Windows XP: Going Strong 10 Years On – But Why?

As Windows XP celebrates its 10th birthday, a survey has sought to discover why it still remains popular. The responses reveal it may not be a simple case of user satisfaction with the package.

An expert has suggested the reason many have still not upgraded from Windows XP may be more to do with lethargy from IT departments than customer satisfaction.

XP getting on a Bit

Writing for Technologizer, Harry McCracken explained how he conducted a survey to see why people were still using the operating system at a time when it has just celebrated its tenth anniversary and Microsoft were preparing to release yet another successor in the shape of Windows 8 that would make XP even more outdated.

His research reveals that more than half of respondents use XP because that is what their employers provide. More than one-third said they would upgrade only when bosses decide to, suggesting that power rests very much in the hands of IT departments.

Upgrading makes Sense

Among the reasons why people may want to upgrade are that mainstream support for the Windows XP operating system ended in 2009, most new applications are written for Windows 7 or equivalents and the user account control function now offers improved security.

Figures cited by Ars Technica in the summer revealed that in July 2011 the percentage of web users on XP dipped below 50 per cent. At the time, the site claimed Windows 7 was gaining fast on its earlier iteration and could overtake it by summer 2012.

McCracken highlighted how he asked XP users in 2009 about their operating system usage too, saying: “I find it intriguing that back then, very [few] people said they were using XP only because it’s what their employers provided – and with the current survey, that’s the number 1 reason.”

He also indicated that just nine per cent of the respondents to this year’s study said they use XP because they prefer it to either Windows 7 or Vista.