Microsoft may 'wake up' over end to XP

David Lawsky

26th Apr 2008

Microsoft may 'wake up' over end to XP but so far, they have no plans to keep the operating system selling past 30 June, chief executive Steve Ballmer has said.

If customers show they want to keep the Windows XP operating system, Microsoft could re-think plans to phase out it out by 30 June, chief executive Steve Ballmer said.

Ballmer said so far, customers have not expressed this.

"XP will hit an end-of-life. We have announced one. If customer feedback varies we can always wake up smarter but right now we have a plan for end-of-life for new XP shipments," Ballmer told reporters at a news conference on Thursday.

Microsoft has announced that it will stop licensing Windows XP to computer makers and end retail sales by June 30.

Ballmer said that most retailers sell computers with Vista, the latest version of its Windows operating system, and most consumers are choosing to buy Vista.

"In the business environment, we still have customers who are buying PCs with XP" because information technology departments often have to work with old machines, he said.

Vista requires high-speed central processing units (CPUs) that are only installed in newer machines.

XP was given a five-month stay of execution last year, after problems with Vista.