Google finally cutting off Chrome updates on Windows XP and Vista, Mac PPC

[paulbates]

Google finally cutting off Chrome updates on Windows XP and Vista, Mac PPC

 

Blair Hanley Frank IDG News Service / PC World.

The browser will keep working, but users of unsupported operating systems won't get updates

 

Windows XP will be getting even less secure next year, when Google stops updating Chrome for users of Microsoft's nearly geriatric operating system. 
 

The company announced today that PCs running XP and Vista will be able to keep using Chrome after April 2016, but Google will cease providing updates to its browser, including security-focused patches. That same deal goes for Mac users running OS 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8. 
 

Google said it was turning off the updates because the makers of all five OSs had stopped providing official support for them.

"Such older platforms are missing critical security updates and have a greater potential to be infected by viruses and malware," Chrome Director of Engineering Mark Pawliger said in a blog post announcing the decision. 

 

Google said earlier this year that it planned to stop supporting old operating systems, and called out XP in particular as a problem. Microsoft's operating system, while more than a decade old, is still clinging to life on computers in homes and organizations large and small. Microsoft ended support for XP last year, but some organizations (including the U.S. Navy) haven't completely made the jump yet. 

 

This is also especially bad news for people who want to keep old Macs with PowerPC processors running. Those computers are stuck on OS 10.6.8, because it's the last version of the OS that Apple put out which is compatible with those processors. That said, people still love their PowerBooks and Power Macs, and this change is likely going to hurt for those folks who want to keep browsing like it's 2005.

 

It's a tough spot to be in, but come April, there won't be much of a choice for those people who want their old computer to still have a secure version of Chrome. Either they update their hardware, or they get left behind.

[larryllix]

Interesting. Conceit doesn't run in that company....it gallops!

 

All I can think of is Thank Gawd!   and Finally!

 

Maybe Google will stop trying to force sneak their browser into every download and spamming MS users on every turn with their prepubescent products for our geriatric OSes?

[stusviews]

Mozilla hasn't abandoned XP users.

[paulbates]

Yep, that's true Stu.  XP is still prevalent in HA, and that is certainly a great way to go.

[stusviews]

Dated article, link may not last. Chrome is also giving up on Vista

[Teken]

Windows XP Pro / Enterprise was one of the best of the Microsoft O/S's for its day. That is until the last SP3 was released and pretty much halted any average computer system on the market place.

 

Embedded XP was on lots of gear I supported in the past and over all it was decent. Given it was very much a closed system it really wasn't an issue if exploits or virus's were found in the Windows XP platform.

 

I think the only real benefit Vista (Longhorn) ever brought to the computer industry was the mandated minimum hardware to run the bloated operating system. Surprisingly our team had no less than twenty projects where the computers came preinstalled with (Fista) and our end task was to uninstall it and install Windows XP Pro Enterprise.

 

Due to the fact these computers were at the time so over powered in terms of base memory, video, and processing power. It just made those Windows XP Enterprise box's fly.

 

As it stands Windows 7 is the new XP for most of Enterprise, Government, and Hospital / Fire / EMS, we support. 

 

Its funny the on going running joke is that every second OS from Microsoft is a complete and utter fail. But, the reality is lots of this was rooted in actual facts and user surveys about how it performed never mind the millions of tech articles.

 

Since its been so long going off old memory in my opinion here are some of the best and worst Microsoft Operating systems to date:

 

Windows 95: Good for its time but lots of areas for improvement.

 

WIndows 98: Was a dog

 

Windows 98SE: Was pretty decent for its time

 

Windows ME: Had to be one of the worst releases ever.

 

Windows XP: Was the first time it looked like things were going right

 

Windows 2000 Pro: Excellent for its day

 

Windows Vista: What a utter piece of crap, bloat, nag, annoying to support and use.

 

Windows 7: Excellent and what Fista should have been

 

Windows 8: Yet another complete failure and bloat and none sensical UI.

 

Windows 10: Its like someone didn't get the memo and decided to use 7 & 8.

[Xathros]

Windows XP Pro / Enterprise was one of the best of the Microsoft O/S's for its day. That is until the last SP3 was released and pretty much halted any average computer system on the market place.

 

Embedded XP was on lots of gear I supported in the past and over all it was decent. Given it was very much a closed system it really wasn't an issue if exploits or virus's were found in the Windows XP platform.

