The day has come to say our official good-bye to Windows XP. Microsoft announced its decision for quite some time, in order for its clients to be aware of the changes and also to offer the information needed on the benefits of an upgrade to Vista and provide the assistance to make it happen.

Unfortunately, it seems as if nobody is getting the best out of XP’s retirement, with Microsoft having a hard time convincing people to switch to Vista and many of the users rather upset with the reduced availability of their favorite operating system.

The main issues concerning Windows Vista started very soon after its launch with a series of bugs and errors and there was also discontent with the extremely high system requirements, for which many failed to find a reasonable explanation. As a result, the solution to downgrade the system seemed to be the best way of handling the matter, while others were counseled to not even attempt Vista’s installation. Many have their mind set on sticking with Windows XP until the new Windows 7 will be released, sometime at the beginning of 2010.

Microsoft's decision to no longer sell its highly successful operating system to retailers and computer makers involves a long term plan, as many retailers will still have to exhaust their stocks and there is also a feature when acquiring Vista, which allows users to legally downgrade their systems if they consider it more appropriate for their needs.

In an effort to show that this is indeed a big matter and that the company should reconsider its decisions and keep selling the system, some decided on releasing an online petition where people, besides signing it, can put down their own thoughts about the issue and point out the benefits and mishaps of each operating system. So far, there have been more than 210,000 people demanding the indefinite availability of the Windows XP system and many more are expected to follow.

Unfortunately, there is a big chance that the feedback, even though it will surely be acknowledged by the company’s officials, will not make a difference in Microsoft’s plans, as its vision demands the system’s evolution, with better security updates, faster applications, new features and sharper designs. Of course that not everyone understands this progress concept, continuously debating on the reasons why the company wants to stop cashing in on one of its best sellers.

It has been said that Microsoft is a victim of its own success, as its six-year-old Windows XP has been received with huge enthusiasm from day one, becoming one of the most popular operating systems available.

The company announced that its Windows XP will still be available through its initiative to help the ultra-low-cost PC market, with the $500 laptops from Hewlett-Packard and Asus still benefiting from the OS. Also, Microsoft’s full technical support for Windows XP will remain accessible until 2009 and from that point on, a limited set of assistance tools will be available until 2014.