Microsoft Will Continue Offering XP Until 2011

According to ComputerWorld, Microsoft is going to continue the availability of Windows XP until April 2011.  The announcement came after a security expert attacked Microsoft’s plan to discontinue its sale once Windows 7 is released.  The original plan stated that “[b]ecause of Windows 7’s Oct. 22 launch date, the six-month cap meant that OEMs would have to stop shipping PCs “downgraded” from Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate to Windows XP Professional at or around April 22, 2010.”

So basically, this is appealing to consumers who want to buy new PCs but skip Vista.  They want to be able to purchase PCs which have XP loaded on them, but able to upgrade to Windows 7 later on.  That’s all well and good, but it’s time to get over this mentality that “Vista is bad.”  You may like Windows XP a lot, but it’s time to move on—especially in the enterprise scene.  Vista now is a fully functional, usable, and stable operating system.  There is no reason for corporations to be choosing obsolete software.  In fact, the only reason that we have Windows 7 coming out right now is so Microsoft can escape from the “bad name” that Vista has.  Vista works well, but its bad reputation has been a thorn in Microsoft’s side for years.

Microsoft: Please kill Windows XP.  Please kill IE 6.  Please don’t announce yet another extension for Windows XP.  That will only hurt your already tattered reputation and the “Hi, I’m a Mac” commercials will have a great time throwing it back in your face.  The industry can’t move forward with innovation if we keep trying so hard to preserve old technology.  A Digg.com user remarked, “Windows XP is like the PS2 of operating systems.”

How do you feel about it?  Are you happy that Microsoft is extending XP’s availability?  Disappointed?  Indifferent?  Leave us a comment!