Chrome for Windows XP to Receive Support Until 2015

While a stalwart cadre of PC users has stuck with Windows XP for the past decade, Microsoft has said that its support of the OS will end on April 8, 2014. Earlier today Google announced that it would continue patching and updating Chrome for XP an additional year – until 2015.

Mark Larson, the Superintendent of Public Safety at Google said in a blog post, "Our goal is to support Chrome for XP users during this transition process. Most importantly, Chrome on XP will still be automatically updated with the latest security fixes to protect against malware and phishing attacks."

Supporting legacy software is often rough – the code’s flaws are much better known by definition and that tends to make computers running older, outdated tech significantly more vulnerable to attack. That aside, many businesses still rely on bulk licenses to keep their  enterprises running, and the closer we get to that April 8th deadline, the more likely those IT departments will be forced to switch over.

For a good chunk of people, that’s going to mean big change and certainly plays into Microsoft’s hands as it brings in new bulk licenses for its latest operating systems.

  • apache_lives
    XP is dead why bother
    Reply
  • usbgtx550
    There is still a fair amount of people on xp. My friend is still running his 6 year old computer with it. Yes, xp is definitely on its way out finally, but it still has a user base.
    Reply
  • anxiousinfusion
    Come on, Google! Don't encourage the slow adopters. Sheesh.
    Reply
  • rwinches
    I still have machines that run 95B and 98SE I have older games that run on them with no fiddling with DOSBOX.
    One has a DFI MB with dual Pentium 550s and for the games I run on it it's great.
    Reply
  • Thank you, "Superintendent of Public Safety", aka Google In-charge-of-things Person.
    Reply
  • none12345
    xp still has a massive install base. So, it would be utterly stupid for google to just drop it today for instance. That's why they are still supporting it, they aren't stupid.

    Even when they stop supporting it, its not like it stops working.
    Reply
  • ta152h
    I have Windows 7, and Windows XP on my two main computers, and I can't tell you I prefer Windows 7. Yes, it's slower and bloated, but besides that I don't know what it does that XP doesn't. Both do their jobs fine, and I don't see any reason to stop using XP because something else came out that will help lower the performance of my computer.

    Not that I dislike Windows 7, it's fine. I just don't think it does anything I need that Windows XP doesn't. A lot of people feel that way, and a lot of people are still using XP because of it.

    Some ninnys on a forum aren't going to change that reality because they think everyone should upgrade. Some people should, some people are fine with what they have.

    Now, Windows 8 is an abomination, so 'upgrading' to that from XP will make people buy Android base computers, or Chromebooks. Not to mention that horrible "A" word they heard is so chic and cool, but truthfully sucks.

    Even so, it's time to move on. Microsoft is a dying company, and whether it be XP, Vista, 7, or 8, it's time to leave Windows behind. Free OS's is the future, and unless Microsoft gives Windows away, it will continue to lose market share, as it's been doing month after month.

    Windows 8 is their Waterloo. And Google is their Blucher. But, regardless, Windows would die because the expensive OS model doesn't work anymore, with the alternatives. Windows 8 just sped it up.
    Reply
  • tomfreak
    the problem people use winXp is because of the performance benefit it has on old machines. win7/8 are not coming anywhere close to winxp on this area. win7 is a ram hogging OS when compared to XP.

    Some machines like an old laptop are still 85%-90% condition, it still work like charm for everyday web usage, why bother change for a new one? it is just doesnt have the horse power for win7 especially the RAM upgrade is top out @ 1GB.

    If Xp support ends I am most likely gonna use linux on my still good condition 7yrs old pentium M + 1GB RAM laptop.
    Reply
  • apache_lives
    Windows 7 "bloated" haha thats cute, its what Windows 9x/2k users said about Windows XP - or have you all forgotten about this?
    Reply
  • SteelCity1981
    As the bulk will switch to Windows 7 machines as it should say and not Windows 8. You are starting to see this with Windows 7 market share continuing to climb, it's up to 46.3%. This will get much bigger next year when Windows XP goes dark and is no longer support by Microsoft.
    Reply