Looks like an era is coming to an end, as Microsoft is now shifting its focus away from supporting old-timer Windows XP on a service pack level, and looking at the hot new chick in town, the sexy Windows 7. According to Softpedia, SP3 was the last service pack for the 32-bit version of Windows XP (x86); SP2 was the last major update for the 64-bit version (x64). Microsoft officially announced the end of the road for the 32-bit version some time ago, but there was hope that the company would puke up another service pack for x64 XP before the OS headed out to the pasture.
Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. If fact, Microsoft confirmed its legal separation from Windows XP on a whole, admitting that it's fallen out of love and will never return again, even in the case of x64 XP. "We have received inquiries from our customers and partners on whether or not there will be a need for a Service Pack 3 for Windows Server 2003," said Crissy House, the Windows Server Operations manager. "Microsoft will not have a SP3 release for Windows Server 2003."
In the past, Microsoft has delivered service packs for the 64-bit version of Windows XP and major updates to Server 2003 at the same time, hence the assumption that the same cut-off date applied to x64. While the comment from House refers to Windows Server 2003, a spokesman for Microsoft told Softpedia that the divorce also applies to any version of Windows XP.
Thanks for the memories, you were a good OS.
