Microsoft's Attempt To Convert Users From Windows XP Backfires

MojoKid writes "Microsoft has been loudly and insistently banging a drum: All support and service for Windows XP and Office 2003 shuts down on April 8. In early February, faced with a slight uptick in users on the decrepit operating system the month before, Microsoft hit on an idea: Why not recruit tech-savvy friends and family to tell old holdouts to get off XP? The response ... was a torrent of abuse from Windows 8 users who aren't exactly thrilled with the operating system. Microsoft has come under serious fire for some significant missteps in this process, including a total lack of actual upgrade options. What Microsoft calls an upgrade involves completely wiping the PC and reinstalling a fresh OS copy on it — or ideally, buying a new device. Microsoft has misjudged how strong its relationship is with consumers and failed to acknowledge its own shortcomings. Not providing an upgrade utility is one example — but so is the general lack of attractive upgrade prices or even the most basic understanding of why users haven't upgraded. Microsoft's right to kill XP is unquestioned, but the company appears to have no insight into why its customers continue to use the OS. "

Comments

Re:I have your conversion right here...

[SJHillman]

No need to pretend to be informative.

It seems you're unaware that this article is about upgrading to Windows 8, which doesn't have Windows XP mode. Also, most home users wouldn't have access to it anyway in Windows 7 (IE: Home edition). Windows 8 does have Client Hyper-V for the business-oriented editions, but it does not include a free XP VM as Windows 7 did.

Re:lack of attractive upgrade prices

[bobbied]

Don't forget the $100/year charge for Office 365 or the $220 for Home Office Premium.