Microsoft extends XP Downgrade rights until 2020

CarlTR6 · 13 Jul 2010

I agree with you but lots of people around the world are stuck with yesterday's technology because they have no other options. Some are stuck with it by choice because what they have suits their needs.

Keep in mind that most of us here are enthusiasts and hardly representative of the average home computer user. My dad can barely open and read his email. He has no idea how to send an attachment. For him a Win 98 computer and dialup would be just fine.

Up until five years ago, where I use to live, my only options were dialup or satellite and I could not justify satellite. ADSL was not available at any speed. And that was in Florida USA. No cable TV either. :)

blackroseMD1 · 13 Jul 2010

Ed Bott says it's all BS...

Yesterday, in a post about Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1, Microsoft announced they were extending downgrade rights for Windows XP. I saw the announcement and didn’t think much of it. But then I saw that my colleague Mary Jo Foley had picked up on the story last night (Windows XP gets yet another reprieve from Microsoft). She referred to something she had read in ComputerWorld, and I said, “Really? XP is going to still be around in 2020? How could I have missed this?” So I took a second look at the Windows Team blog post, and a closer look at the licensing rules that all these dates are based on, and then I checked in with a Microsoft spokesperson to confirm my calculations.

Here’s the short version: ComputerWorld missed a few important details in its calculations and thus reached the wrong conclusion. Yes, Microsoft is extending downgrade rights for Windows XP. No, you will not be able to buy a PC with Windows XP downgrade rights in 2020. In fact, by my calculations XP will be officially and completely out of all sales channels in early 2015.

Full story at link

XP in 2020? Not even close. Read the fine print

Win7User512 · 14 Jul 2010

Wii Master 64 said:

By 2020, XP will be 19 years old!!! That would be even worse than still using Windows 95 today! Just end XP in 2014....

Yeah, it would be like downgrading to Windows 3.1.

seekermeister · 14 Jul 2010

I find this subject very confusing, because anyone can run any version of Windows, if they are willing to do so without support updates, so how is it actually extended, unless it includes supports updates also?

Along the same lines, I have been wondering if XP x64 will continue to get updates, because their previous announcement said that this support would terminate as of this month, unless SP3 was installed, and x64 only goes up to SP2.

Barman58 · 14 Jul 2010

seekermeister said:

I find this subject very confusing, because anyone can run any version of Windows, if they are willing to do so without support updates, so how is it actually extended, unless it includes supports updates also?

Along the same lines, I have been wondering if XP x64 will continue to get updates, because their previous announcement said that this support would terminate as of this month, unless SP3 was installed, and x64 only goes up to SP2.

This subject is very confusing, The problem is often that the commercial "needs" for depreciation and the like means that the sales time-line will be different from the technical time-line.

As Ed Bott's blog states the announcement appears to be something that the legal team require rather than something that will actually effect the real world availability.

Some enterprise customers may well be using XP long after 2014 but they will of course be supporting this themselves, that is their choice

Win7User512 · 14 Jul 2010

seekermeister said:

I find this subject very confusing, because anyone can run any version of Windows, if they are willing to do so without support updates, so how is it actually extended, unless it includes supports updates also?

Along the same lines, I have been wondering if XP x64 will continue to get updates, because their previous announcement said that this support would terminate as of this month, unless SP3 was installed, and x64 only goes up to SP2.

XP x64 is getting extended support. Even though critical updates for XP SP2 x86 have ceased, x64 will continue to receive critical updates.

BCXtreme · 14 Jul 2010

If that article from Ed Bott is correct, it makes much more sense. I mean, c'mon, the original interpretation of the announcement makes you feel like someone's going to shout "April Fools!"...

Layback Bear · 14 Jul 2010

There will be many things that happen in the world but M/S not wanting people and or business updating to Windows 7 is not one of them. M/S wants every body to upgrade to Windows 7 and IMHO will stop supporting XP which is a operating system they are no longer receiving money for as soon as they can get away with it. Microsoft is in the business of selling new operating system and programs. That's what I call 2 and 2 add up to 4.

blackroseMD1 · 14 Jul 2010

BCXtreme said:

If that article from Ed Bott is correct, it makes much more sense. I mean, c'mon, the original interpretation of the announcement makes you feel like someone's going to shout "April Fools!"...

That's what I thought the first post would say when I saw this thread title. No way in hell MS would extend XP that far. Everyone that I know that was still on XP has either upgraded to 7 on their own, or I've talked them into upgrading.

There is just no sense in using a 9 year old OS when you have better, more stable options like Win7.

JonM33 · 14 Jul 2010

blackroseMD1 said:

Ed Bott says it's all BS...

Yesterday, in a post about Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1, Microsoft announced they were extending downgrade rights for Windows XP. I saw the announcement and didn’t think much of it. But then I saw that my colleague Mary Jo Foley had picked up on the story last night (Windows XP gets yet another reprieve from Microsoft). She referred to something she had read in ComputerWorld, and I said, “Really? XP is going to still be around in 2020? How could I have missed this?” So I took a second look at the Windows Team blog post, and a closer look at the licensing rules that all these dates are based on, and then I checked in with a Microsoft spokesperson to confirm my calculations.

Here’s the short version: ComputerWorld missed a few important details in its calculations and thus reached the wrong conclusion. Yes, Microsoft is extending downgrade rights for Windows XP. No, you will not be able to buy a PC with Windows XP downgrade rights in 2020. In fact, by my calculations XP will be officially and completely out of all sales channels in early 2015.

Full story at link

XP in 2020? Not even close. Read the fine print

Yeah, a 19 year old OS sounds a bit odd to me.