Windows XP debuted on October 25, 2001, roughly 11.5 years ago. Since then, XP has gained a large following with a good number of people continuing to use the decade-old operating system. In fact, some estimates suggest as much as 1/3 of Windows users are still on Windows XP with many of them showing no sign of upgrading. However, Microsoft is chugging forward with XP’s end-of-life: extended support for Windows XP will officially end on April 8, 2014, after which Windows XP will receive no updates from Microsoft… including security updates.

Aside from Windows XP, Office 2003 and Internet Explorer 6 will also stop being supported by Microsoft on April 8, 2014.

Seeing as XP is eleven years old and technology has advanced vastly since then, XP has, more or less, been kept secure (as secure as Windows is, anyway) thanks largely to continued updates and patches Microsoft has released for Windows XP. Come next April, these updates and patches will stop meaning there will be a boatload of people who will be left vulnerable to scumbags with no hope in sight — aside from upgrading to a newer version of Windows or switching to Linux/Mac.

So, that brings me to a question I ask of your Windows XP diehards. Will you upgrade to Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8? I doubt anyone would upgrade to Windows Vista and many people hate Windows 8, but Windows 7 is as highly praised as — and more secure than — Windows XP so that is a possibility. Assuming you can find it, of course. Or do you plan on switching to Linux — Ubuntu or Linux Mint, maybe — or Mac? Or do you simply plan on sticking to your delightful Windows XP? Let us know in the comments below! If we dotTechies can come up with a good list of alternative operating systems for Windows XP users to try, I may make an individual post about it.

[via ArsTechnica]