Live simply. Speak kindly. Care deeply. Love generously. Leave the rest to God. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Kaufman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "General chat list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 12:21 PM Subject: [The Conduit] Fw: Users Fight to Save Windows XP
> To: Marianne Daley > Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 1:12 PM > Subject: Users Fight to Save Windows XP > > > April 14, 2008 > > Users Fight to Save Windows XP > By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS > > Filed at 7:49 a.m. ET > > SEATTLE (AP) -- Microsoft Corp.'s operating systems run most personal > computers around the globe and are a cash cow for the world's largest > software maker. But you'd never confuse a Windows user with the passionate > fans of Mac OS X or even the free Linux operating system. Unless it's > someone running Windows XP, a version Microsoft wants to retire. > > Fans of the six-year-old operating system set to be pulled off store > shelves in June have papered the Internet with blog posts, cartoons and > petitions recently. They trumpet its superiority to Windows Vista, > Microsoft's latest PC operating system, whose consumer launch last January > was greeted with lukewarm reviews. > > No matter how hard Microsoft works to persuade people to embrace Vista, > some just can't be wowed. They complain about Vista's hefty hardware > requirements, its less-than-peppy performance, occasional incompatibility > with other programs and devices and frequent, irritating security pop-up > windows. > > For them, the impending disappearance of XP computers from retailers, and > the phased withdrawal of technical support in coming years, is causing a > minor panic. > > Take, for instance, Galen Gruman. A longtime technology journalist, Gruman > is more accustomed to writing about trends than starting them. > > But after talking to Windows users for months, he realized his distaste > for Vista and strong attachment to XP were widespread. > > ''It sort of hit us that, wait a minute, XP will be gone as of June 30. > What are we going to do?'' he said. ''If no one does something, it's going > to be gone.'' > > So Gruman started a Save XP Web petition, gathering since January more > than 100,000 signatures and thousands of comments, mostly from die-hard XP > users who want Microsoft to keep selling it until the next version of > Windows is released, currently targeted for 2010. > > On the petition site's comments section, some users proclaimed they will > downgrade from Vista to XP -- an option available in the past to > businesses, but now open for the first time to consumers who buy Vista > Ultimate or Business editions -- if they need to buy a new computer after > XP goes off the market. > > Others used the comments section to rail against the very idea that > Microsoft has the power to enforce the phase-out from a stable, decent > product to one that many consider worse, while profiting from the move. > Many threatened to leave Windows for Apple or Linux machines. > > Microsoft already extended the XP deadline once, but it shows no signs it > will do so again. The company has declined to meet with Gruman to consider > the petition. Microsoft is aware of the petition, it said in a statement > to The Associated Press, and ''will continue to be guided by feedback we > hear from partners and customers about what makes sense based on their > needs.'' > > Gruman said he'd keep pressing for a meeting. > > ''They really believe if they just close their eyes, people will have no > choice,'' he said. > > In fact, most people who get a new computer will end up with Vista. In > 2008, 94 percent of new Windows machines for consumers worldwide will run > Vista, forecasts industry research group IDC. For businesses, about 75 > percent of new PCs will have Vista. (That figure takes into account > companies that choose to downgrade to XP.) > > Although Microsoft may not budge on selling new copies of XP, it may have > to extend support for it. > > Al Gillen, an IDC analyst, estimated that at the end of 2008 nearly 60 > percent of consumer PCs and almost 70 percent of business PCs worldwide > will still run XP. Microsoft plans to end full support -- including > warranty claims and free help with problems -- in April 2009. The company > will continue providing a more limited level of service until April 2014. > > Gillen said efforts like Gruman's grass-roots petition may not influence > the software maker, but business customers' demands should carry more > clout. > > ''You really can't make 69 percent of your installed base unhappy with > you,'' he said. > > Some companies -- such as Wells Manufacturing Co. in Woodstock, Ill. -- > are crossing their fingers that he's right. The company, which melts scrap > steel and casts iron bars, has 200 PCs that run Windows 2000 or XP. > (Windows 2000 is no longer sold on PCs. Mainstream support has ended, but > limited support is available through the middle of 2010.) > > Wells usually replaces 50 of its PCs every 18 months. In the most recent > round of purchases, Chief Information Officer Lou Peterhans said, the > company stuck with XP because several of its applications don't run well > on Vista. > > ''There is no strong reason to go to Vista, other than eventually losing > support for XP,'' he said. Peterhans added that the company isn't planning > to bring in Vista computers for 18 months to two years. If Microsoft keeps > to its current timetable, its next operating system, code-named Windows 7, > will be on the market by then. > > ------ > > On the Net: > > Save XP Petition: http://weblog.infoworld.com/save-xp/ > > Microsoft's Windows support timeline: > http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy > > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.13/1377 - Release Date: > 4/14/2008 9:26 AM > > To unsubscribe from The Conduit list, simply copy the line below. Paste > it in the > to line of a blank message and send it. Follow the directions in the > confirm message. > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _______________________________________________ > Theconduit mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://mail.vipconduit.com/mailman/listinfo/theconduit_vipconduit.com > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.13/1377 - Release Date: > 4/14/2008 9:26 AM > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
