XP

On the heels of one of Microsoft's biggest patch days ever, some XP users are finding their systems totally fouled up.

While Microsoft only released one patch Tuesday, they also admitted that the copy of Adobe Flash they've been shipping with XP until recently is hopelessly outdated and buggy.

A few of you will move toward Macintosh and Linux operating systems for more of your computers, but not enough to hurt Microsoft. Windows 7 will become, for three reasons, the most popular personal computer OS in 2012 (assuming ancient Mayan predictions are wrong and we're still here). Those three reasons? Money, time, and hassle.

For an information company, Microsoft seems clueless on providing clear directions and upgrade paths. What upgrade option do you choose? How much does a Windows 7 upgrade cost? Anywhere from $60 to $300, depending on which of the many conflicting stories you believe. And if you want to upgrade from an XP system, your options range somewhere between “no way” and “plan to spend 20+ hours on the project.” Why can we not get a straight answer? What's with the dumb Windows 7 upgrade chart?

I admit surprise that Windows 7 is on track to ship this October in time for holiday shopping and end of year tax purchases. Last year, I would have bet money this would not happen. But the more I read about Windows 7, the more I am convinced it may wash the bad taste of Vista away.

The Microsoft executive in charge of Windows urged some companies this week to dump Vista deployment plans and shift to Windows 7

Microsoft has been lambasted in the media for Windows Vista and is doing everything possible to make sure that Windows 7 doesn't meet a similar fate. With application compatibility remaining an area of weakness for Vista, Microsoft has taken the step of announcing their development of a virtual XP Mode that will run in Windows 7 and host Windows XP-compatible software. While XP Mode presents some challenges for IT staff, it also present a terrific opportunity for Microsoft.

Mainstream support for Windows XP ends next week. At the same time, Microsoft has announced that it will provide downgrade rights from Windows 7 to both Windows XP and Windows Vista. So you get to choose between sticking with Windows 7, running the lambasted Windows Vista, or downgrading to an unsupported OS. Read on.

Microsoft will restrict Windows 7 "upgrade rights" for Vista and XP users to 25 machines at any single street address, meaning that larger companies will have to go through volume licensing for their migration plans.

Happy birthday, 40th birthday Unix -- you're looking great for your age. With your birth as our starting point, then, let's look at the biggest desktop OS milestones of the past 40 years.

I refuse to print hype from Microsoft about how wonderful their Windows 7 operating system will be when it ships in a year or two. However, it may be time to start moderating the craziness for small businesses reading the hype elsewhere.