Firefox will support Windows XP and Vista until September 2017

[bill]

Firefox will support Windows XP and Vista until September 2017 [engadget.com]

Numerous web browsers have already stopped supporting Windows XP and Vista, but not Firefox. To this day, Mozilla's latest software can work with your decade-old PC. However, even that team has its limits -- it's phasing out support for XP and Vista starting next year. Mozilla will start by moving users on these operating systems to the Extended Support Release in March 2017, limiting them to feature updates that can be "several cycles" behind the curve. And while the company plans to unveil a final support end date in the middle of that year, it'll effectively cut the cord in September, when it stops delivering security updates.

[keyplyr]

Great news, wish it was sooner though.

However, hopefully this end-of-support-date announcement will add another reason for users to move on from Windows XP, or Vista, but especially XP.

[Hoople]

None of which stops these users from downloading the older builds of Firefox.

At least once a month someone comes in with a 'really good reason' for them still being on the older OS's. Then they get cranky and even combative when they find out the new scanner or printer they're looking at requires Windows7 or later, LOL!

[bill]

On the down side, there are people who have the older OS for a certain software package they rely upon. It's not easy to move them. And now they won't have a modern browser to work with.

I agree it's well past time to get off XP, but there are plenty who still rely on it. Not all are staying on XP just because they're lazy. I know some factory ERP systems that are running Windows 95 still, with no plans to replace the OS...of course they're not allowed on the Internet...)

[tangor]

Those running XP most likely know the limitations and dangers of operating on todays web. Still run a few myself, but they are denied access to the web in any fashion, and are firewalled behind the internal network on top of that. This move by Mozilla is both reasonable and expected ... and those who continue operating older OS will understand.

[RedBar]

In the UK I understand that there are still some large companies and government departments, let alone shop chains, that still run XP without any issues whatsoever and access the Internet.

My local pub's juke box is XP powered and the national company that rents it out has absolutely no plans to replace it as yet.

[piatkow]

On the down side, there are people who have the older OS for a certain software package they rely upon. It's not easy to move them. And now they won't have a modern browser to work with.

Before I retired from salaried employment we had a situation where users required two packages using, as far as I remember, Java. One wouldn't work with versions later than X and the other with versions earlier than X+1. Luckily I discovered that one had a browser based version so the client machines could run the other version.

We were always back level on Windows, the time and expense of testing all possible configurations across a major blue chip company was considerable. By the time we got a stable set of configurations for a new version the next was about to come out.

[NonOniesate]

If these people need to use new applications they'll certainly have to change their operation system to a hire version. Though Microsoft is already talking about stopping the support of Windows 7 because they want all of their capacities to be centered on the development of new technologies.

[mmerlinn]

Yes, if the users 'need' to use modern applications, the users will have no choice but to upgrade to a later version. Otherwise, it is often not cost-effective and/or time-effective to move on.

Classic example is COBOL, a 'dead' language. COBOL programmers are in still in demand today to maintain and run ancient COBOL systems mostly in large corporations and government. And those programmers are writing billions of lines of new COBOL code every year simply because it is cheaper and easier to maintain code than fixing what ain't broken.

[lucy24]

Planned obsolescence is one thing. You can still choose to continue driving your 1983 car and watching your 1997 TV and listening to your vinyl records. But as years pass, I get ever more annoyed by the idea of mandated obsolescence. (“Sorry, sir, but this station’s pumps only work on cars built after 2002.”) The only thing they haven't come up with yet is applications and operating systems that will flat-out cease to function after three years.

[birdbrain]

"The only thing they haven't come up with yet is applications and operating
systems that will flat-out cease to function after three years."

Perhaps some fledgling hackers could be gently persuaded to spread their
wings and tackle that little problem. ;)

birdbrain