Windows XP reached GA on October 25, 2001

Oct 25, 2021 11:03 GMT  ·  By

While all eyes today are on Windows 11, not all users out there are running the latest and greatest in terms of Microsoft operating systems.

And no, I’m not talking only about those users who are stuck with Windows 10 because their devices do not meet the Windows 11 system requirements, and not even about people who are still on Windows 7.

There are plenty of them too, but as weird as it may sound, some computers continue to run Windows XP even though this operating system launched no less than 20 years ago today.

In other words, yes, Windows XP is now 20, and if you haven’t moved to a newer version of the operating system, it’s probably time to just let it go.

Windows XP reached the RTM on August 24, 2001, while the general availability was announced on October 25 the same year. And as we all know, its debut was something really big, with Microsoft turning to all kinds of stunts to show everybody just how important Windows XP really was.

For example, PC makers received a copy of Windows XP (to install it on their devices) in briefcases and transported by helicopters.

Windows XP still in use today

Maybe this is one of the reasons Windows XP is still in use today, even though its support was dropped in April 2014.

But on the other hand, if you’re still running Windows XP, it’s pretty clear you use old hardware. So should you decide to move to newer Windows, such as Windows 11, you obviously need to purchase a new computer, and it goes without saying the transition wouldn’t necessarily be cheap.

The good news is not a lot of people are still running Windows XP. Third-party stats indicate that less than 1 percent of the PCs out there are powered by this ancient OS.