Back in January, Microsoft updated their support schedule for Windows XP which now gives users extended support until April 2014. As it stands, this makes support available to XP users for two years after Windows Vista Ultimate, Home Premium, and Home Basic users which hardly makes sense!
Right now on the Microsoft Support Lifecycle site, they list Windows Vista Ultimate with support until 2012 with no extended support offered.This could mean a few things. First, it could simply be a mistake that has yet to be corrected ( I doubt it). Secondly, this tells us that we’ll at least have a new operating system out from Microsoft by then.
If this is by chance no mistake, consumers, particularly small businesses will definitely need to think twice about whether or not they want to make the upgrade. As Microsoft Watch points out:
“The limited support option creates potential problems for smaller businesses looking for improved security. BitLocker encryption technology is only available in two Vista editions: Enterprise and Ultimate. However, Enterprise is only available through volume licensing, a purchasing option not used by many smaller businesses.”
The only two Vista options with extended support until 2017 are the Business, and Enterprise editions. With Microsoft talking up Ultimate as the best Vista experience, I’m surprised they’re not offering extended support to make the purchase worth it.
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Tags: Software, Windows, Apple, Downloads, Microsoft, Screenshots, Windows Vista, Windows XP
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That really doesn’t make any sense at all
Well, that is about as useful as screen door on a submarine! Typical Microsoft.
Hopefully by 2012, Linux will be so user-friendly that it’ll kill off Windows
Well naturtally since the WordPress Editor isn’t working correctly tonight my ping-back to this article works!
Of course… Microsoft (or mentioning them anyways) must hold the magic touch with our Pingbacks.. who knew?
I was thinking that it was as useful as a pair of glasses for a blind man, but you got the point across.
I think at some point there is bound to be a version of Linux that can run Windows programs as well, and that will be the day that Bill Gates retires.
I saw the pingback when scrolling down to checkout the comments…I thought that maybe you had fixed something. Hopefully they’ll continue to work now.
My guess is that they are confident that Vienna or Windows 7 will be released on time replacing Vista but will be forced to extend support when they realize that once again they have overshot their abilities and push deadlines back gradually increasing support to 2099
You’re probably right, the only reason they extended support for XP was probably because it had been out far longer than expected. Obviously if Vista is still out for another 5 years then they will have to extend that as well because that would mean they would stop supporting it before Vienna comes out.
Of course by that time Google would have bought Microsoft.