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ARCHIVED REPORT:
Microsoft Windows XP
Copyright 2015, Faulkner Information Services. All Rights Reserved.
Docid: 00017887
Publication Date: 1508
Report Type: PRODUCT
Preview
Microsoft, having now released several subsequent generations of its
operating system, discontinued sales of Windows XP on June
30, 2008. The company ended its original support period for Windows XP with Service Pack
3 on April 4, 2009, and its extended support period on April 8, 2014. With
the passage of this milestone, Windows XP is now considered legacy software and
will no longer be supported in any form by Microsoft.
Report Contents:
Description
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Related Faulkner Reports |
Microsoft Company Profile |
Although Microsoft is now several generations
beyond Windows XP, many of the more than one billion copies of it that Microsoft sold are expected to remain in use for years to come,
largely because of its overall stability
and familiarity, and also due to compatibility issues certain legacy software may have with
newer versions of Windows.
Vendor |
Name: Microsoft |
Microsoft’s final major update for Windows XP,
Service Pack 3 (SP3), was essentially an end-of-life rollout for the operating
system. Many had anticipated
this update would be made
available in 2006. However, several delays and the impending launch of
Microsoft’s next version of Windows, Vista, caused the release to be pushed back
almost two years. SP3 was finally unveiled in
February 2008 and released to manufacturing that April. It offered customers
features such as Network Access Protection
(NAP),
black hole router detection, credentials security service provider, and the
Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module.
Windows XP is now at the end of its lifecycle. Mainstream support for the OS
ended on April 4, 2009, while its extended support period ran out on April 8,
2014. Microsoft’s announcement of the final service pack update for Windows XP,
SP3, was the last effort in its push for user adoption of a newer version of
Windows. The company has now ceased supporting Windows XP in any form, including
security updates.
Applications
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At the time of its release, Windows XP was hailed by users for its advanced features. One of
the main changes in Windows XP over previous Windows releases was that the XP platform officially
ended the DOS-lineage operating systems offered by Microsoft and also represented the first major
upgrade to the Windows user interface since mid-1995, when Windows 3.1 was
replaced by Windows
95.
Windows XP was hailed as a major move forward in the desktop operating market, adding stunning
new features that were considered innovative at the time. The operating system was made available in five
core editions, each focused at a particular market segment: Home, Professional, Media Center, Tablet PC, and
64-bit editions.
Table 1 outlines the applications of each edition of Windows XP.
Version | Applications |
---|---|
Home Edition |
The consumer version of Microsoft’s Windows XP, Home Edition |
Professional Edition |
Windows XP Professional enhanced the Home Edition by offering users a version of the OS focused |
Media Center Edition |
Windows XP Media Center Edition was an operating system that provided the basis for |
Tablet PC Edition |
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition provided a custom-tailored platform for Tablet PCs. Coming with all the features |
64-bit Edition |
The 64-bit Edition of the company’s Windows XP platform supported both 32-bit and 64-bit |
Service Pack 3 |
SP3 did not add many significant updates to the product. Clients looking for |
Environment
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Table 2 outlines the environments in which each version of Windows XP was
designed to operate.
Version | Applications |
---|---|
Home Edition |
|
Professional Edition |
|
Media Center Edition |
|
Tablet PC Edition |
|
64-Bit Edition |
|
Support
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Microsoft ended its last phase of support for Windows XP on April 8, 2014.
The company recommends that users migrate to a later version of Windows.
Pricing
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Windows XP was available through Microsoft’s OEM partners and retailers until
June 30, 2008, and through certain OEM sales channels, typically for
Netbooks and budget PCs, until October 2010. This version of the operating
system is no longer offered by retailers.
Web Links
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Microsoft Windows XP Support Page:http://support.microsoft.com/ph/1173
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