Next year comes the end of the longest-lived Microsoft OS yet, Windows XP-- Microsoft will only support Windows XP users until 8 April 2014.
Customers and partners will no longer receive XP and Office 2003 security updates or be able to leverage on Microsoft tech support after the date.
In other words, Microsoft wants everyone to migrate to Windows 7 (if not 8) sooner rather than later.
However Windows XP remains popular-- according to Net Applications XP is the 2nd biggest desktop OS around with 38.73% market share, even 10 years after initial release.
On the other hand Windows 7 holds 44.73% of the market, while Windows 8 share is 4th at just 3.17% (behind 3rd placing Vista with 4.99%).
Such numbers might show XP remains sophisticated enough to satisfy user needs, even in the year 2013-- or provide further proof that customers would rather buy tablets or smartphones than upgrade aging (yet still capable) PCs...