Windows XP Death Date May Be Extended - Again!

For all the money Microsoft has spent pimping out Windows Vista, they certainly can't seem to let XP go. The Register reports that Microsoft has yet again extended the deadline for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to produce machines equipped with Windows XP to July 31, 2009. This claim has not been substantiated by Microsoft, but given its push-and-pull relationship with the XP cut-off date, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it were true.

Windows XP was supposed to retire on January 31, 2008, a year after Vista's release, but once Vista sales failed to meet expectations, its death date was extended to July 30, 2008.

Then, in June, Microsoft extended XP for low-cost PCs, also known as Netbooks, until 2010. Dell planned on adhering to Microsoft's guidelines before they too changed opinions and chose to sell after the deadline.

Each time Microsoft wraps XP in floaties, it belies their lack of confidence in Vista. Opinions about their new OS are astoundingly negative, so much so that they pulled a blind taste test -- known as the Mojave experiment -- to get past user's preconceived notions of the system's crappiness.

There have been rumors that Windows 7 would be released in June 2009, which means PC buyers can bypass Vista entirely by sticking with XP until Windows 7. But remember: Windows 7 is being built upon Vista's foundation, so if you've lost your faith in Microsoft's ability to craft anything decent post-XP, 2009 may not be your year.

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