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Thread: MS to discontinue extended support for WinXP Home 2008

  1. #1
    The ******* Shadow dalek's Avatar
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    MS to discontinue extended support for WinXP Home 2008

    This is why people migrate to other OS's, MS are making their products like throwaway lighters, okay this has been around for 7, 8 years time to move on........and forcing consumers to upgrade...for "Power Users" this may be okay, as I am sure those using WinXP professional can hardly wait for "Vista", but for the average PC user who are using the home version, is 8 yrs really too old for an OS????
    Meanwhile, millions of consumers running Windows XP Home Edition will see an end to all support three-years ahead of those running Windows XP Professional despite both operating systems becoming generally available at the same time.

    While Microsoft is pushing out mainstream support for Windows XP Home Edition to two years after the shipment of successor Windows Vista, due in the second half of 2006, Windows XP Home Edition will not receive extended support.

    That potentially means an end to all support for Window XP Home Edition at the end of 2008, while Windows XP Professional edition should continue until the end of 2013.

    It is Microsoft policy not to move consumer products into extended support, although the additional two years have been granted because of the delay to Windows Vista and in recognition of the fact Windows XP Home Edition is "a bit different" to other consumer products from Microsoft, a Microsoft spokesperson said.

    This was a result of bad PR on their part:


    Microsoft's Windows maintenance program is in the spotlight as the company has admitted to bending its support rules over security while cutting support to users of Windows XP Home Edition early.

    The company has said it will, in future, release security updates for products that would normally not receive updates as they'd exceed Microsoft's stated support lifecycle.

    Microsoft said it is now matching the date that a product support cycle ends with its regular monthly security update release cycle, known as "Black Tuesday".

    The first products to benefit from the change are the increasingly dated Exchange Server 5.0 and Exchange Server 5.5, which this week received updates contained in Microsoft's January 2006 patch. The patch fixes a problem judged "critical", which would have allowed malicious code to run in Exchange and Outlook.

    The change comes four years after Microsoft standardized its Windows support policy, introducing three phases called "mainstream", "extended" and "self help" that last five, five and up to eight years after a product's introduction.

    Mainstream support delivers free security and hot fixes, while extended support maintains security fixes but ends hot fixes and free support. After that, users are on their own and must search Microsoft's knowledge base and web casts for answers.

    The change follows a storm of controversy over Microsoft's tardy response to the recent Windows Meta File (WMF) vulnerability. Additionally, a large number of Microsoft's corporate email users are believed to still be running Exchange Server 5.0 and 5.5, launched in 1997 and 1998 respectively, meaning Microsoft has a vested interest in continuing to provide support for the latest vulnerabilities.
    I like this statement.......more or less fend for yourselves....

    It's not like consumers can do without the support. Twenty-four security holes still remain unfixed in Windows XP Home Edition, according to vulnerability monitor Secunia Vulnerabilities . A total of 109 holes have been found since 5 September, 2005.

    The premature end to support means Windows XP Home Edition users will be forced to trawl Microsoft's free online knowledge base and web casts for home fixes.®
    So typical.....

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01...port_security/
    PC Registered user # 2,336,789,457...

    "When the water reaches the upper level, follow the rats."
    Claude Swanson

  2. #2
    The ******* Shadow dalek's Avatar
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    MS to discontinue extended support for WinXP Home 2008

    This is why people migrate to other OS's, MS are making their products like throwaway lighters, okay this has been around for 7, 8 years time to move on........and forcing consumers to upgrade...for "Power Users" this may be okay, as I am sure those using WinXP professional can hardly wait for "Vista", but for the average PC user who are using the home version, is 8 yrs really too old for an OS????
    Meanwhile, millions of consumers running Windows XP Home Edition will see an end to all support three-years ahead of those running Windows XP Professional despite both operating systems becoming generally available at the same time.

    While Microsoft is pushing out mainstream support for Windows XP Home Edition to two years after the shipment of successor Windows Vista, due in the second half of 2006, Windows XP Home Edition will not receive extended support.

    That potentially means an end to all support for Window XP Home Edition at the end of 2008, while Windows XP Professional edition should continue until the end of 2013.

    It is Microsoft policy not to move consumer products into extended support, although the additional two years have been granted because of the delay to Windows Vista and in recognition of the fact Windows XP Home Edition is "a bit different" to other consumer products from Microsoft, a Microsoft spokesperson said.

    This was a result of bad PR on their part:


    Microsoft's Windows maintenance program is in the spotlight as the company has admitted to bending its support rules over security while cutting support to users of Windows XP Home Edition early.

    The company has said it will, in future, release security updates for products that would normally not receive updates as they'd exceed Microsoft's stated support lifecycle.

    Microsoft said it is now matching the date that a product support cycle ends with its regular monthly security update release cycle, known as "Black Tuesday".

    The first products to benefit from the change are the increasingly dated Exchange Server 5.0 and Exchange Server 5.5, which this week received updates contained in Microsoft's January 2006 patch. The patch fixes a problem judged "critical", which would have allowed malicious code to run in Exchange and Outlook.

    The change comes four years after Microsoft standardized its Windows support policy, introducing three phases called "mainstream", "extended" and "self help" that last five, five and up to eight years after a product's introduction.

    Mainstream support delivers free security and hot fixes, while extended support maintains security fixes but ends hot fixes and free support. After that, users are on their own and must search Microsoft's knowledge base and web casts for answers.

    The change follows a storm of controversy over Microsoft's tardy response to the recent Windows Meta File (WMF) vulnerability. Additionally, a large number of Microsoft's corporate email users are believed to still be running Exchange Server 5.0 and 5.5, launched in 1997 and 1998 respectively, meaning Microsoft has a vested interest in continuing to provide support for the latest vulnerabilities.
    I like this statement.......more or less fend for yourselves....

