SQL Advisor

And the "SQL Server 'Denali' Must/Must Not Support XP" Debate Goes On

A few announcements by Microsoft at WPC this week haven't quelled the discussions on this issue of Denali supporting XP

• By David Ramel
• 07/14/2011

A couple of interesting announcement were made since I wrote about how some developers were clamoring for Windows XP support in the next version of SQL Server, code-name Denali.

First, in a Monday keynote address at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC), the company announced that XP's "end of life" would occur in 1,000 days, on April 8, 2014.

Second, on the same day, at the same event, Microsoft announced the availability of the Community Technology Preview 3 of Denali. It's getting closer and closer to final release.

The XP/Denali debate continued on Microsoft's site after my blog was published, with readers chiming in on the issue even though the post announcing that XP wouldn't be supported was nearly a month old. "I'm going to disagree with the crowd, I think support for XP should be put in place," commented one reader last Friday.

The lively exchange among readers continued in the comments on my blog post, with a mix of opinions. "Obviously seems wrong to support something that's now obsolete," wrote one reader. "Time to cut the cord," wrote another. "Definitely Windows XP has to be supported," wrote yet another.

So it's still a hot-button issue, even though, with the Denali CTP3, the point seems moot.

Me? I've come down firmly right in the middle of the fence. I still have an XP machine, and it works fine with several modern apps. And a couple years ago, I was still advocating XP as the best OS in a debate with three other journalists on another IT publication's Web site.

But I also have a Win 7 machine, and I love some of its more advanced features. And with the economy imploding, even cash-rich Microsoft has to pick its support spots these days.

As I write this, though, I notice my XP desktop lies dormant at my feet, while for quite some time I've had its monitor plugged into my Win 7 laptop for dual-display.

I guess I've fallen off the fence.

What do you think? Comment here or drop me a line.