The 12 year-old Microsoft XP OS support ended yesterday, forcing scores of Windows users to protect their aging systems either via third-party software installation or upgrade it to newer modern operating system.
Both, Microsoft and Google see Windows XP’s end-of-life as an important development. While Microsoft wants users to move to Windows 8 or Windows 7, Google is making efforts to steal away Windows XP users via attractive deals. Whether, their efforts to accelerate migration, will bear fruits or not – only time will tell!
Google is offering incentives for Windows XP users and enterprises to make a switch to Chromebooks by offering a heavy discount as high as $200 for Chromebooks for Business with VMWare Desktop, along with a bundle of services from Citrix and VMWare.
A post on Google’s Enterprise blog,
It’s time for a real change, rather than more of the same. Chromebooks for Business offers you a secure and easy-to-use computing experience, along with a central web-based management console and lower total cost of ownership,” says Amit Singh, President of Google Enterprise.
What’s stopping Windows XP users from switching to Chromebook? The machine doesn’t run applications made for either Windows or Mac computers. You cannot do real work on Chromebooks. These are some of the arguments against Chrome books. That said, Chromebooks are much, much cheaper. Reason – Google provides Chrome OS, the operating systems used on Chromebooks to PC makers for free. One can therefore infer, the saving is passed on to customers in the form of a lower RRP.
