Make no mistake about it, June 30, 2008 is the beginning of the end for Windows XP, even with Service Pack 3 available for two months now, since May 6. Microsoft confirmed that the end of this month will be synonymous with the availability cut-off date through the retail and OEM channels, although there have been customers hoping until the last minute that the company would breathe new life into the predecessor of Windows Vista. Microsoft has already postponed once the availability end date initially planned for January 30, 2008, but the company was firm on the fact that that was an exception which would not be repeating itself.

"In industry speak, this is called "end-of-sales." On June 30, Microsoft will stop distributing Windows XP as a stand-alone product that you can buy shrink-wrapped in the store. We'll also stop sending it to Dell, HP, Lenovo and all the other major PC manufacturers to sell on their PCs. That said, Windows XP isn't going to disappear overnight", revealed Mthree Sweatt, Chief of Staff of the Windows Core Operating System Division (COSD) at Microsoft citing the new The Facts About the Future - Windows XP website.

Microsoft argued the need to sacrifice Windows XP on the altar of innovation and to continue focusing entirely on Window Vista. The company stressed the fact that it would not be pulling the plug on the operating system, which would continue to benefit from extended support until 2014. Mainstream support will be retired in April 2009, while Extended support will be killed in April 2014.

"You may still see copies of the software-or computers pre-loaded with it-for months, as stores and PC makers work through their inventory. Also, smaller local PC makers-known in the industry as "system builders"-can continue to sell PCs with Windows XP until January 2009. Finally, Microsoft recently announced that computers with limited hardware capabilities-devices sometimes called Netbooks or ultra-low cost PCs (ULCPC)-can carry Windows XP Home until June 2010", Sweatt added.