Thursday, 11th March 2010.

XP is not dead yet

Written on Thursday, 18th June 2009 by Neeta

XP has been the most stable OS from Microsoft’s stable. Even after two years of Vista usage and expected launch of Windows 7, XP just refuses to die its natural death. All other predecessors of Windows operating systems from Microsoft’s stable have slowly and gradually faded away from the scene but XP is live and has just got fresh lease of life from Microsoft.

Microsoft has gone public with Windows 7 to XP downgrade guarantee. Earlier rumors were there in the market that downgrade guarantee will be up to April 2010, six months after the commercial launch of Windows 7. Microsoft it appears has now fixed the download guarantee expiry date as April 2011, after eighteen months.

Microsoft publication on downgrade guarantee has stated :

“Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate customers will have the option to downgrade to Windows XP Professional from PCs that ship within 18 months following the general availability of Windows 7 or until the release of a Windows 7 service pack, whichever is sooner, and if a service pack is developed.”

Service pack is again looming large over Windows 7 RC. Microsoft had at the time of Vista’s launch even declined to take any questions over Vista’s service pack. Similar appears to be the fate of Windows 7 where users may see arrival of service pack sooner than expected.

But these are all conjectures and real picture will be clear once the commercial launch of Windows 7 take place sometime in September 2009.