XP Gets Another Lifeline

By Greg McNevin

June 5, 2008: Microsoft has announced that it is again extending the lifespan of Windows XP, saying that licensing to low-cost desktop systems.

No doubt driven by the ultraportable and ultra-cheap laptop and PC craze, Microsoft will continue to license and support the aging OS until 2010 – just as Windows 7, the successor to its beleaguered Vista, is released.

Microsoft says the extension is aimed at low-cost Nettops - basic PCs users can surf the web, email, and type up documents on.

This has left some commentators wondering why the company would want to cut its latest offering, Windows Vista, out of such an important market, however, others have duly noted that Vista is simply too bulky to be run on these low-end machines effectively.

The company will still be pushing Vista as its ‘premium’ operating system, and XP will only be offered in the low-cost market.

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