Is Microsoft Windows XP getting old??

Today, the surveys show that Windows XP is the mostly used operating system. Regardless of this, Microsoft wants PC vendors to stop shipping computers with Microsoft Windows XP. It seems the strict method to promote their Vista Operating system. Will it be possible for PC vendors to stop shipping computer with XP? May be it'll reduce the number of buyers because to my view, nobody would want to invest into something which gives so many compatibility issues.

Suppose, today, if somebody buys a system with Vista installed,imagine how much trouble he has to go through. Almost all softwares running elsewhere would be incompatible to his system with Vista. It'll somewhat restrict him/her to do things only to that machine. Not only that, he can't buy products or peripherals which would be incompatible with Vista. This means, it will take some more time for Vista to become widely accepted. For the time being, due to high system requirements,huge cost of investing,incompatibilities etc will certainly drive back most users. People still don't want to spend so much money only to see How Vista works.

I really don't have any personal experience with Vista but after hearing lots of sorrows and cries on net, it's definitely not a right time for me to check it out.

According to Microsoft life-cycle policy, Microsoft will stop shipments of Microsoft Windows XP by Jan 31,2008 including mostly all kinds of licenses. That means, PC vendors will not be able to sell Windows XP afterwards but only Windows Vista. But, they are designated to provide 'mainstream' support to Windows XP till April 2009. After April,2009, no hotfixes or any kind of support will be provided except for those users, who have paid for 'extended hotfix agreement' from Microsoft and they'll be provided with all the supports till 2014.

So, we know, as with Windows 98, the same fate would be Windows XP's too. very soon.