2,005 views
If you’re still running XP after all these years, odds are you’ve settled in nicely and don’t plan to leave until you have no choice. Well, that might be happening sooner than you expected. Microsoft announced today that they were working on Internet Explorer 9, and that it would not support Windows XP but Windows 7 and Vista. This could be a sign that Redmond is putting XP development permanently on the back burner.
The new browser will be heavily dependent on hardware acceleration that just isn’t possible on Windows XP. IE General Manager Dean Hachamovitch even went so far as to day that a “modern browser” would require “modern operating system”. Those in the know were fully aware this might happen, as Microsoft announced the need for hardware acceleration at last year’s PDC. In the end, when IE9 hits next year, XP will be ten years old. It might be time to give Windows 7 a shot. Take it as a sign.