14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is finally pulling the plug on Windows XP tomorrow but, as it happens, Canonical is about to launch Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) in a little over a week, which seems to be very fortuitous.
In Canonical's defense, Ubuntu always launches new versions during the months of April and October, hence the names like 14.04 and 14.10, for example. Even so, the April launch is a little different than what we had until now because Canonical usually aimed at later dates in the course of the month.
The launch date for Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) is April 17, which is a little unusual and a little earlier than it was originally expected, although it seems to be right on the money and just a week after Windows XP reaches end of life.
Many users have said that this is not the end of Windows XP and that might be true from their perspective. It's very likely that many users (the latest estimate is at about 28%) will continue to use the operating system long after the April 8 date, but developers will no longer care.
In the Linux community, when an operating system (or Linux kernel or any other kind of software) is no longer supported by the developers, it is said that it reaches End of Life. This is why most people think about Windows XP in terms of death.
On the other hand, Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) launches on April 14 along with all the flavors that accompany it: Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu GNOME, Ubuntu Studio, Ubuntu Server, Mythbuntu, and Edubuntu.
It also carries the LTS name, which means that it features long-term support. In the case of Ubuntu 14.04 this is five years, and all the other flavors have announced three years. The support will be provided by the developers and it will consist of constant updates for the kernel and the OS, ensuring that users stay safe.
On the other hand, all the updates for Windows XP will cease and the operating system will become more and more vulnerable with each passing day. Some of the Ubuntu flavors are actually quite similar with Windows XP, especially Lubuntu, so you might want to pay closer attention to the Ubuntu launch next week.
In the meantime, you can try the latest version of Ubuntu 14.04 LTS Beta 2 (Trusty Tahr) from Softpedia.