Expert: Brian Benosky - 4/26/2009

Question
Hi Brian, why do you think that MS wants to ditch XP, that is loved by so many users, for Vista which most users think is an inferior OS? Why not just make XP better? Is it true, Win7 is Vista with a new paint job? Thanks, Mike

Answer
Hi Mike

When it releases a new OS, Microsoft makes millions if not billions by selling upgrade licenses.  They will tout new features and tell you how secure the new system is in order to sell upgrades.  And there will always be a new must-have feature that can only work on the new OS.  XP cannot run games using DirectX 10, whereas Vista can.  I'm sure 7 will take advantage of features in the latest CPU's that Vista doesn't.  This will also sell more new computers, allowing for a nice kickback from system makers in order to allow them the use of the latest OS.  If Microsoft were to build the perfect OS, they would put themselves out of business.  I believe that they will continue to support XP by releasing security updates and service packs for some time to come.  It turns out that XP runs really nice on the new netbooks, so it will continue to generate revenue for a bit longer.  But once it stops making money, it will be abandoned.  This is why Bill Gates is a multi-billionaire, and also why a lot of folks who care about computers hate him and his company.  Let me know if you have any further questions.  Cheers!

Brian