Citing several real-world scenarios mainly applicable to businesses, Infoworld has started an online petition to save Windows XP in hopes of extending the current end date of availability to OEM's of June 30, 2008, although ZDNet says it will be available from white-box vendors/system builders through January 31, 2009.

Reasons for saving Windows XP included:

• The (Post-SP1) Vista Verdict: Wait for Windows 7
  Windows Vista is not -- and likely never will be -- the right choice for the vast majority of IT shops due to lack of value, poor performance and a still-worthwhile Windows XP.
   
• Service Pack vs. Service Pack: XP SP3 Beats Vista SP1
  In tests conducted for the last Windows XP service pack and the first Windows Vista service pack, results showed Windows XP SP3 performed twice as fast as Windows Vista SP1 on the same machine. Vista SP1 was slower than the initial release of Windows Vista as well.
   
• Businesses having second thoughts about Vista
  A report from July 2007 showing that businesses are having second thoughts about Windows Vista and are hesitant to adopt it.
   
• Microsoft: Vista follow-up likely in 2009
  A report from February 2007 detailing how Microsoft is drawing up plans to deliver its follow-up operating system to Windows Vista by the end of 2009.

Other reasons given by Infoworld detailed an organization's need to refresh some or all of its users PCs and what happens if a company needs to purchase additional systems.

Not that it will ever happen, but Infoworld goes so far as to suggest that Microsoft shelve Windows Vista just like it did Windows ME until the next version (currently named Windows 7) comes out. So far, over 21,000 people have signed the petition.

It'll be interesting to see how many people end up signing it. I've said it before and I'll say it again: after having tried two versions of Windows Vista, if Windows XP does become unavailable, my next computer will be a Mac.

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