The Legacy of Windows XP

CEBU, Philippines -  Launched commercially in 2001, Windows XP finally retired from active service last week, on April 8, after running on an "extended support" mode for a couple of years - a state which came after its "mainstream support" discontinued in 2009.

As the successor of Windows 2000 and Windows ME (both released in 2000), Windows XP was Microsoft's flagship OS before Windows Vista rolled out in 2007, and has been one of Microsoft's front liners for 12 years.

In a time where electronic consumer products are deemed archaic in three or four years' time, the Windows XP has weathered through the different advances, developments and changes in the IT industry, standing out as Microsoft's longest running operating systems.

While Windows XP was officially classified as a discontinued product, its extended support status gave it relevant and timely functionalities in the form of security updates and support patches - which finally comes to an end this month for commercial users.

Based on statistics from satcounter.com (an independent website analytics company), Windows XP was the second most used desktop OS in the world in terms of internet usage as of March 2014, with Windows 7 being the global leader and Apple's OS X (all versions) following after XP's spot.

Statcounter.com's data reveals that Windows 7 is the world's most popular OS in terms of internet browsing, raking a 54.7% share. It is followed by Windows XP's 18.6% and the OS X's 8.6%. Windows XP is the second most used OS in terms of internet usage in Europe (15.9%), in Africa (30.5%), in South America (17.8%) and in Asia (24.9%).

In the Philippines, it is the second most used OS in terms of internet usage at 23.4%, with Windows 7 at the top at 60.24%. XP is followed by Windows 8 (7.43%), then OS X (3.42%), then Windows 8.1 (2.14%) and Windows Vista (2.01%).

Though more than ten years old, Windows XP's longevity can be attributed in how it gets the job done, minus perhaps the newer high-tech bells and whistles that can be found in its successors.

In a sense, Windows XP's rock icon-inspired longevity stands to be a stellar example of how "new" doesn't always translate to "better" - but just as it is true that there's "nothing like the good old days," the good old days weren't always good, and tomorrow isn't really as bad as it would seem.