After discontinuing support for Windows 98, Windows 98 SE and Windows Millennium, the Redmond Company has released a solution for the estimated 70 million users of the obsolete versions of the operating system. In order to provide both security and support, and to help with a transition period to newer machines, Microsoft has launched Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs .

"Microsoft Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs is a Windows-based operating system designed for customers who have older computers running earlier operating systems and who are not in a position to purchase new hardware. This operating system is available only to Microsoft Software Assurance customers and helps you get the most from your older hardware, thereby reducing your total cost of ownership. This Software Assurance benefit provides improvements to security and manageability to reduce the strain on your IT team, improve end-user productivity, and close security gaps," reads a message posted on Microsoft site.

Based on Microsoft Windows XP Embedded Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs will enable Microsoft's customers to upgrade to a stripped-down version of Windows XP, offering a temporary buffer solution that will prolong the period of time at the customers' disposal to eventually upgrade their entire system.

"Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs is not a general-purpose operating system. It is designed to work with the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection client or third-party clients such as the Citrix ICA client. In addition, it allows for a limited number of workloads to be executed locally, including security software, management software, terminal emulation software, document viewers, and the .NET Framework," concluded Microsoft.