www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/04/14/microsoft.xp.ap/index.html

Users petition to keep Windows XP

Washington (AP) -- Microsoft Corp.'s operating systems run most personal computers around the globe and are a cash cow for the world's largest software maker. But you'd never confuse a Windows user with the passionate fans of Mac OS X or even the free Linux operating system.

Unless it's someone running Windows XP, a version Microsoft wants to retire.

Fans of the six-year-old operating system set to be pulled off store shelves in June have papered the Internet with blog posts, cartoons and petitions recently. They trumpet its superiority to Windows Vista, Microsoft's latest PC operating system, whose consumer launch last January was greeted with lukewarm reviews.

No matter how hard Microsoft works to persuade people to embrace Vista, some just can't be wowed. They complain about Vista's hefty hardware requirements, its less-than-peppy performance, occasional incompatibility with other programs and devices and frequent, irritating security pop-up windows.

For them, the impending disappearance of XP computers from retailers, and the phased withdrawal of technical support in coming years, is causing a minor panic.

Take, for instance, Galen Gruman. A longtime technology journalist, Gruman is more accustomed to writing about trends than starting them.

But after talking to Windows users for months, he realized his distaste for Vista and strong attachment to XP were widespread.

"It sort of hit us that, wait a minute, XP will be gone as of June 30. What are we going to do?" he said. "If no one does something, it's going to be gone."

So Gruman started a Save XP Web petition, gathering since January more than 100,000 signatures and thousands of comments, mostly from die-hard XP users who want Microsoft to keep selling it until the next version of Windows is released, currently targeted for 2010.

On the petition site's comments section, some users proclaimed they will downgrade from Vista to XP -- an option available in the past to businesses, but now open for the first time to consumers who buy Vista Ultimate or Business editions -- if they need to buy a new computer after XP goes off the market.

Others used the comments section to rail against the very idea that Microsoft has the power to enforce the phase-out from a stable, decent product to one that many consider worse, while profiting from the move. Many threatened to leave Windows for Apple or Linux machines.

Microsoft already extended the XP deadline once, but it shows no signs it will do so again. The company has declined to meet with Gruman to consider the petition. Microsoft is aware of the petition, it said in a statement to The Associated Press, and "will continue to be guided by feedback we hear from partners and customers about what makes sense based on their needs."

Gruman said he'd keep pressing for a meeting.

"They really believe if they just close their eyes, people will have no choice," he said.

In fact, most people who get a new computer will end up with Vista. In 2008, 94 percent of new Windows machines for consumers worldwide will run Vista, forecasts industry research group IDC. For businesses, about 75 percent of new PCs will have Vista. (That figure takes into account companies that choose to downgrade to XP.)

Although Microsoft may not budge on selling new copies of XP, it may have to extend support for it.

Al Gillen, an IDC analyst, estimated that at the end of 2008 nearly 60 percent of consumer PCs and almost 70 percent of business PCs worldwide will still run XP. Microsoft plans to end full support -- including warranty claims and free help with problems -- in April 2009. The company will continue providing a more limited level of service until April 2014.

Gillen said efforts like Gruman's grass-roots petition may not influence the software maker, but business customers' demands should carry more clout.

"You really can't make 69 percent of your installed base unhappy with you," he said.

Some companies -- such as Wells Manufacturing Co. in Woodstock, Illinois -- are crossing their fingers that he's right. The company, which melts scrap steel and casts iron bars, has 200 PCs that run Windows 2000 or XP. (Windows 2000 is no longer sold on PCs. Mainstream support has ended, but limited support is available through the middle of 2010.)

Wells usually replaces 50 of its PCs every 18 months. In the most recent round of purchases, Chief Information Officer Lou Peterhans said, the company stuck with XP because several of its applications don't run well on Vista.

"There is no strong reason to go to Vista, other than eventually losing support for XP," he said. Peterhans added that the company isn't planning to bring in Vista computers for 18 months to two years. If Microsoft keeps to its current timetable, its next operating system, code-named Windows 7, will be on the market by then.

The only reason to upgrade to Vista is DX10, and that is precisely why DX10 isn't available on XP.

Originally posted by Jadar

The only reason to upgrade to Vista is DX10, and that is precisely why DX10 isn't available on XP.

  i just also wanna it. be used to using Win XP..why DX10 isn't available to it?

I think I read somewhere on engadget.com that XP sales have been extended until 2010. At least it will definitely be bundled with the EEPC I think it is.

Originally posted by Jacksong

Originally posted by Jadar

The only reason to upgrade to Vista is DX10, and that is precisely why DX10 isn't available on XP.

  i just also wanna it. be used to using Win XP..why DX10 isn't available to it?

After-all there are VERY few programs out right now or in development that REQUIRE DX10. And about the only program i can think off that Requires DX10 is Halo2

DX10 will become more popular over time. Basically, it's "better" than DX9...that's the point haha.

Originally posted by VIOL@TION

DX10 will become more popular over time. Basically, it's "better" than DX9...that's the point haha.

Yea but that's the point isn't it? Right now and for the next year at least its not worth it just for DX10 alone.

Larger companies like ATI are also phasing out XP, such as thier new features only work on Vista.  CrossfireX and DX10.1.  With this trend it should be more likely that other software developers will actually start to support Vista.  One of the biggest problems with vista aside from the bloatware and security issues is that many software developers didn't latch on to the OS and make Vista/64-bit compatible programs.

Problem I have with Vista is theres like 20 different versions, if they just released like 1 or 2 versions for a cheap price then i'd be happy but atm the cheap versions are gimped and the expensive versions just arn't worth the price. Windows XP works fine for me and I don't have to pay for it and frigging I don't want to use a buggy OS which is a resource hog and offers no performance boost in games.

DX10 I see no difference in against DX9 games because all they've done so far like in Crysis have just disabled things for DX9 to make you upgrade. However if you go into the config and enable very high then it looks esactly the same as the DX10 version. In gears of war they've disabled AA for DX9 to make you upgrade to Vista to use DX10 to be able to enable it.......

Just a scam tbh and I know how to get around it so what's the point of buying into it.


+ Before Windows XP a new OS and DX came out every year like so I know if i buy Vista then DX11 and Windows Vienna will come out a month later lol.

Originally posted by Jacksong

Originally posted by Jadar

The only reason to upgrade to Vista is DX10, and that is precisely why DX10 isn't available on XP.

  i just also wanna it. be used to using Win XP..why DX10 isn't available to it?

the way the display is handled was completely changed in Vista.  Due to this they cut out all of the legacy code making Vista DX10 only and emulating DX9 and earlier.  To do DX10 in XP they would have to throw in all kinds of legacy code which would have caused all kinds of stability issues as well as killed performance.