News - Microsoft urges the enterprise to move on from Windows XP

[HEXUS]

With Vista having failed to make a substantial impact on enterprise users, Microsoft's Steve Ballmer implores customers to let go of Windows XP.

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[nichomach]

Windows 7 looks a lot more promising than Vista, but we're still using the downgrade rights from Vista Business to XP Pro here, and with good reason - you wouldn't BELIEVE how much stuff we have that Vista, let alone 7, would break. We're also, like everyone else, counting our pennies at the moment, and 7's a pretty mahoosive expense, if we upgrade everyone at once. Bluntly, I'm unconvinced of the benefits at the moment, or rather that the benefits are substantial enough to warrant the cost.

[[GSV]Trig]

Same as above, were use out SA rights to use XP over Vista, maybe w7 will tempt us but we'll see...

[digit]

Its XP here throughout GM, and while I now use windows 7 and vista at home I can see why a large global enterprise is unwilling to upgrade to vista or 7 when xp is serving ends users perfectly well. That said Office 2007 was just deployed everywhere, and its hard to see the reasoning behind that!

[neonplanet40]

I see no reason to take XP off any of my computer to be honest. It works fast and reliably for me. What benifit is there for me to change?!

[nichomach]

That said Office 2007 was just deployed everywhere, and its hard to see the reasoning behind that!

Errrr...it was shiny?

[dangel]

Errrr...it was shiny?

Or good? I actually much prefer it to office of old - I think they actually came up with some darn good stuff on that one. Problem is, most users hate change..

[b0redom]

I see no reason to take XP off any of my computer to be honest. It works fast and reliably for me. What benifit is there for me to change?!

Well I went to Vista 64bit as I have a GTX280 and 8 GB of RAM. That being said though, how many corporate PCs have discrete graphics cards at all? How many will have more than a couple of GB of RAM? This is especially true when you consider laptops.

Realistically they need to come up with some reason why a business would shift from XP, and as of right now I'm STILL yet to see one.

[cptwhite_uk]

We're all using XP. Everything works, is stable, everything supports XP. I use all number of small apps that I have no guarantee that would work with Windows Vista / 7.

Why would you risk all this, and for what benefit? Potentially better security or server side features? Not worth the cost outlay, the inevitable software incompatibilities, stress and time loss.

Wouldn't the best thing to do be to build an operating system that was fully upgradable, much like the steam engine is updated? In fact I think steam is a prime example of how software developers should be looking to distribute their goods in the future to help stop privacy and maximise uniformity / compatibility.

[Lowe]

Xp would be a welcome addition where I work - we still use Win2k!

[digit]

Or good? I actually much prefer it to office of old - I think they actually came up with some darn good stuff on that one. Problem is, most users hate change..

I'm not disputing office 2007 as being a good product, I used it throughout university in my first and second year. Just for a company losing more money then its taking it makes little sense to get office 2k7 deployed. I'd say advertising for the new Insignia would be a better spend of money

[shaithis]

I recently received a "beta build" of our companies new desktop - running on Windows XP (previously was 2k).

I think Microsoft are having a laugh. The only companies I expect to see upgrade any time soon are those with large memory requirements in their workstations.

Even then, Microsoft do an XP64 corporate license anyway.

[dangel]

XP64 *shudder*

[SuGaR847]

There is no real incentive for companies to move to a new OS when the old one still serves there purpose. And there is the cost issue. Not even universities have moved from XP yet. There is no reason to.

[madman045]

I can see their point, however to get the best from Windows 7, from reading the feature list, your going to want 2008 R2 to get the most out of it, so I can see what enterprises are not moving from XP/2003 because of what they have works and usually is on 24/7

Microsoft needs to really give businesses a real incentive to want to move

[badass]

We can't see such an approach helping Windows 7's case in the enterprise market, and the forthcoming operating system may face an uphill struggle. Further complicating matters is the fact that - unlike Windows Vista - Windows 7 won't allow users to upgrade from an existing installation of Windows XP, instead requiring an outright clean install.

That may well be a problem with home users, but any IT manager that upgrades his businesses desktop OS by simply using the upgrade feature deserves to be kneecapped and then shot.