How long will Microsoft support XP?
The short answer is...
Were in security-patch-only support (known as extended support) for an additional five years now. On April 14, 2009, Windows XP and its family of operating systems were moved from Mainstream Support to the Extended Support phase as it marks the progression of the legacy operating system through the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy. During the Extended Support Phase, Microsoft will continue to provide security updates every month for Windows XP; however, free technical support, warranty claims and design changes are no longer being offered.
Here's the Details...
Windows XP has been extremely successful; market research firm IDC estimates that Windows XP (Home and Pro) had a worldwide installed base of 538 million copies at the end of 2006. As long as those XP computers are functional and perform well, users find it difficult to justify the purchase of Vista or a new Vista-based PC.
Microsoft Corp.'s support policies reflect this reality. The company's standard life-cycle policy provides bug fixes and security patches (known as mainstream support) for five years after initial release, and security-patch-only support (known as extended support) for an additional five years. Although Microsoft often doesn't provide extended support for its consumer products, the company says that XP Home and XP Pro will get identical support periods.
Microsoft's support road map currently says that extended support for Windows XP ends in April 2014. You need to be on the latest service pack within one year of its release for continued support, which at this point means you must be running XP Service Pack 2.
So the earliest date that XP SP2 support will end is 2014, but history has shown that Microsoft often gives customers a reprieve as these dates draw near. For example, support for Windows 98 was to be dropped in January 2004, but Microsoft extended it by two and a half years to July 2006.
XP's life would also be extended if Microsoft were to issue an XP service pack on or after 2013. Microsoft has a tentative date for XP Service Pack 3 in the first half of 2008. If SP3 is released anywhere near on schedule and turns out to be the last service pack for XP, it won't affect XP's 2014 end-of-support date.
Read more...http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9026940/How_to_make_Windows_XP_last_for_the_next_seven_years
Support lifecycle
Support for Windows XP without a service pack ended on September 30, 2004[68] and support for Windows XP Service Pack 1 and 1a ended on October 10, 2006.[69][70]
Windows XP Service Pack 2 will be retired on July 13, 2010, almost six years after its general availability.[2] In accordance with Microsoft's posted timetable, the company stopped general licensing of Windows XP to OEMs and terminated retail sales of the operating system on June 30, 2008, 17 months after the release of Windows Vista.[71][72] However, an exception was announced on April 3, 2008, for OEMs installing to ultra low-cost PCs (ULCPCs) until one year after the availability of Windows 7 (October 22, 2010)[73][74][75]
On April 14, 2009, Windows XP and its family of operating systems were moved from Mainstream Support to the Extended Support phase as it marks the progression of the legacy operating system through the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy. During the Extended Support Phase, Microsoft will continue to provide security updates every month for Windows XP; however, free technical support, warranty claims and design changes are no longer being offered.
Only Software Assurance customers who still run Windows XP can enroll in the Extended Hotfix Support Agreement if they want to receive non-security related hotfixes. The enrollment offer for consumers ended on July 14, 2009.[citation needed]
On April 8, 2014, all Windows XP support, including security updates and security-related hotfixes, will be terminated.[2]
Read more...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=9od&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&ei=D0WcS5ypH5C8Np7CvOYN&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&ved=0CBMQBSgA&q=windows+xp+end+of+service&spell=1
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