For all its wide usage and market share, I never liked Windows XP, and never ran it on any system I’ve owned. I stuck with Windows 2000 until the release of Windows Server 2003, bought a license for that—I was a software developer at the time, and I needed access to IIS 6—and used it as my desktop system until the release of Windows Vista, switching as soon as I could buy it. I couldn’t stand Luna—it was so bulbous and blobby, so faux-organic, so garish—but I loved the Watercolor theme that Microsoft used during Windows XP’s beta, and so duly patched Windows Server 2003 to let me use a Watercolor theme.
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I was happy with my Windows XP-free existence. Then I got an office job, and I had to use it as part of the corporate install. I still didn’t care for it. Sure, it more or less worked, but I never really liked it. My workplace stuck with Windows XP after Windows Vista was released, and with this my dislike turned to disgust. Windows Vista’s searchable Start menu was a fantastic feature, and I resented every moment that I had to spend deprived of its convenience.
But for many, Windows XP became the pinnacle of operating systems. Time can be cruel to old software—it can make its shortcomings, its missing features and clunkiness, all the more apparent—but it can also be kind. With time, even the most sluggish and oversized of programs can become lightning quick. Windows XP was never bloated, and as hardware improved, it became downright lightweight. Its system resource usage was basically negligible. It did its job well enough, and it did so with a minimum of burden.
It’s the enterprise, more than anything else, that has fallen in love with Windows XP. It took a while to warm to the new operating system, but once companies were on board with it, the lure of an operating system that they wouldn’t have to change for years on end became intoxicating. In the eyes of many, Windows XP “just works”; no fuss, no messing around. Yes, stability is important, and yes, changing the operating system costs money—but with Windows Vista and Windows 7 you get something for that money. You get much better security track record, much better support for modern hardware and standards such as IPv6. You get more powerful deployment, imaging, and management capabilities. There are many good reasons to move on.
To me, the fact that Windows XP is still widely used a decade later is a cause for dismay. It means that people are missing out on better software and better experiences. Windows XP works, just, but it’s time to move on. We have technologies today that just weren’t a factor for Windows XP; ubiquitous powerful 3D accelerators, abundant multicore processors, USB3, Thunderbolt, and SSDs with TRIM support. Laptops now outsell desktops, making power efficiency, cloud connectivity, and data security more important than ever. The Internet is a much more hostile place, making robust operating system security essential. The world of 2011 isn’t the same as the world of 2001, and software needs to reflect that.
So as we observe the tenth anniversary of XP’s release, what feelings does it evoke in you? Will you (or your workplace) stick with it to the bitter end, continuing to use it into 2014 and beyond? Will the advance of technology slow down such that Windows 7 will enjoy a similar lifespan? Or is goodbye and good riddance to Windows XP? Weigh in with your comments below.
