XP Mode Could Make Windows 7 A Must-Have

Peter Judge,

Windows XP mode will be a major selling point for Windows 7- and it’s the single feature that will make most companies jump at the chance to have Windows 7, says Don Reisinger.

But there’s another issue that Microsoft has solved with XP Mode: now, it can attract those corporate customers who wanted better compatibility than what Windows Vista was able to offer. If Windows 7 only had equal compatibility to Windows Vista, why would corporate customers want to switch to the new OS knowing their older applications still won’t work with Microsoft’s latest release?

With XP Mode installed, Microsoft can finally say that Windows 7 will have the same compatibility as Windows XP. Any application released for a Windows operating system over the past decade will work with Windows 7. That’s something Microsoft couldn’t say with Vista and it hurt the company. But it can say it this time around. And that could only improve its chances of repairing its relationship with the enterprise.

What the enterprise wants

At the same time, the enterprise finally has what it has been waiting for. Some companies still haven’t upgraded to Windows Vista (or new hardware, for that matter) due to fear of losing Windows XP. So, they’ve been labouring with older computers hoping Windows 7 can change all that.

And it will.

Thanks to XP Mode, companies can start upgrading their networks with new technologies, knowing full well that once the computers are deployed companywide, all of the applications that are required in the daily operation of the business will work just fine. At the same time, developers won’t need to rush to update their software to work with Windows 7. They will know that it’s compatible out of the box, giving them more time to focus on preparing their software for the future of the operating system.

For the first time in a while, the enterprise can focus on updating software without worry of the issues that would arise with mission critical applications once the conversion is complete. Windows XP Mode ensures that no matter when a software application was developed or which operating system it was designed for, it will work.

And isn’t that really what companies want anyway? They just want their software to work. With the help of Windows XP Mode, that moment is finally upon us.