<p>I remember when I first used a computer. It was e-machines. Very solid system then; as were the many other tech brands that have been swept under the carpet by more vibrant product brands over the years.</p><p>I will never forget the still image of a lush green meadow that greeted me on my home screen after the usual Windows XP loading bars and fast forward several years later, we had to upgrade to Windows Vista and so on. Matter of fact, Vista was like a major break from the Windows norm and without entirely taking in its features, Windows 7 was launched and was good, not great. Then came Windows 8. Pure class. Mastery of the art and science of technology. Such ease. I know people who live for the upgrades! What I cease to understand however is why some organizations like our very infamous Cyber Cafes, IT driven firms, etc. have bluntly refused to upgrade to Windows 8.</p><p>Are they really sceptical about testing new waters or would they rather stick to the status quo? Or is it because Microsoft still provides support for these old versions of the Windows Operating system? Well, all of that is about to change because, like it or not, global devices and services giant Microsoft has announced the official end of support for Windows XP, Windows XP Professional for Embedded Systems and Office 2003 by April 8, 2014 and therefore urges its customers and partners to migrate to Windows 8 and Office 2013 platform.</p><p>Now, ending support in this context means that for Windows XP, Windows XP Professional for Embedded Systems and Office 2003, partners and customers will no longer receive security updates and technical support from Microsoft, which will result in vulnerability to security threats.</p><p><a href="http://www.360nobs.com/2014/02/its-the-end-of-the-road-for-windows-xp-and-office-2003/">Keep reading...</a></p>