Mainstream support for Windows XP ended Tuesday
Without a reprieve from the governor this time, Microsoft's free product support for paid users of all versions of Windows XP officially ended as of April 14. What this means is that the company will no longer give complementary product support to XP users.
This doesn't mean the end of the free security updates, however, and there could very well be a big batch of those as soon as next Tuesday. Customers can still purchase product support for XP from Microsoft per-incident for at least the next five years.
Will Windows XP keep ruling the netbook?
Since the shipment last year of the earliest netbooks, Linux has fallen drastically behind Windows XP, according to new research by two industry analyst groups, Ovum and the NPD Group. Meanwhile, some people are touting both Windows 7 and the Android variant of Linux as future replacements of sorts for the existing netbook operating systems.
Specifically, XP's share of netbook units shipped soared from less than 10% in the first half of 2008 to 96% as of February 2009, according to data released this week by NPD Retail Tracking Service.
Windows XP to Windows 7 upgrades: Difficult, but not impossible
It shouldn't surprise many testers that Microsoft has shrewdly closed the upgrade channel for users who will -- probably sooner this year than later -- be making the switch to Windows 7. Many who had chosen to steer clear of Windows Vista and hang on to Windows XP -- by all rights, a decent operating system, at least for Service Pack 3 users -- are pondering the nightmare scenario of having to upgrade to and validate (which usually means, pay for) both Vista and Windows 7, if it so happens that Windows 7 proves to be desirable or simply necessary.
This led us to thinking: Windows Vista can run without being purchased and activated, albeit for a limited time (usually 30 days). During that time, it behaves as though it were a fully operational trial edition (except for the Ultimate SKU, where several of the "Extras" aren't available except after validating). But it doesn't take a month to install an operating system; so what if a valid XP user could simply borrow the promotional edition of Vista, if you will, to make the skip over to Windows 7?
Windows XP pauses again in its shuffle out the door
Microsoft is making an accommodation through a flexible inventory program that will allow distributors to place their final orders by January 31, 2009 and take delivery against those orders through May 30, 2009.
This is not an extension of sales, according to the Microsoft spokesperson who issued the statement above. Semantics? Depends on where you reside in the food chain, but mainly, the decision is about giving the put-upon guys in the middle some breathing room.
Nearly 7 years after original, a new Windows XP goes gold
On August 24, 2001, Microsoft released to manufacturing the final version of Windows XP. 6 years and 11 months later, a new version of XP has gone gold, this time for the OLPC XO computer, also known as the "$100 laptop."
Originally designed to run Linux, the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) XO laptop is targeted at developing nations and those too poor to afford proper computers for education. The device, which went on sale publicly in November for $200, features wireless connectivity, a built-in camera and a keyboard designed to change languages.
Windows XP will be sold to some OEMs after all, says Microsoft
BetaNews has confirmed that, although most of Microsoft's shipments of Windows XP did end on June 30 as scheduled, it is still making XP available to both makers of low-end Netbooks and 'systems builders,' large and small.
Monday of this week didn't exactly spell the end of Windows XP, after all. In line with its "end of life" plans, Microsoft did stop selling XP to OEMs and retailers on Monday -- but with some notable "exceptions" which Microsoft acknowledged to BetaNews Tuesday evening.
Windows XP lives on in the next embedded OS upgrade
The versatility of Microsoft's previous generation of operating system is about to be shown off some more, with a new edition that will be customizable for various embedded devices, using a special version of Visual Studio.
It's no secret that the Windows XP kernel is better suited for small devices than the Vista kernel, whose new architecture -- including such features as Address Space Layout Randomization -- requires a larger memory footprint. What may be a surprise is how much Microsoft has managed to compress into the next edition of Windows for embedded devices, now called Windows Embedded Standard, including .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Media Player 11, Silverlight, and Internet Explorer 7.
Windows XP SP3 update causing endless reboots in AMD machines
An issue with how the Service Pack 3 update handles AMD chips will cause some Windows XP computers to continuously reboot. Microsoft says it is investigating, and provided removal instructions for those having problems.
The issues come in two forms: The first affects some systems with AMD chips and OEM XP images, while the other seems to affect certain AMD motherboards. Microsoft is looking into the problem and said it will advise when it has a solution.
Windows XP SP3 official release delayed, but download still available
Download Windows XP Service Pack 3 from FileForum now (316 MB).
1:20 pm EDT April 29, 2008 - As expected, the self-extracting .EXE version of Windows XP Service Pack 3 was made available to the general public by Microsoft this morning. However, due to a last minute problem, the official release to Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center was delayed.
Windows XP SP3 released to manufacturing, downloadable 4/29
In a post to Microsoft's TechNet Forum minutes ago, a Microsoft official announced that Service Pack 3 of Windows XP has released to its manufacturing channels, in order to reach OEM and enterprise customers by the late-April deadline.
Microsoft's XP SP3 release manager Chris Keroack wrote that Web availability of the final service pack for Windows XP will begin on April 29, through the Microsoft Download Center. Confirming many users' suspicions, the company will wait until "early summer," Keroack stated, before enabling SP3 to be downloaded through Automatic Updates, perhaps in light of the company's recent debacle with Windows Vista SP1.
Windows XP's final day still June 30, but low-cost PCs get two more years
Confirming the rumors that devices such as Asus' Eee PC are prolonging the life of XP, Microsoft today announced that the previously-established June 30, 2008 cutoff date for OEM and retail Windows XP sales was final, except for the new class of what the company has termed ULCPCs: Ultra Low-Cost PCs.
The nebulously-named class of computers including UMPCs, MIDs, Origami devices, subnotebooks and even desktops that offer lower power have received the official Ultra Low Cost PC (ULCPC) moniker from Microsoft.
Signs point to imminent arrival of Windows XP SP3
Signs coming from Microsoft indicate that Windows XP Service Pack 3 is finally ready for public release. But is the company just playing an April fools joke?
The long-awaited update for the aging operating system (now over 6 and a half years old) was expected to arrive last month, but instead Microsoft released a "Refresh" of Release Candidate 2, asking testers to try out a new Windows Update mechanism for delivering the SP3 bits.
Despite rumors, Windows XP SP3 still not quite ready
With Windows Vista Service Pack 1 out the door, Microsoft was largely expected to release Windows XP SP3 last week or this week. It didn't, instead making public a Refresh build of SP3 Release Candidate 2.
Microsoft says it "made this release candidate available in order to receive further user feedback prior to the release of Windows XP SP3." But many users are wondering what's taking the company so long, as SP3 is largely a roll-up of existing updates and includes no major new features.
Office 2007 SP1 goes live, Windows XP SP3 RC1 follows along
As anticipated and without much fanfare, Microsoft this morning made active links for downloads of Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate 1, as well as the complete Office 2007 Service Pack 1.
A Knowledgebase article detailing the contents of O2K7 SP1 had also been made available this morning, though BetaNews noticed that just before noon today, Microsoft removed that article, perhaps for editing purposes. The link to the download itself however remained active. The Office service pack is not a beta; it is a complete release.
Windows XP lives: Testing begins on new version for OLPC
Copies of Microsoft's former flagship operating system will be placed on XO laptops as part of a limited field trial. As a result, for the first time in a long while, it finds itself in the role of PC hardware tester.
Microsoft says it's testing Windows XP one more time, for deployment in a new environment: the OLPC system for emerging markets.
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