Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch - InformationWeek

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Comments
Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch
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Mark532010
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50%
Mark532010,
 User Rank: Moderator
4/10/2012 | 3:53:04 PM
re: Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch
I understand Microsoft has to move on and supporting old software - especially in light of increasingly sophisticated attack methods - is expensive, but it's too bad that Microsoft doesn't understand the lasting corporate appeal of XP, that it is easy-to-support.

Compare changing SID's in XP to 7, compare changing the default user configuration in XP to 7, compare removing a corrupt user-profile in XP to 7, compare GPO implementation on a W2K3 domain between XP and 7.

7 (and 8) have a much better user-experience but have made the support persons job a lot tougher which translates to a reluctance to upgrade.
quantaearth
50%
50%
quantaearth,
 User Rank: Apprentice
4/10/2012 | 4:46:02 PM
re: Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch
Come on man, XP is still by far the best that MS ever did, period. Sure 7 and 8 look better but everyone out there know xp so well....go ahead MS....make that money-
Duellott
50%
50%
Duellott,
 User Rank: Apprentice
4/10/2012 | 6:55:49 PM
re: Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch
people people...windows 7 has gotten a bad reputation, because of vista. really now, win 7 meets and exceeds most IT professionals expectations.
UberGoober
50%
50%
UberGoober,
 User Rank: Strategist
4/10/2012 | 7:39:32 PM
re: Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch
Most companies big enough to have a multi-person IT department won't deploy any significant number of PCs with a new OS for at least a year after release, and sometimes longer when the new release has significant levels of software incompatiibilty (can you say Vista?). Microsoft's rapid release cycle means that about the time you have an OS you're ready to commit to, they discontinue it. I have nothing against Win7 (other than the gratuitous UI changes that make support harder), but we're just getting rid of our last incompatible app due to vendor sluggishness, and that means that I'll be running out a lot of Win7 just as Win8 comes out.

I have a dream, that someday I can order workstations and not have to downgrade the OS before I put them into production. But it looks like just a dream right now.
jimb0s
50%
50%
jimb0s,
 User Rank: Apprentice
4/10/2012 | 9:13:09 PM
re: Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch
Let us all pitch in and buy the source code and all. Grass roots support! Base this on a model similar to Linux!
campdude
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50%
campdude,
 User Rank: Apprentice
4/11/2012 | 3:49:35 AM
re: Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch
The problem with Windows 7 is... I installed the darn operating system and I still have no Administrative rights... Why cant i download a file into a Directory other than the download area?
Why cant i delete files? In different locations... or rename them or anything that XP does.
Im too lazy to learn how to do this so I dual boot into XP and move my Win 7 files around.
sam-augur100
50%
50%
sam-augur100,
 User Rank: Apprentice
4/11/2012 | 6:44:32 AM
re: Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch
Ok Microsoft, we get that you want everyone to upgrade from XP to Windows 7 because it is more secure, its better, etc. However, no matter how new the hardware you purchase, on every new system, Windows 7 is still slower than Windows XP on a 2 1/2 year old system (with same RAM, same speed/type and size hard drive, etc).

A lot of people want Windows XP's speed in Windows 7, but it just isn't there. :( I've deployed several new systems in the past 6 months to replace XP running systems 2-2 1/2 yrs old... and the older systems running XP behave faster than the new system with Windows 7 in it.

So Microsoft, stop trying to make Windows 7 very visual and competing with Apple's GUI. Concentrate on making Windows 7 as fast as Windows XP, with all your security enhancements already in place, and then you can ask us for quicker upgrades.
YMOM100
50%
50%
YMOM100,
 User Rank: Apprentice
4/11/2012 | 11:13:28 AM
re: Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch
What Microsoft should do is either contract a 3rd party company that continues to support XP or open source the whole thing. If Microsoft wants Windows to run on every desktop that will surely make it happen, although once in the hands of capable developers and team leads it might also grow into a major competitor.
As far as Office goes, after Microsoft destroyed the UI with the ribbon I switched to OpenOffice / LibreOffice and never looked back. Works better anyway for what I need to do and definitely crashes less.
YMOM100
50%
50%
YMOM100,
 User Rank: Apprentice
4/11/2012 | 11:18:01 AM
re: Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch
Because Microsoft thinks that you are stupid and makes decisions for you. That said, you can enable the Administrator account, turn all that red tape off and access any folder you want using tools like xplorer-¦. Unfortunately, that is the only way for power users to overcome this dysfunctional design. I do understand the purpose of the restrictions as it keeps the unknowing from destroying their systems. Then again, I think they should be allowed to do so and learn the hard lessons that understanding how stuff works and making backups is not optional.
And while you are at it, install Classic Shell as well to eradicate a more moronic UI flaws.
ANON1237925156805
50%
50%
ANON1237925156805,
 User Rank: Apprentice
4/11/2012 | 8:04:20 PM
re: Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch
Agree with you 100% re XP and Office. The ribbon drives me crazy. At home I use Open Office on my Windows box and MS Office on my Mac, where it remains ribbon-free--for now. Am learning iWorks just in case. . ..

Re windows 7 I don't even feel that it's a better UI. The Window frame is translucent and for me because of vision problems that makes it unreadable, especially on a laptop. I have devoted quite a bit of time to trying to fix this, but apparently while I can chhose from many themes all of them are translucent. I get that most folks havent even noticed this; everyone has their own quibbles. But this is an example of change for change's sake and that's what needs to stop. Software upgrades should fix bugs and security holes, implement compatibility with new technologies whether hardware or software-driven, and make a few genuine enhancements, preferably driven by user input. (Exceptions were made for Steve Jobs who knew what users wnated before they did--sometimes. It remains to be seen whether Apple will earn the same exemptions in future.)

I guess that MS feels that they couldn't charge as much for upgrades if they were done on that basis. But they need to realize how many options we all have now in terms of hardware platforms, devices, and OFfice compatible tools. Charging us top dollar for bloated releases that require us to completely relearn tasks that we do all day every day is a good way to induce us to migrate--away from Microsoft. Will they ever get it???
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