“Microsoft Corp. yesterday said it would limit support for three versions of the Windows Vista operating system, including its most expensive, to five years rather than the usual 10 years.”

As far as I can tell, this has caused an “uproar” amongst the people on the blogosphere but thinking about this, there can only be two solutions. The first one is void of course:

1. Windows Vista will be replaced by a new operating system within the 5 years and ultimately Vista will become obselete. Maybe so, maybe it’ll be replaced within 5 years which is more than likely but will not necessarily make Windows Vista obselete. Windows XP is still more used than Vista, and as people get used to the old ways, it makes it harder to keep things new.
2. It’s a legal thing.

I was on the phone to a friend of mine who works at a legal firm in Nottingham, UK, and it seems that the limited time for support is actually a legal requirement. Just as cars and the manufacturers can only sell spare parts for the models for a certain length of time.

However there is a legal silver lining, that according to my friend: “If it is deemed appropriate, the time can be lengthened as long as the necessary bodies approve. It’s a case of having to wait for the time to expire until they apply for more time.” We both agreed, whilst she is in the legal profession, that it is “bloody stupid but somehow necessary”.