PD Editorial: Microsoft leaves XP users to the wolves

According to clinical psychologists, the fear of abandonment is one of the strongest forces in human nature. It can lead to all kinds of unhealthy lifestyle choices — such as buying more Microsoft products.

At least that's the response that Microsoft appears to be hoping for given its decision to stop supporting the Windows XP operating systems.

As of Tuesday, the company will no longer be issuing patches or system updates to protect against viruses and other malware, leaving owners vulnerable to attacks. And if you buy a new printer and are having problems getting it connected with your XP computer, too bad. You won't find anyone at Microsoft willing to offer you technical assistance.

This is also true for companies that have gone to the expensive of paying for special software written for XP.

Consumers are now left to either upgrade their systems, buy new computers — whether they can afford to or not — or cross their fingers and hope not to fall victim to some virus or hacker.

Granted, it's no secret that this deadline was coming. Microsoft announced as far back as 2007 that it would no longer support XP come 2014. The company has also not sugar-coated the potential risks this would pose for users of this operating system if they resisted attempts to upgrade.

But much has happened in the nation's economy since then that has made it difficult for companies and individuals to invest in new computer systems or do the upgrades that were needed. Many are still struggling to get back on their feet from the Great Recession.

As a result an estimated 30 percent of computers now being used by businesses and consumers around the world are still running on the XP operating system. Many systems — including roughly 75 percent of the nation's ATMs — are dependent on Windows XP.

Although the system is 13 years old, a dinosaur in technological terms, odds are that if a PC is more than five years old, it's still running on XP.

Given these factors, many hoped that Microsoft would delay its decision to abandon the operating system or offer customers an out, such as a free upgrade. But that was not to be. Microsoft has not budged.

Some defend the Washington-based company, comparing its decision to that of a car manufacturer offering a time-limited warranty. In this case, however, many consumers bought XP-based computers unaware there would be a sunset date. And car owners can still get their vehicles repaired after warranties expire. Not so in this case.

Given the dependence of so many individuals and companies on the XP system, this is more akin to a utility company announcing it would not longer repair downed power lines and other infrastructure beyond a certain date. The end result is the same — customers are left in the cold.