Do you have to pay for a new car when you turn in your old one?

Do you have to pay for a new appliance when the old one becomes unusable or broken?

Do you have to pay for home upgrades/repairs?

Yade, yada…

Simple, right?

XP simply cannot handle newer technologies. Those new multi-core CPUs, those multiple gigabytes of memory, those new hard drive killers, AKA, solid state drives. While XP may seem fast running on those, all that money you just put into buying those, has just gone to waste. Why? Because XP simply doesn’t have the capability to properly address that shiny new hardware you just bought.

 

I could go on, but I think I will stop here. Hopefully, you understand why XP is dead, and why Microsoft will no longer bend over backwards trying to support it.