It looks as if Windows XP's number is up. According to various reports, Microsoft will be pulling the rug out from under Windows XP by forcing manufacturers to stop selling machines with XP by the end of 2008.
This comes in the wake of reports of poor performance and security issues with Windows Vista.
I waited almost a year after Windows XP was first released before upgrading any of my critical Windows 2000 systems to Windows XP, or buying any new machines with Windows XP pre-installed - this is a personal policy due to the time it usually takes Microsoft to sort out the usual rash of security and stability problems in any of their new operating system releases. Of course, development machines are a different story - as a Windows software developer, one can't escape the new stuff.
Regardless, we now have a countdown clock for Windows XP availability. So we know when every new Windows PC will be equipped with Windows Vista.
UPDATE: September 28, 2007
PC World reports that Microsoft is extending XP's expiration date by five months - June 2008.
WINDOWS XP DEMISE
Just as Vista came out, my old laptop gave up the ghost, but I still wanted XP because I use it at work as well and I have loads of software I have recently put onto it. I then went to PC World and Curry's (as they are closest to my home in case of problems), and the only machines with XP on them were a few really expensive models (like HP) or ex-display models. I bought a display model from PC World and took it back after a week with a problem. Then luckily (I thought!) they had the same make in a box, but it was the last unused one available as they were going like hotcakes due to the sale of XP-running machines. Then that one went wrong as well!! This is now my third one in an many weeks and I had to get an ex-display model again as everything else had Vista on it. I was annoyed to be so limited in my choice of machine just because I wanted XP. Most of the ex-displays in Curry's had buttons missing off them anyway, so that cut down my choice as well. I love the look of Vista but I have loads of XP software not yet supported by Vista (as does everyone else I'm sure). Even some of the salesmen were saying it would be better to wait until bugs and other software, etc have been sorted out before buying Vista. In the Microsoft magazine I bought the other day it tells you how to make XP look like Vista (by using downloads from different sites), so maybe I'll try that first! I find it frustrating that as soon as a new product comes out, everyone is forced sooner rather than later to change, even if happy with what they have.
Vista is not for me
I won't be forced to upgrade until my laptop bites the dust. Vista isn't on just about everything here in the Philippines, but I imagine it will be by that time. I won't be going the Vista route if I can help it. PCLinuxOS and Beryl is what I'm looking at. Having had experience with Debian on a machine I used as a server, I think it's a better choice in the long run.
Vista: interesting, but not worth all the trouble?
I've been a longtime Windows user (I've been using Windows since version 1.03 in '87) Vista has some 'interesting' features but I'm holding off for a while. I need to use Vista for software development testing, but I probably won't use it for my main system - Linux? BSD? Perhaps. I've more than enough familiarity with *nix to jump any time, and now that I'm using OpenOffice lately, I'm not dependent on Microsoft Office, so the only thing keeping me in Windows land is the C++/.NET development tools...