MS owes you nothing... the 2014 limit is a favor, just a favor, they could have dropped the support for ages already (and they should have!!!) Only reason they didn't is to avoid that the XP masses would infect the whole web. This operating system you're running and are expecting to run ...until 2014 right? is dead, freaking dead since January 31st 2007, when Vista came out. I detect some pride in running an outdated OS, don't tell me again that I'm putting words in your mouth, detecting that is based on observations, just like what's observed in the speech of those running win9x in 2010 (there are a few threads here)...we're getting close to that with XP.
There are many reasons why people don't upgrade, and that's
either because:
1 they're scared of a new interface
2 they don't want to spend the bucks needed in hardware upgrade to run the new OS properly
3 they don't want to buy the new OS (again, it's not free
)
4 they're a bit blind and narrow minded
so that's 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 >>> or 1&2&3&4. same phenomenon can be observed with cars (France is a good example, here they'd drive it until it's completely rusted, dead). Windows users are no exception in the consumer world; there's a majority that hates upgrading. My ex XP computer is living a second "recycled" life for a few years now already, god bless it
I've been running XP during 6 years...there's just no argument to convince me that there's one good reason to stick to XP, not one, I know XP too well for that. I was already running it for a few years while many were sticking to Windows 98...the "old one was better" syndrome...I know you didn't say that XP was better than Seven or Vista, but that will to stick to it until support is dropped is a bit laughable sorry
Both Vista and Seven are more stable, are faster, have a much better interface and are more secure than XP...I mean this whole XP debate is so ridiculous. Sticking to XP in 2010 is just insane, with the exception of those having a minimal interest in computers.
ps:
even if I could use the windows live (god how I hate that word in software titles)
partly unrelated but just for fun: weren't you the one refusing to beta test Avast 5, explaining again and again that your system was a "live system"? what's a live system? what makes your system more "alive" than others? how many beta testers do you thing beta tested avast 5 on test systems or VMs? >>> meaning that your use of the "live system" wording was pretty irrelevant wasn't it...