Microsoft to Stutdown WindowsXp Support on April 8 2014

Even as April 8 deadline looms for
Windows XP users, Microsoft has
announced showing pop-up alerts
from March 8 to XP users. The
message, to be shown on machines
that have automatic updates
enabled, will warn users about end
of support for the XP and upgrade to
the latest Windows iteration.
Microsoft has already created a
website to help users upgrade from
Windows XP to Windows 8.1.
“Windows XP is a 12 year old
operating system. Now is the time to
upgrade to a new device running
Windows 8.1 for a safe and secure
PC experience,” says Microsoft on its
website.
After April 8, Microsoft will end
technical assistance for Windows XP
, which means XP users will no
longer receive automatic updates
that help protect PC. Microsoft will
also stop providing Microsoft Security
Essentials for download on Windows
XP on this date.
“If you continue to use Windows XP
after support ends, your computer
will still work but it might become
more vulnerable to security risks and
viruses. Also, as more software and
hardware manufacturers continue to
optimize for more recent versions of
Windows, you can expect to
encounter greater numbers of apps
and devices that do not work with
Windows XP,” warns Microsoft.
Interestingly, Windows XP still has a
significant 29% OS market share.
Citing a report from Net Market
Share, Ars Technica says Windows XP
is second only to Windows 7, which
has the largest 47% OS market
share, while Windows 8 and 8.1 have
just 11%. Mac OS X is around 8%;
Windows Vista slides in with 3%,
while “Other” making up less than
2%.
According to reports, Microsoft is
working on a low-cost version of
Windows 8.1 to encourage adoption
of the new Windows platform. Some
reports even suggest that the OS
might be "free of cost." The low cost
OS, called "Windows 8.1 with Bing"
will bundle Microsoft apps and
services.