OT WindowsXP ?

Will Microsoft issue WindowsXP SP4 ?

Only time will tell

I'm pretty sure they will. It may be the last service pack they release for XP though. They are still supporting XP and have many updates since SP3, naturally one would think SP4 is just around the corner.

They may not do it but I'm kinda expecting Windows XP SP4 to release about the same time as Windows 7 SP1. I'm also wondering if Windows Vista will see a SP2 about the same time.

Windows Vista already has SP2, I have it installed. It is built into the disc, at least with the most recent version it is.

As far as XP SP4 goes, I believe it will happen. Not because of retail consumers, but many businesses and corporations are sticking with XP. Many are still running IE6, too. But I expect to see a forced update to IE7 in the future, most likely, if SP4 is issued, it will upgrade to IE7.

The reason that I say this is, MS probably won't support four browsers for long, once the full version of IE9 is released. SP4 will give MS a good excuse to force an upgrade.

Cat

The product cycle is over for service packs and XP.

From Wikipedia:
Support lifecycle

Support for Windows XP without a service pack ended on September 30, 2004[71] and support for Windows XP Service Pack 1 and 1a ended on October 10, 2006.[72][73]
Windows XP Service Pack 2 has been retired as of July 13, 2010, almost six years after its general availability.[2] In accordance with Microsoft's posted timetable, the company stopped general licensing of Windows XP to OEMs and terminated retail sales of the operating system on June 30, 2008, 17 months after the release of Windows Vista.[74][75] However, an exception was announced on April 3, 2008, for OEMs installing to ultra low-cost PCs (ULCPCs) until one year after the availability of Windows 7 (October 22, 2010)[76][77][78]
On April 14, 2009, Windows XP and its family of operating systems were moved from Mainstream Support to the Extended Support phase as it marks the progression of the legacy operating system through the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy. During the Extended Support Phase, Microsoft will continue to provide security updates every month for Windows XP; however, free technical support, warranty claims and design changes are no longer being offered.
Only Software Assurance customers who still run Windows XP can enroll in the Extended Hotfix Support Agreement if they want to receive non-security related hotfixes. The enrollment offer for consumers ended on July 13, 2009.[citation needed]
On April 8, 2014, all Windows XP support, including security updates and security-related hotfixes, will be terminated.[2]

The article is accurate, but the thing is, MS can change their mind at any time. It's their OS, they call the shots. If at the end of next year, XP still has over 50% of the market share, it would be hard to ignore. MS has put themselves in this position (a thirteen year run for XP) by allowing all of those downgrades to happen. They should have made the users run Vista, and support would've ran out in 2011, it's 10th birthday.

But whether XP SP4 makes it to the market, makes no difference to me.

Cat

I've never had Vista but from everything I've ever heard/read/observed about it then if M/S had been so foolish as to have made users run Vista then I reckon apple would have gotton even more sales.

I reckon if XP still rates around the 50% user market then M/S would be very foolish to stop support too soon. Win7 will slowly become mainstream of it's own accord as new computers are sold/made or upgraded.
The best thing M/S can do for it's future is to show it's willing to continue to support it's loyal customers that had originally bought XP.
That makes for goodwill and also prevents users from feeling they are being pressured.

It's good to know no matter how bad I think some of Microsoft's decision's are - someone comes along to show they could be worse. It's ideas like yours that get people shooting from rooftops. Vista was a fiasco. Buying an Operating System or any software is a choice, you can't make thirsty users buy crap just because your cows are producing more fertilizer than they are milk.