Save Windows XP petition

[Joeaksa]

Pls sign the "Save Windows XP petition" to force MS to keep supporting XP.

Right now they are planning on stopping all support this summer, trying to shove Vista down everyone's throats. Over 150,000 signatures in a week, so lets keep it going.

http://weblog.infoworld.com/save-xp/

[Sonic dB]

Do petitions work? Can Bill Gates monopoly be halted? Mac anyone? I will sign it..I tried Vista last year and it was awful...so i went back to XP.

[Joeaksa]

Who knows but it takes a minute of our time and is worth a try.

[Halm]

Joe, FWIW, MS is not going to stop "supporting" XP, they are going to stop "selling" XP. As a matter of fact, Service Pack 3 is about to be released and among its roll-up of patches and hotfixes is a reported 10% performance boost. Normal support will last at least through 2009, and extended support will be around through 2014.

The recent Info World articles were particularly damning and from bits and pieces I read and hear, MS is quietly working behind the scenes to move to the the next desktop version without killing sales. One of the features of Server 2008 that should be ported to this next version is the ability to load only the components that you want, not everything offered. In other words something that should have been done a long time ago: Smaller tighter code with a reduced footprint.

[MRM]

Actually, XP is going to be available to be purchased for a few more years. I use a computer guy who owns his own shop and is an authorized Microsoft vendor. He just sold me a new Lenovo Thinkpad (I love it) with XP Professional. According to him, Microsoft doesn't publicise it, but authorized vendors can sell XP for a couple more years. If you go to Best Buy or Dell or someone with an exclusive contract with Microsoft you probably don't have that choice.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

The day XP stops being supported is the day I take my Windows PC at home and either:

(1) reformat it with Linux or
(2) chuck it in the dumpster and go buy a Mac

At that point, I'll take my chances and deal with the short-term frustration of trying to get my applications (including AutoCAD, FormZ, etc.) to all work under those different platforms rather than be "put over a barrel" by Micro$oft. F*ck 'em. If that's how they're going to play, I'm going elsewhere. Their loss, not mine.

The only thing that's been stopping me from doing it to date is that it's VERY difficult to get AutoCAD to work under Linux. . . I'm pretty sure some folks have been able to do it by configuring WINE (Wine Is Not an Emulator - haha) properly, which is very involved, techno-geeky, and takes a long time to get right. I just haven't had the time to do it. But if M$ is going to pull this crap, I'll make the time and research it and figure it out, and I won't spend a dime into their products in building my business - I'll either do it all on Macs or Linux boxes. Or both.

Most people will just roll over and go to Vista because all they're ultimately capable of doing is "talking tough" and not acting in a meaningful way to effect change - something that Gates & Company have exploited since about 1983 - with great success.

Not this guy.

[varmint]

anybody got a copy of windows 98 or 2000 they want to unload? i want to run it on the mac so i can talk to the power commander in my bike.

[Dantilla]

Thanks, Joe.

If Vista is all that's available next time I buy a computer, it will be a Mac.

[SlowToady]

I know I have some original 2000 Pro, Server and Advanced Server CDs sitting around somewhere. I'll see if I can find an English version for you (unless you happen to speak/read Spanish or German).

Originally Posted by varmint

anybody got a copy of windows 98 or 2000 they want to unload? i want to run it on the mac so i can talk to the power commander in my bike.

[MysticLlama]

I've been using it since just after release on my office machine, home machine, and laptop, and don't really see the big deal.

There are a few things that it does that are handy, I don't have any stability issues unless they are related to a bad app, and even get along fine with UAC still enabled.

People said the same thing about XP constantly for the first two years it was out.

Problems with Dells/HPs and such I have just as often on their XP builds because of all the crap software that is on there, so I typcially just flatten and reinstall them anyway.

[Mule]

Right on Mystic. There are some things I don't like about Vista. But all in all, it works fine. The learning curve is a pain in the ass but when is that not the case?

[svandamme]

MS just announced last week they extended support on XP till 2011 or something

and so what if they stop supporting it, the product is very mature
and it's driver support that determines if you can keep using an OS with new hardware...you'll find that more problematic in 1-2 years from now then whether or not MS supports it


Try buying an A brand consumer PC with all bells and whistles, and try to find it delivered in XP today... not going to happen...
luckely , must drivers can be found generic... 2 years from now... doubt it

[chapo]

After being a die-hard windows user for years my work bought me a Mac. I have been converted. No need to sign the petition. Wish you luck.

[svandamme]

enough with all the gossip and rumours
cold hard facts

http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?LN=en-us&x=23&y=7&p1=3223
General Availability Date 12/31/2001
Mainstream Support Retired 4/14/2009
Extended Support Retired 4/8/2014
Service Pack Retired 8/30/2005

[Seric]

I've been using Vista at work for two years now running Office, Visual Studio Suite, Macromedia Suite and various other intensive apps. No issues really, cept all the RAM is sucks but you can ge 4gb of ram for $100 nowdays.

If you have trouble, check out all your drivers and update them. Something one should do with all your major components anyways, including your BIOS.

It's not Vista that makes me angry, it's IE7 and Flash that grinds my gears.

[Paul_Heery]

Originally Posted by Halm

As a matter of fact, Service Pack 3 is about to be released and among its roll-up of patches and hotfixes is a reported 10% performance boost.

Funny you should mention that. We have been testing Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate 2 Refresh and have been having numerous problems with it. We use all Dell at the desktop and none of our machines are more that 18 months old. We are experiencing BSOD on about 20% of the test machines.

[Seric]

Originally Posted by Paul_Heery

Funny you should mention that. We have been testing Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate 2 Refresh and have been having numerous problems with it. We use all Dell at the desktop and none of our machines are more that 18 months old. We are experiencing BSOD on about 20% of the test machines.

BSOD, mostly due from video driver issues?

[Paul_Heery]

It seems to be just like the problems we had with earlier versions of SP3 causing GDI errors. They were fixed in the last RC but now seem to have resurfaced.

[Scott R]

Petition away, I was working for Qwest Communications when NT 4 went end of life. Our company and a few other large companies like Boeing and BASF entered into joint talks with Microsoft to not cutoff support. But, guess what? They did anyway. Charged us a million or so for a hot fix and we quickly migrated.

[Jim727]

Done. I have to agree with the sentiment that ms doesn't give a dip. Their plan appears to be "the only game in town" so you have no choice.

Using W2KPro on all the workstations here. Practically bulletproof, though having flash and active scripting disabled helps reliability immensely.

Vista is definitely not in our future, preparing to migrate to linux. Watch for vista going to a subscription model where you have the privilege of paying ms an annual tribute to keep your (they say it's their) computer running.