[ubuntu-us-mn] ubuntu-us-mn Digest, Vol 22, Issue 4

[Ron Schreiner]

"Anyone notice how MS chopped the legs from Ubuntu being pre-loaded on netbooks? They must have gave XP away to get it on netbooks. I am glad Dell gives users an option to use Ubuntu!"

M$ gave away an unsuported OS.. Now that's a bonus for those people who bough a new PC with a DEAD OS!! GO MICROSHAFT!!

Pass the info along to anyone still using XP.


The Shorter 
Explanation:
 
On Tuesday, April 14th, 
2009, Microsoft stopped all support for WindowsXP – except the Retail versions 
of it.
 
In other words, if you own a name 
brand computer that came with WindowsXP installed on it, Microsoft now no longer 
supports WindowsXP on it. Microsoft has decided to leave WindowsXP support up to 
the manufacturer to support it, but knowing how Microsoft has their licensing 
setup with their OEMs, if Microsoft no longer supports WindowsXP, the OEMs won’t 
support it either (or for very long if at all.)
 
The retail version of WindowsXP will 
be supported by Microsoft until April 8th, 2014 – another 5 years. 
For those people who DO have WindowsXP, if you do need support from Microsoft, 
it is going to cost you for that support from them.
 
Since most businesses are resisting 
Windows 7 (the next version of Windows), this means that if you experience any 
hardware failure (e.g. needing new parts), you will need to use older parts that 
driver software exists for under WindowsXP – and that is going to cost you as 
well.
 
The Longer 
Explanation:
 
http://blogs.technet.com/lifecycle/archive/2009/04/14/extended-support-begins-for-windows-xp-support-for-xp-continues-until-2014.aspx

Extended Support Begins for 
Windows XP ”Support for XP Continues Until 2014

Recently 
there has been a fair amount of press coverage regarding the end of Mainstream 
Support for Windows XP. Released at the tail end of 2001, Windows XP has been a 
solid hit in the marketplace and there has been some concern about what the move 
from Mainstream to Extended Support means for customers.

To be clear, 
Microsoft will continue to support Windows XP until 8 April 2014 about five 
years from now. So what are the differences between Mainstream and 
Extended?

Microsoft divides support for Business and Developer products 
(including the Windows XP operating system) into two distinct timeframes: 
Mainstream Support and Extended Support. In a nutshell, Mainstream Support 
provides both consumers and enterprise customers with a full offering of support 
including complimentary support, design change requests, security updates and 
other kinds of updates for the product.

Extended Support does alter the 
range of support a bit, but for the vast majority of customers the essential 
core remains the same. For example, customers will continue to receive free 
security updates and can call in for paid support until the second Tuesday in 
April of 2014. Enterprise customers with Premier Support who 
may need non-security hotfixes (such as design change requests) should consider 
enrolling in an optional support program named Extended Hotfix Support (EHS). 
EHS is required by very few customers as the product has matured to the point 
where design changes are relatively infrequent. For more information on 
obtaining Extended Hotfix Support, enterprise customers should contact their 
Microsoft account representative.

Customers who purchased Windows XP 
pre-installed on their machines will continue to receive support from the 
manufacturer of their PC (often called the Original Equipment Manufacturer or 
OEM).  Each OEM determines how long they will support products pre-installed on 
their machines. Therefore, the April 14th transition from Mainstream to Extended 
Support is most relevant for customers who purchased Windows XP through 
retailers or volume licensing, a relatively small piece of the XP installed 
base.

Recommendations for users of 
Windows XP

To receive support and security updates, you 
must be running on a supported product and on a supported service pack version. 
For Windows XP this is currently SP2 or SP3.

Visit Windows Update 
regularly and confirm you have installed all available security updates. These 
are critical to keep your machine free from malware.

Rest easy knowing 
that Microsoft will continue to support Windows XP for another five 
years!


http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/operatingsystems/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=216500663&subSection=News

Windows XP Support No Longer 
Free

Most XP users who 
encounter trouble will have to pay Microsoft for help.

By Paul 
McDougall
InformationWeek
April 14, 2009 02:44 PM

Microsoft on Tuesday, 
April 14th, 2009  officially terminated support for the Windows XP 
operating system for most users as it paves the way for the arrival of Windows 7 
and tries to salvage what's left of the market for the widely maligned Vista 
OS.

As planned, Microsoft's Mainstream Support 
program for Windows XP ended Tuesday. That means users of the 8-year-old 
operating system will have to pay Microsoft on a per-incident basis if they want 
help with XP.

Microsoft plans to end all support for Windows XP, paid and 
unpaid, on April 8, 2014.

The termination of mainstream support for XP 
could leave many users in a quandary, particularly small businesses that 
typically do not employ the volume licensing and support contracts used by 
larger enterprises.

The bulk of businesses, large and small, continue to 
use XP over Windows Vista, which has been widely criticized for its resource 
requirements, intrusive security measures, and lack of compatibility with older 
software.

Businesses are in no hurry to move to the forthcoming Windows 
7, either.

A survey released this week by appliance vendor Kace revealed 
that 83% of businesses have no plans to upgrade their PCs to Windows 7 within 
the first 12 months of the operating system's availability. Microsoft is 
expected to release Windows 7 later this year or early next.

The upshot: 
Many users could end up paying hefty support fees to Microsoft as long as they 
continue to use XP and resist migrating their systems to one of the company's 
newer operating systems. The fact that so many appear willing to do so is a 
testament to XP's longevity -- and the relative distaste for newer flavors of 
Windows.



      
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