Windows XP Can't Be Killed

Despite Microsoft's best efforts, the software maker has been forced by public pressure from analysts and businesses to extend the life of the operating system through April 2011.The folks in Redmond had been planning to kill off the 8-year-old operating system 6 months after shipping Windows 7, or in April 2010. But many companies won't be ready to upgrade to Windows 7 by then, so Microsoft now says it will continue to allow PC vendors to offer "XP Downgrades" for 18 months after launch.

This continuing kerfuffle illustrates the tough time that Microsoft is having surrounding operating systems. Windows Vista is largely considered a bust, but even upgrades to the largely lauded Windows 7 will cause headaches for companies of all sizes.

Our friend Gene Marks is now calling Windows 7: Another Reason to Dread the Holidays.

Oh, and that April 2010 date isn't set in stone. Microsoft reserves the right to end the downgrades upon release of the first Windows 7 service pack, whenever and if ever that occurs. In the past, the company has seldom waited 18 months to release a service pack for a new OS, but since Windows 7 is so closely tied to Vista, that pattern may not hold true in this case.

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