Killing Windows XP Wastes Billions

Microsoft is already made up it's mind about Windows XP. It will cease providing support on April 8th, 2014. Despite the shutdown, there are still computers, millions of computers, still use XP because "it works" despite security concerns.
I always thought Microsoft was in the business of making money. If you are a shareholder, go to the next meeting and ask the bigwigs why Microsoft is leaving what can amount to billions of dollars on the table regarding Microsoft XP.

Microsoft is too dumb to realize that it can effortlessly monetize Windows XP using the beloved software subscription/rental scheme the company keeps discussing, but apparently has nothing but trouble trying to implement.

I am going to describe a multi-billion dollar idea that Microsoft must consider. 

There are still approximately 500 million XP users—an estimated 29 percent of the computers in the world. Many do not want to upgrade to anything new. They are happy campers.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2454844,00.asp

John ask why not exploit this by Supporting windows XP by just one buck per month. 500,000,000 million windows XP computers, pay one dollar per month = This will lead to 6 billion dollars, more than enough to improve XP for at least 5 years.

But the problem is that Microsoft can't upgrade multiple OSes forever. They have get people to update to Windows 7 and Windows 8 as well. Also, they do offer extended support for business and corporations starting at $200 a year (increasing every year.). But for Microsoft their minds are already made up.

Three good OSes to replace Windows XP.

We are now 30 days until the end of life for Windows XP. Obviously you need to upgrade to Windows 7 or 8. But what if your computer is not powerful enough for Windows 7/8? Another good solution is Linux. Linux is a open source operating system, and there are many variants. Here are three of the many variants that Windows XP users can install.

Microsoft's official support for Windows XP will officially end on April 8, 2014. Microsoft will be no longer releasing security updates or any sort of patches for Windows XP and no more official, direct support will be provided to its users.

Windows XP always has a lot more amount users than Windows 8. Data from analytics firm Net Applications shows that almost one third of the users run XP on their PCs, roughly 3 times more than Windows 8 users. There are several reasons which justify those numbers. The Windows user interface is quite different from XP which forces the XP users for a change and people, obviously, do not like change. The hardware requirements to run Windows 8 are comaparatively much more than XP and most users would not spend dollars on the hardware just because they want to run windows 8. On the other hand, they need not buy a new computer or upgrade their existing hardware because their current configuration is fast enough for some of the distributions of Linux. 

So, if a user has a hardware that runs XP well and now there is need of a supported os that should work well on existing hardware, Linux would be a great choice. However, there are fears that hold the XP users back, like the unawareness about Linux and its available distributions,fear that their apps will stop working and change is the biggest of them all.

Keeping these fears in mind and after collecting the reviews from users all over the internet, i have prepared a list of some Linux distros that can be helpful for those who are planning to switch from XP to Linux.

Source: http://www.coolcoder.in/2014/03/3-immediate-linux-alternatives-for-xp.html

Now those three featured in this article are Lubuntu, Mint, and Zoris. There are many in common with Linux OSs.

First, Linux OSs are maintained and supported for a long time and new features are added without a needing a whole new OS system. Second, they do not need Antivirus Software, because viruses and malware are difficult to enter a Linux OS as they are built such as way that it's extremely secure. Third, favorite applications you use on Windows XP have equivalents on Linux Operating Systems that are just as good. Finally, they all free to download and free to install and use.

XPocalypse 2014

I've found this interesting site called XPocalypse 2014 by Liquidware Labs. It's basically a website about migrating from Windows XP EOL (End of Life) machines to Windows 7. The site presents "tips, survival rules, and real life examples of how to use Liquidware Labs tools to launch an optimal Windows XP to 7 migration strategy and eliminate XPombies in your environment." It's actually suited for desktop administrators running Windows operating systems but it still has general information for the general public and the technology literate.

The site also features whitepaper, videos about migrating to Windows 7 or (8),including an original comic book presented in a Zombie Apocalypse theme.

Oh, and did I mention they offering T-shirts?

For some unknown reason, they mention the EOL date for Windows XP as April 13, 2014, while the actual EOL date is April 8, 2014.

The XPocalypse is upon us all.

It has been 12 years since Windows XP has launched. On April 8, 2014 all consumer support for this OS will cease. No more system updates, no more bug updates, and no more security updates. There is much intelligence to believe that hackers and crackers will launch 0-day attacks the day that Windows XP dies. This blog will cover these developments as they follow as well as advice for those who still use Windows XP.

For now, we leave you with this video.