Redmond (WA) - Microsoft will soon move its Windows XP operating system away from its current mode of "mainstream support" into an era of "extended support." The change will initiate on April 14, and is designed to give Windows XP a fixed five years of life before closure. After 2013, Microsoft will cease all public support for the long-staple many consumers and businesses had relied on for the bulk of this decade.





Microsoft typically enjoys a 10 year product life cycle. They actively maintain and develop new service packs and enhancements for a given OS for a period of five years in mainstream support mode, then move the product to extended support giving it a fixed day of closure. With the problems had in Vista, however, Windows XP will have maintained in mainstream support mode for about eight years, allowing for a longer total XP lifecycle of about 13 years.



Frank Fellows, a Microsoft spokesman said to Computer World in an email:

"Customers will have access to extended support for paid support, security support updates at no additional cost and paid hot fix support. All security updates are provided through both mainstream and extended support."

The new move will not preclude future computer purchasers from being able to buy Windows XP or machines with Windows XP. However, they must recognize that the OS will not be supported after five years. This is similar in impact to those who today still run Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME or 2000. While these operating systems do not have the latest and greatest features, they run most 32-bit Windows applications and are significantly smaller in footprint than modern OSes. On today's computer equipment they also run notably faster than today's OSes because the programs themselves are physically smaller with less computer instructions to carry out the same workload.



OEMs are still shipping the bulk of new notebook computers with the Windows XP operating system despite having a "downgrade" tax or fee added on to the purchase. Vista's uptake has been less than stellar due to significant compatibility issues between it and XP. Many consumers are waiting for the release of Windows 7 later this year before upgrading from Windows XP.