Microsoft extends XP’s availability to June 2007…

If you look at Windows Vista compared to XP, it’s hard, in my opinion, to imagine it in the enterprise. There’s just too much of a coat of paint on it to see it as a legitimate, enterprise level, business oriented operating system.  Apparently, a lot of OEM’s also see it the same way. Microsoft has heard their cries and has tacked on an extra 5 months of XP availability to retail and other partners.  They can still purchase the operating system as late as June 2008.  System builders will still have access to it until January 2009.

Apparently, this is just a simple business decision.  According to Mike Nash, Corporate VP for Windows Product Management, Microsoft didn’t do this because they are nice.  This was all about the bling-bling.

I’ve been saying this for months…XP’s been around for nearly 7 years…longer than any other major OS (other than DOS…in ALL its various versions and flavors). Its currently engrained into Corporate America in a way that no other OS has been in the history of computers. Corporate America isn’t going to let go of it simply because Microsoft released a new operating system.  Honestly, Vista is ok; but it’s so COMPLETELY different from XP, that I had a really hard time getting used to it; and I’ve been a part of every MS technical beta team for Windows and Office from Windows95 to XP and Office 95 to 2003. Trust me, Vista is NOT XP with a fresh coat of paint.

As such, Dell has been pestering the daylights out of Microsoft, saying they would support and continue to offer XP to its customers as long as it could. From what I’ve been able to read around the Internet, the continued demand for XP after Vista’s availability is cramping Microsoft’s so called, sense of innovation.  In articles I’ve read, it’s been perceived that Nash is annoyed with the public’s continued desire and love of XP. In a press conference, he "mildly" chastised MS’ customers for continuing to demand XP over Vista.

As I said before, it’s going to take a lot to take the desire for something that’s been working well in the enterprise away from IT managers. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it…