Windows XP Mode: Certify like you mean it

Windows 7's XP Mode does not mean you can completely avoid upgrading your Windows XP applications or entirely dodge Windows 7 certification, Microsoft has warned. ISVs and end users will only get a Windows XP experience when running their Windows XP applications in the new operating system's Windows XP Mode. To experience the …

[b166er]

Sounds yum

Free pre-activated XP, is there any reason not to upgrade then?

Does XP mode communicate directly with video hardware?

[John C]

Double Trouble?

Double the software updates, double the p0wnage.

[tony trolle]

arrrrr

XP licence ! so looks like M$ is listening; Win 7 with XP VM

[Paul]

What's this Widows XP then?

Is this the effect of yet another bug in Windows?

(Scroll to the end of the article ...)

[Kevin]

Well

It seems Microsoft doesn't learn and decided to make 10 billion flavors of shit again to confuse people and slow up adoption.

What ever happened to the simplicity of Win2k? For users you had one edition and that one edition was good. Not this home, semi uncrippled home, what should be standard, deluxe, super duper delux, and the Primo OMG you need a quad core with dual Nvidia 9800 in SLI mode just to load the OS and click on the start button version.

Personally looks like I'm still gonna stick with Win2k till no one makes software compatible with 2k and xp than go raise up the penguin flag

[skeptical i]

The new "widow maker"?

Should the [mis-?]spelling in the next- to- last 'graf ("Another question after news of Widows XP Mode broke .... ") be taken to imply that XP Mode might have some interesting side effects? BSOD indeed.

[Greg]

Do hope you can tweak it

The standard VirtualPC settings for XP are rubbish!

[Anonymous Coward]

OH FFS!

"Windows XP Mode is planned for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate"

Oh, here we go again, what about the Windows7 "sold with every laptop" version and Windows 7 "Can't be added to a domain" version and now there will be Windows 7 "Can't run in xp mode" version.

What a load of bollocks, I honestly don't know why they just don't do one version of the software save loads of development time and effort and sell it cheaper.

[drag]

Looks like Microsoft finally took a lesson from IBM.

Ha. XP mode. That's cute.

I've had "XP mode" for a couple years now on my desktop. Running Linux, of course. And native applications are, indeed, better. I also have "OS X Mode", "FreeBSD Mode", "Vista Mode", "OpenBSD Mode", and "Debian Mode". A mode for every mood.

KVM on Fedora kicks-ass.

[John F***ing Stepp]

FAIL ?

Never mind.

I will go back to windows ME.

(doesn't have drm eh?)

[Robert Ramsay]

Very witty, Wilde

"still need to upgrade their software to Windows 7 if they want to access native capabilities, such as *reduced memory space* or the Aero interface."

[Anonymous Coward]

Some new Win7 computers can't run XP Mode though...

As I understand it, XP Mode requires a CPU with Virtualisation Technology or equivalent. So this will mean some Win7 systems can run XP Mode and some cannot. So how will M$ differentiate between the two types to avoid disappointing customers?

[Nigel]

Pleasantly surprised

If this XP mode actually works, I might come to like Windows 7. Perhaps Microsoft have been listening to the reasons that people hated Vista after all!

Where's the thumb-sideways icon?

[Craig Roberts]

Home?

Why no XP Mode for home users?

[Geoff Mackenzie]

"native capabilities, such as reduced memory space"

I need Windows 7 now! How else can I get reduced memory space?

[James Pickett]

@kevin

"Personally looks like I'm still gonna stick with Win2k till no one makes software compatible with 2k and xp than go raise up the penguin flag"

Same here. Win2k runs very nicely on my two old laptops. Mind you, so does Linux.

Does 'XP mode' mean that Win7 won't run XP applications without it? If not, what's it for?

[Mike Gravgaard]

Free virtualization

Does anyone not find this strange? Call me a cynic but isn't this just Micorosft just giving away free visualization to get it into Windows without raising the DoJ's eye brows?

I don't have a problem with Microsoft dropping backwards compatibiliity for improvements but this does look a little strange and uncompetitive.

I'm naturally cynical about Microsoft as I don't believe a leopard can change it's spots. They did the same thing with IE years ago.

Mike

[Anonymous Coward]

@craig

"Why no XP Mode for home users"

Because this is a bit of thigh-flashing in the hope of persuading corporate customers to upgrade. There was nothing in Vista of benefit to a corporate desktop, so nobody really bothered. Also I suspect increasingly ISVs are getting fed up playing chase-the-version. Unless MS deliberately break backwards compatibility why bother being "certified"?

As for home users - MS certainly doesn't want to have home users failing to fork out for the new version, of course not, where's the money in that?

[Anonymous Coward]

what about poor old Windows Vista?

I notice there's no mention of the fact that customers on Vista might want to run XP applications, or that a corporate might want to use Vista as part of it's IT strategy.

Are MS finally admitting that Vista is dead in the water? I certainly won't be crying any tears for it.