Microsoft's Not-So-Secret Plan to Cripple Windows XP

Microsoft's Not-So-Secret Plan to Cripple Windows XP

Preston Gralla
Computerworld
Aug 4, 2010

Microsoft isn't particularly pleased about the continuing success of Windows XP, which has more than twice the installed base of Windows Vista and 7 put together. So it's trying its hardest to kill the operating system that won't die, including refusing to issue security patches for XP SP2, putting many XP users at risk. Is that the right way to get people to upgrade?

A report out yesterday from Net Applications shows that Windows XP has more than twice the market share of Windows 7 and Windows Vista combined -- 61.87% for XP in July, compared to 14.46% for Windows 7, and 14.34% for Windows Vista.

Gregg Keizer of Computerworld reports that XP market share is dropping very slowly, and that its current rate of decline, it won't drop under 50% until January 2010. And even then, it will far outpace Windows Vista and Windows 7, and likely have more market share than both combined.

This is bad news for Microsoft, and it's doing everything that it can to kill XP.Microsoft officialy retired XP SP2 from all support on July 13, which means it will no longer issue security patches for that version of XP.

The SP2 patch was a significant upgrade for XP, and included a firewall and big security fixes. Wolfgang Kandek, chief technology officer of Qualys, a California-based security risk and compliance management provider, went so far as to say:

"Compared to SP2, every other service pack has been just housekeeping."

Windows XP SP3, by contrast, was not a significant upgrade. So many people didn't necessarily upgrade to it, while many people made the jump to SP2.

So if Microsoft can get SP2 users to upgrade to Windows 7, it will have accomplished a great deal. That may well be the motivation for not issuing a security patch for a Windows shortcut bug that puts those users and others at risk. Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle Security, told Computerworld that "There's a ton of people still running SP2."

Microsoft clearly would like to make life uncomfortable for XP users. In not issuing this patch, that's exactly what the company is doing. True, because XP SP2 is at end of life, Microsoft did not have to issue a patch. But this is a serious security issue, and XP SP2 users are clearly at risk now.

Microsoft has been trying in other ways to get people to upgrade from XP. It has announced that Internet Explorer 9 won't run on XP, and neither will the new version of Windows Live Essentials.

So there's both a carrot and a stick involved in the plan. The carrot: If you upgrade to Windows 7, you get to run IE9 and other software. The stick: If you don't upgrade, you'll be vulnerable to malware.

There's a better way to get people to upgrade: Design an operating system so good that XP users will happily give up XP. I'm hoping that's what the next version of Windows will be.

There's a better way to get people to upgrade: Design an operating system so good that XP users will happily give up XP. I'm hoping that's what the next version of Windows will be.

Windows 7 is that OS, but the fact is most people are just happy with "good-enough".

Some are happy with what they have because of finances (that's my case). Also, some figure that if it ain't broke, leave it alone. (also my case).

But i've heard nothing but good reviews for Win7 and will eventually migrate that way in due time.

Oh Jesus, just don't mention Apple.

Hey Merk!!! It worked then

My mom is a Mac owner. She loves it. She worked with PC's before she retired and knows both systems.

TexasBlue wrote:Some are happy with what they have because of finances (that's my case). Also, some figure that if it ain't broke, leave it alone. (also my case).

But i've heard nothing but good reviews for Win7 and will eventually migrate that way in due time.

W7 has a very, very sweet driver stack for graphics cards. Good if you are a gamer. However, if all you do is email/surfing/spreadsheets then I can't really think of any critical or even particularly compelling reason to upgrade (assuming you aren't buying new hardware). Before anyone say "OMG, what about those viruses!!?!", intelligent practices are all you really need - same with any OS you use really.

BecMacFeegle wrote:Oh Jesus, just don't mention Apple.

Hey Merk!!! It worked then

Hey Bec!

Don't worry, I've totally gone over my hatred of Macs ever since I bought that Ipod nano. In fact it changed my entire life. I got rid of all my stuffy and square electronics and changed over to Apple. Completely. Not only that I now drive a Prius, drink coffee in Starbucks, read Martin Amis and Vice magazine, wear turtle-necks and ironic T-shirts, listen to Vampire Weekend and Ra-Ra-Riot, buy expensive trainers, and when I go out with my SO I make a point of looking & dressing just like her!

Spoiler:

merkwurdigliebe wrote:W7 has a very, very sweet driver stack for graphics cards. Good if you are a gamer. However, if all you do is email/surfing/spreadsheets then I can't really think of any critical or even particularly compelling reason to upgrade (assuming you aren't buying new hardware). Before anyone say "OMG, what about those viruses!!?!", intelligent practices are all you really need - same with any OS you use really.

Naw, i'm an all around guy with PC's. I have my shit locked down tight. I've never ever had a virus, worm or Trojan (knock on wood). But like i said, eventually i'll move on. As for now, i'm good.

Makes me wonder how my fave game, Left 4 Dead, will go on Win7. Probably blow away the performance i get already, i'm sure.

Makes me wonder how my fave game, Left 4 Dead, will go on Win7. Probably blow away the performance i get already, i'm sure.

Don't have the first one, but L4D2 runs sweet on my W7 desktop, well my desktop.

I had XP on my desktop before I changed over to W7. Crysis and Far Cry 2 (the only titles I tested) on "medium-ish" ran well on XP, terrible on high. W7 the difference narrowed significantly (for the better).

I had a Trojan once. Little bastard just kept replicating itself, I thought, 'This is madness' and you know what he said to me...?

merkwurdigliebe wrote:Don't have the first one, but L4D2 runs sweet on my W7 desktop, well my desktop.

I had XP on my desktop before I changed over to W7. Crysis and Far Cry 2 (the only titles I tested) on "medium-ish" ran well on XP, terrible on high. W7 the difference narrowed significantly (for the better).

The first one was great. Not the best graphics by any means but.... the old survivors are better than the new ones. I find myself playing the old one more than the new one. But now that they've ported the old group to the new game via the new DLC, it'll make L4D 2 sweeter.

Everyone I know much prefers the old one, well I sort of did at first as well. Many of the new additions are pretty much worthless, the bile bomb isn't functionally that much different from the smoke alarm bomb, its USP in that you can use it to drive zombies to the tank is pointless as tanks only appear when there are few zombies around. And yes the characters weren't as fun.

But the thing is, the games are meant to be played over and over, and there is just too little variety in gameplay the first one, in the second one I had more distinctive levels and random events were less predictable.

As for characters, I think I grew to like the new ones almost as much as the old. Except Coach, I just find him describing every kind of zombie as "bitches" to be annoying and vague.

The one thing i miss with the old one is the melee weapons. That was a good move on Valve's part incorporating that into the game. I never use a pistol in the new game. Molly's, guns and a Katana is all i need.

Really? Personally those were the biggest let-downs for me, first thing I did in the L4D2 demo was try out the melees and found it a bit useless.

On easy/normal I never really allow myself to get into a position where it could be really useful (being surrounded by the zoms). On hard perhaps a little more useful, but given the abundance of bigger guns everywhere, I never found much need for switching away from the main weapon. On expert I just loved using the magnum to secure one-hit kills.

Naw, i love slashing them as i move. I guess it's all personal preference.

Sometimes i like to enable cheats and use the M60 throughout a campaign on endless ammo.