Microsoft prepping next Windows Live (won't run on XP)

[Hermite15]

Microsoft is getting ready to start public testing of the next version of its moviemaking and photo-editing software, but the company confirmed this week that the products won't run on Windows XP.
The new versions are part of a series of changes coming to Windows Live in the "Wave 4" update to Microsoft's online services. In updating Windows Live Movie Maker, Windows Live Photo Gallery, and other downloadable Windows Live Essentials programs, Microsoft opted to take advantage of the improved graphics engine and other capabilities that have come into the operating system with Windows Vista and Windows 7. However, that meant sacrificing compatibility with the older operating system.
 "We just decided that was the right choice," Microsoft Vice President Chris Jones said in an interview this week. Jones said existing versions of the programs will continue to be supported for XP users and online services like Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger will continue to run on Windows XP.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20003000-56.html
http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowslive/archive/2010/04/21/getting-ready-for-windows-live-wave-4.aspx

[DavidR]

Just another good reason not to use Windows Live, If and when I get rid of OE (works for me) it will probably be thunderbird.

Me I really hate this Live this Live naming, to me it is dead, what a product naming shambles.

[Jtaylor83]

I got my mother's Win7 laptop that I can share with. But Microsoft may decide to end their extended support for Windows XP earlier than April 2014.

Beside, there's lots of alternative video editing software.

[DavidR]

They can't just decide to end the extended support period early, if they do I dare say they will find themselves in court breach of contract/terms, etc.

They are stopping security updates for those that don't have SP3 installed July this year, so for those that have XP SP3 Apr 2014 is the date unless they introduce SP4 before then (unlikely I would think only win2k ever made it to SP4) and drop support unless you have XP SP4.

[Hermite15]

that's when things start finally to be threatening for XP. I don't know how they're going to integrate that in Windows Live wave 4 but it's mainly about "3D" being supported, or not, and this starts with Vista (3D: understand 3D applied through effects on the desktop, aka direct 2D http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd370987(v=VS.85).aspx).

[DavidR]

I don't see missing out on bells and whistles and 3d effects as a threat, hell I'm still using MS Office 97 as it does all that I need it to do and stuff the cosmetic effects.

[Hermite15]

threat for XP obviously meaning that if more apps will require graphics hardware acceleration, those same apps won't run on XP, nothing else.

[Hermite15]

an interesting thread here: (here there's support for XP without the new features)
>>> hardware acceleration in Mozilla Minefield
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1775755

[DavidR]

threat for XP obviously meaning that if more apps will require graphics hardware acceleration, those same apps won't run on XP, nothing else.

More apps are always going to take advantage of what hardware and OSes are recently released, life hasn't changed. The old adage of 80% of the users only use 20% of the functionality (bells and whistles, etc.), I feel is particularly true in many cases. The manufactures have to introduce new features to try and entice people to purchase and current users to update.

The actual worth of many of these features are unlikely to be used by the average user.

Just because they introduce hardware acceleration doesn't mean it won't work at all just that you won't benefit from any hardware acceleration if a) your hardware or b) your OS doesn't support it.

There is still in the region of 60% market share for XP or there was not to long ago and ignoring that volume would be crazy.

[Hermite15]

don't count on that "magic" 60% market share number forever and I don't consider anyway as a valuable reference the fact that 60% of Windows users keep running an almost ten years old operating system now and also, you may not use Windows Live but Windows Live is mainstream (with still some support with the old version for XP they said), so that move from MS is quite significant. They will have to drop support for XP completely, what would be mad is ignoring it. No OS lasts forever, and they (MS) have shown enough patience with XP users so far I think.