I must say out of all the Windows operating systems that I have used thus far (starting from 3.1…I was too young to use 1.0 when it was released), Windows XP was the one that held my attention the most. Even the notebook that I purchased last year runs on Windows XP, as I politely declined the Windows Vista option after hearing horror stories about it. Microsoft has clearly seen the stranglehold Windows XP has on the world, and they have finally relented to let Windows XP Home Edition hang around for another two years, which is a welcome reprieve considering the fact that Microsoft planned to pull it away from shelves in less than three months from now. Windows XP Home shall be made available to OEMs at least until June 2010, where Microsoft might pull the plug then. The main reason behind this turnabout is due to “incredibly strong demand” on various devices such as the Asus Eee PC, Intel Classmate PC, and the OLPC. This has also caused Microsoft to post design guidelines for manufacturers looking to build low-cost laptops which are powered by the Windows XP platform.

This piece of news has made me extremely happy, as I know that support for my beloved XP will still be around for quite some time more. After all, Windows XP is the operating system with the largest installed base in the world, and I really wouldn’t mind using it indefinitely - well, at least for another five years more.

How would you react to such news? Will you whoop with joy, or do you think a ‘forced’ upgrade like Vista should be imposed upon computer users? True, good things must come to and end, but then again, why bother reinventing the wheel? I certainly hope the plug on XP won’t be pulled too soon.

Source: ArsTechnica