While Microsoft is keen for us to move to Windows Vista, we've got other ideas. With a brand-new service pack and a slew of useful add-ons XP works better than ever. Here are 50 tools that can extend XP's useful working life still further.
Extend XP today, for free
Windows XP – your rights
First laid out in 2001 and revised in 2002 and 2004, Microsoft's support guidelines defined a three-phase lifespan and created a division between business desktop software and consumer desktop software.
Mainstream phase: In the prime of a product's life, Microsoft provides both free and paid-for live support, support for warranty claims and online self-help support information. Software support and maintenance is extensive and free, with downloadable fixes and updates, service packs and freely available support for problem incidents, as well as requests for design changes and new features. Business customers can pay for additional support.
Extended phase: Free live support and warranty support end and free maintenance of consumer products is limited to security fixes. Self-help support remains available online. Pay-per-incident live support remains available. Software patches and updates continue for business desktop software.
End of life: Online support information is removed. Patches and updates cease.
These phases were set in a schedule with definite dates and durations. Business products would be supported for 10 years: mainstream support for five years, then extended support for another five. Consumer products would get five years of mainstream support, but no extended support.
But there are two other factors in a product's lifecycle – service packs and the availability of a new version of the product.
Service packs have a lifecycle of their own. Support for each ends two years after the next is released – support for XP Home Service Pack 1 (SP1) support, for example, ended in 2006, two years after the release of SP2 in 2004 – or at the end of the product's support lifecycle, whichever comes first.
When it looked like mainstream support for XP might run out before the next version of Windows made it to market, Microsoft amended the policy so that mainstream support would last for either five years or for two years after a successor version is released, whichever period is longer.
While the product lifecycle guidelines set definite limits on product lifespans, Microsoft has shown a willingness to move the goalposts when it's put under enough pressure. When XP shipped in December 2001, mainstream support was slated to last until December 2006. Microsoft's internal problems with launching Vista forced it to extend the period to April 2009 and to eliminate the distinction between business and consumer versions, so that Home will have extended support too.
NEXT PAGE: Windows XP – Support goes on > >
- 50 tools to help extend Windows XP
- Vista's failure to launch
- XP: Trick or tweak?
- XP-alidocious!
- Windows XP – your rights
- Windows XP – Support goes on
- Market pressure
- The save XP campaign
- How to downgrade to XP
50 free Windows XP tools
- Office optimising tools for XP
- Five essential XP add-ons
- XP browser boosters
- Five essential XP web-browser add-ons
- Extra media muscle for XP
- Five media boosters for XP
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Comments
Ron Graves said: My mistake - if you close the donation request FireFTP appears
The Watcher said: Hey Ron Ill give you a dollar This article is really useful more please
Ron Graves said: FireFTP is NOT free You can download it but it wont run unless you make a donation first This apparently can be as little as 1 but its not a freebie so why is it here
Ron Graves said: I dont know which Firefox addons Woodburner had problems with but those Ive looked at gave me no problems at all
woodburner said: I tried to download several of the Firefoxaddons but on each occasion I received the message Microsoft can not find the associated file was this not checked before you published article
Regmon said: My sincere apologies if there are 50 Free Tools but I never got to them through all the Anti-Vista stuff and still believe that such tactics will put off potential customers far more than encourage them
The watcher said: there are 50 free tools but seems odd to make people read 9 pages of anti Vista first
Regmon said: This sort of false description of an article probably does more to discourage customers from buying the mag than anything else If you have 50 Free Toolsby all means shout it from the rooftops If you haventdont tell ouright lies
Hanea said: Just Another Anti Vista article I am really sick of these type of articles Especially when they try to promote other OSs between the lines Leopard I stopped reading at page 9 because I got bored from waiting for the great 50 free tools for XP I just shutdown reading this Guys be objective and try to bring a real benefit for your readers not just dump the anti Vista content templates that I have been reading all over the web The same thing every where Come on Move over I am using both Vista and XP and happy with them the most Every one has a place for me but not Leopard neither Ubuntu
Rob said: Nine pages of anti Vista then some XP stuff and not even the best free tools for XPWaste of time
Catweazle said: Theres a bit of a typo in this article - it says speaking of Vista downgrade to XP Clearly it should be Upgrade to XP