Windows 7 to get "XP Mode"
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In a pitch to get businesses to finally abandon Windows XP and migrate to a later version of Windows, Microsoft has announced that Windows 7 will have available an "XP Mode" (aka "XPM") by which it will be fully compatible with Windows XP programs. The XP mode will be implemented as a virtual machine. This is the first time Microsoft will have used a virtual machine in order to maintain backward compatibility with older software. XPM will be available as an add-on to Windows 7, it will not come standard. Microsoft says that XPM will not require purchase of an additional XP license, but it is not yet clear if the add-on will be offered free of charge.
Because the virtual machine is processor-based, running XP on Win 7 will require at least a dual-core processor. Not all computers will be able to use the new feature.
You can find a series of screenshots detailing the installation on XPM here:
hxxp://www.winsupersite.com/win7/xp_mode_pre_shots.asp
Windows XP virtual machines can easily be run from other operating systems, of course (most notably Linux). But legal implementation of such a virtual machine would require purchase of an XP license.
Microsoft will offer the release candidate for Windows 7 for public download on May 5. Still no word on what the new OS will cost, however.
hxxp://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9132119&intsrc=news_ts_head
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I work in the oil industry and I seriously doubt that we'll be switching to W7 any time soon.
We switched from 2000 to Vista Ultimate and found that virtually nothing worked, not to mention Vista was slower on the few programs that did work.
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I don't plan to "upgrade," either.
Microsoft products are just too expensive when you consider you can get free OSs that are even better.
I do think that the "XP Mode" will win over a number of businesses and other users, though. That's brilliant.
But Win 7 isn't going to win back 95% market share for MS. They're just gonna have to learn to live with a mere 90%!