 

I think the only real benefit Vista (Longhorn) ever brought to the computer industry was the mandated minimum hardware to run the bloated operating system. Surprisingly our team had no less than twenty projects where the computers came preinstalled with (Fista) and our end task was to uninstall it and install Windows XP Pro Enterprise.

 

Due to the fact these computers were at the time so over powered in terms of base memory, video, and processing power. It just made those Windows XP Enterprise box's fly.

 

As it stands Windows 7 is the new XP for most of Enterprise, Government, and Hospital / Fire / EMS, we support. 

 

Its funny the on going running joke is that every second OS from Microsoft is a complete and utter fail. But, the reality is lots of this was rooted in actual facts and user surveys about how it performed never mind the millions of tech articles.

 

Since its been so long going off old memory in my opinion here are some of the best and worst Microsoft Operating systems to date:

 

Windows 95: Good for its time but lots of areas for improvement.

 

WIndows 98: Was a dog

 

Windows 98SE: Was pretty decent for its time

 

Windows ME: Had to be one of the worst releases ever.

 

Windows XP: Was the first time it looked like things were going right

 

Windows 2000 Pro: Excellent for its day

 

Windows Vista: What a utter piece of crap, bloat, nag, annoying to support and use.

 

Windows 7: Excellent and what Fista should have been

 

Windows 8: Yet another complete failure and bloat and none sensical UI.

 

Windows 10: Its like someone didn't get the memo and decided to use 7 & 8.

Every other MS OS is the "Paid Beta" with the Finals in between.  Now they are trying to break the cycle by giving one away for free...

 

 

-Xathros

[paulbates]

They believe their horizon is defined in SaaS-ish type services. The forecast for that is partly cloudy

[Teken]

Every other MS OS is the "Paid Beta" with the Finals in between.  Now they are trying to break the cycle by giving one away for free...

 

 

-Xathros

 

 

They believe their horizon is defined in SaaS-ish type services. The forecast for that is partly cloudy

 

Their push into the cloud based services has been slow but steady. The push to unify all of their cloud hosted services such as Office 365, and others is to (finally) have a cohesive ecosystem that looks toward the future.

 

And not just this moment, or one year like that stupid idiot Steve Balmer . . .

 

Satya came and managed the the most profitable business unit and that was the Exchange group. Its fair to say he has in the last two years made some major changes and improvements to the core services MSFT offers and how they relate to other companies.

 

The shear fact they offered Office on iPad before it came out on other platforms is quite telling. He also fired that stupid PR company they had been using forever which was in most peoples eyes about freaking time!

 

It was also quite the turning point to see during the last Apple event that they not only talked about MSFT but had one of the heads of Microsoft do a presentation for their office suite.

 

This time ten years ago you would not have seen Steve Jobs / Steve Balmer ever allow such a thing. There are two great men running both companies but its sad to say it will take Satya another 5-8 years to right the ship.

 

Lots of good folks lost their job due to this idiots mismanagement and the fact he is still on the board of directors very much limits what Satya can do in the long run.

 

Their latest laptop / pad like device thus far seems pretty solid in terms of build by the limited amount of time I had one in my hands. 

 

But only time will tell how well the market will receive this new device and whether or not it will be a solid revenue making product. We all know what  a complete and utter fail the last few surface pro's were never mind the stupid App like sibling that continues to be sold and confuses the hell out of the consumer.

[paulbates]

I got the surface 3 (non pro) a few months back and I'm very happy with it. I travel, and it can go all day without a charge. I do a lot with a news reader and kindle. It can run anything windows including the ISY admin console. I loaded one of my copies of office on it, along with project and visio. I can use any of the windows browsers.

 

There are a few apps I miss, but not that many. Most of the travel related apps are better on a phone; I'm not going to use a tablet at a tsa check point, etc.

 

Its first mission was use in a week long cert class and taking the exam, using evernote for class notes and powerpoint for the class presentation. I stopped taking the charger with me after day 1. I had to adjust to the type cover, but the same was true originally for the logitech keyboard on the ipad that the surface replaced. After a little practice, its easy to use.

 

The 4 GB versions of the Surface 3 (non pro) are recommended as W10 + office will use most of it.

[lilyoyo1]

I can't say I blame them. If Microsoft is not supporting it anymore why should they? There is no point in allocating resources for a system full of holes regardless of great it is (I loved me some XP) If only we could get microsoft to make windows 12 more like XP the world will be whole again (as Teken said, "every second OS").