Even though Microsoft announced the 31st of January 2009 as the cutoff date for PC makers to obtain their Windows XP licenses, the company managed to find a way to allow the hardware firms to keep getting the XP licenses until 30 May 2009.

Windows XP was scheduled to be taken off the market in January 2008, in order to make room for the company’s new Vista operating system. The decision to keep offering the OS is closely tied to the fact that Vista was received with some rather bad reviews, as users everywhere complained about the many bugs and issues experienced after installing the system.

Many demanded an immediate downgrade, looking to return to their XP system. PC makers managed to include this option in their offers, and the users interested in acquiring a new system, had the option to choose a direct downgrade to XP – option which was used by many.

Users expressed their opinions all over the Web, stating that the best way to address the situation is to stick with XP until Windows 7 will be ready for release. Its early versions are expected to appear during the second part of 2009 and it is believed to become a major hit for Microsoft.

The decision to keep Windows XP on the market did not come as a surprise as it is exactly what the company’s customers expect. Also, Microsoft announced that XP will still be available until 2010 for netbooks and low-cost laptops.