    It's not like consumers can do without the support. Twenty-four security holes still remain unfixed in Windows XP Home Edition, according to vulnerability monitor Secunia Vulnerabilities . A total of 109 holes have been found since 5 September, 2005.

    The premature end to support means Windows XP Home Edition users will be forced to trawl Microsoft's free online knowledge base and web casts for home fixes.®
    So typical.....

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01...port_security/
    PC Registered user # 2,336,789,457...

    "When the water reaches the upper level, follow the rats."
    Claude Swanson

  3. #3
    AO Ancient: Team Leader
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    You do understand that there is a difference between "support" and "critical updates", don't you? Critical updates go on for a significant period after all support has been withdrawn.

    Further to that, in the total population of the installed base of XP Home you could probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of users that have _ever_ called MS. It is more usual for the user to call Compaq, Dell or whoever the manufacturer or reseller was. MS has almost certainly made this decision based on the number of calls received rather than to push users to Vista simply because with or without support not many of the users will upgrade to Vista anyway. 20+% of all my users are still using Win9X at home.... 'nuff said....
    Don\'t SYN us.... We\'ll SYN you.....
    \"A nation that draws too broad a difference between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards, and its fighting done by fools.\" - Thucydides

  4. #4
    AO Ancient: Team Leader
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    You do understand that there is a difference between "support" and "critical updates", don't you? Critical updates go on for a significant period after all support has been withdrawn.

    Further to that, in the total population of the installed base of XP Home you could probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of users that have _ever_ called MS. It is more usual for the user to call Compaq, Dell or whoever the manufacturer or reseller was. MS has almost certainly made this decision based on the number of calls received rather than to push users to Vista simply because with or without support not many of the users will upgrade to Vista anyway. 20+% of all my users are still using Win9X at home.... 'nuff said....
    Don\'t SYN us.... We\'ll SYN you.....
    \"A nation that draws too broad a difference between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards, and its fighting done by fools.\" - Thucydides

  5. #5
    AOs Resident Troll
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    The whole OEM licensing is throw away...Hardware gets old....buy a new computer..get a new OS.

    Reflects on our whole throw away society...its not just MS

    Usually MS offers and upgrade path for the new OS.

    I never recommend OEM server software....pay the extra...get the upgrade path

    I also have some retail versions of OS software....with upgrade paths...allows me to move it to new hardware when needed

    Not that I agree with MSes policy on this.

    I guess they could give you the free upgrade...then charge you for SPs and kb access

    But then...noone would patch

    MLF
    How people treat you is their karma- how you react is yours-Wayne Dyer

  6. #6
    AOs Resident Troll
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    The whole OEM licensing is throw away...Hardware gets old....buy a new computer..get a new OS.

    Reflects on our whole throw away society...its not just MS

    Usually MS offers and upgrade path for the new OS.

    I never recommend OEM server software....pay the extra...get the upgrade path

    I also have some retail versions of OS software....with upgrade paths...allows me to move it to new hardware when needed

    Not that I agree with MSes policy on this.

    I guess they could give you the free upgrade...then charge you for SPs and kb access

    But then...noone would patch

    MLF
    How people treat you is their karma- how you react is yours-Wayne Dyer

  7. #7
    The ******* Shadow dalek's Avatar
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    You do understand that there is a difference between "support" and "critical updates", don't you? Critical updates go on for a significant period after all support has been withdrawn.
    Well Tiger Shark that makes 2 of us anyway........now for the vast majority out there, do they? I still use an old Win 98SE and yes even that gets the odd update.......and no I haven't called for online help for it.........


    Further to that, in the total population of the installed base of XP Home you could probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of users that have _ever_ called MS
    I would be willing to bet unless that hand had a lot of fingers on it, that it is substantially more then that.....

    I suppose it is somewhat like buying a car with a warranty, after it's over and it's more expensive to cover then to sell, why bother??? drive her into the ground.....now there's an idea, maybe MS will except trade-ins
    PC Registered user # 2,336,789,457...

    "When the water reaches the upper level, follow the rats."
    Claude Swanson

  8. #8
    The ******* Shadow dalek's Avatar
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    You do understand that there is a difference between "support" and "critical updates", don't you? Critical updates go on for a significant period after all support has been withdrawn.
    Well Tiger Shark that makes 2 of us anyway........now for the vast majority out there, do they? I still use an old Win 98SE and yes even that gets the odd update.......and no I haven't called for online help for it.........


    Further to that, in the total population of the installed base of XP Home you could probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of users that have _ever_ called MS
    I would be willing to bet unless that hand had a lot of fingers on it, that it is substantially more then that.....

    I suppose it is somewhat like buying a car with a warranty, after it's over and it's more expensive to cover then to sell, why bother??? drive her into the ground.....now there's an idea, maybe MS will except trade-ins
    PC Registered user # 2,336,789,457...

    "When the water reaches the upper level, follow the rats."
    Claude Swanson

  9. #9
    The ******* Shadow dalek's Avatar
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    I never recommend OEM server software....pay the extra...get the upgrade path
    I agree with that, but when a company is counting it's pennies, the OEM's always get picked, at least unfortunatley that's the way this company operates.....
    PC Registered user # 2,336,789,457...

    "When the water reaches the upper level, follow the rats."
    Claude Swanson

  10. #10
    The ******* Shadow dalek's Avatar
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    I never recommend OEM server software....pay the extra...get the upgrade path
    I agree with that, but when a company is counting it's pennies, the OEM's always get picked, at least unfortunatley that's the way this company operates.....
    PC Registered user # 2,336,789,457...

    "When the water reaches the upper level, follow the rats."
    Claude Swanson

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