On October 18, 2013, Microsoft and Intel held a "Legendary Farewell, Classic Forever" Windows XP donation ceremony at the National Museum of China, donating what is arguably the longest-serving computer operating system in human history—Windows XP—for permanent collection by the National Museum. Since its release in 2001, the Windows XP operating system has been continuously operational for 12 years, making it the longest-lived operating system to date. On April 8, 2014, Microsoft will officially cease service support for Windows XP.
Zhang Yongli, Vice President of Greater China Region and General Manager of Consumer Channels Division at Microsoft, stated: “We see that the future development trend of computers lies in touch control, mobility, and applications, but Windows XP can no longer meet modern users' needs in these three areas. With the impending end of Windows XP’s service, we sincerely urge users to upgrade their operating systems as soon as possible, considering both stability and security.”
On April 8, 2014, Microsoft will officially stop providing service support for Windows XP, including no longer offering system security patches, upgrades, or other related services for this operating system. Analysts predict that if users continue to use this operating system on their computers, the potential risk of information leakage, system failure, and financial loss due to threats and attacks from hackers and Trojan horses will significantly increase. Therefore, users should try to upgrade their operating systems before the service cessation date. Microsoft recommends that users adopt the newly released Windows 8.1 operating system to gain a simpler, more intuitive, safer, and fresher modern operation experience.
Tony Kodjo, General Manager of Sales for China at Intel Corporation, said: “We are delighted to have witnessed alongside Microsoft the great development of information technology in the early 21st century, represented by Windows XP and Intel Pentium 3 and Pentium 4 processors. However, technological development must keep pace with the times, whether it be software, operating systems, hardware, or processors. People's living standards have undergone tremendous changes over the past 12 years, and their demand for information technology continues to grow. Our mission is to use newer technologies and products to meet people's needs and lead them into the future.”
On the same day, Microsoft also launched a countdown of 172 days until the cessation of Windows XP services on April 8, 2014, hoping to remind computer users still using Windows XP to upgrade their operating systems as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary troubles and losses caused by issues of stability and security in the future. Additionally, Microsoft Office 2003 will also cease service on April 8, 2014.