The Clock Is Ticking on XP Home Edition

[Mike.Perry]

The Clock Is Ticking on XP Home Edition (http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,1907867,00.asp?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535)


Arstechnica points out that mainstream support for Windows XP Home Edition is set to expire on December 30, 2006 (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060103-5891.html). There is no free extended support for consumer products under Microsoft's lifecycle policy. So that means users who want support, including security updates, are going to have to pay. Guess that's one way to convince (?) users to upgrade to Windows Vista, which is due out in the latter half of this year.

[robert.1.hall72202]

So at what point do you give up on having a home PC??? Seems like it is just a money pit.

[blads]

The Clock Is Ticking on XP Home Edition (http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,1907867,00.asp?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535)I wondered what that noise was... :lol:

[Mike.Perry]

Microsoft Quietly Extends Support Life for XP Products (http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,1910379,00.asp?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535)


After outcry around the revelation that Microsoft was due to phase out all support for Windows XP Home Edition (http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,2180,1907867,00.asp) by the end of 2006, it seems that the Redmondians have relented. In an updated note, Microsoft has added a caveat to its Windows lifecycle chart (http://www.techweb.com/wire/software/175803888), noting that the company now plans to continue to provide mainstream support for all of its XP products (Home, professional, Embedded, Media Center and Tablet Editions) for two years after the next version of each product is released (http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?C2=1173). For XP Home, that will likely mean that mainstream support will be extended through 2008. Ditto for XP Professional, which also should get a longer grace period for Extended (paid) Support as a result, probably through 2013, we're betting.

[rkmcswain]

The Clock Is Ticking on XP Home Edition (http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,1907867,00.asp?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535)


...no bother. Still on Win2k at home :-)