<p>Timing is everything, and the conjunction of the death of Windows XP and the birth of Windows 8 has created an window of opportunity for Microsoft's rivals keen to nibble away at the company's desktop dominance.</p><p>Here's why. Windows XP, probably Microsoft's most popular operating system of all time, will soon be laid to rest. As of 8 April 2014 Microsoft will stop providing any patches or bug fixes for XP, which is now a dozen years old.</p><p>Even today (despite much urging from Microsoft that customers should ditch XP in favour of newer versions of its operating system) XP still runs on between a quarter and a third of the world's desktops. Launched way back in October 2001, XP was the most popular desktop operating system in the world until July last year, at which point it was finally overtaken by Windows 7.</p><p>Nevertheless, XP has proved to be such a reliable and stable workhorse that many organisations are unwilling to part with it even now, and are unlikely to do so even after Microsoft ends support, even if this may be a risky proposition.</p><p><a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-xp-and-windows-8-the-worst-possible-combination-for-microsoft-7000025788/">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/02/02/windows-8-windows-8-1-pass-20-adoption-steam/">Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 Pass 20% Adoption on Steam</a> (The Next Web)</p><p><a href="http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/windows-xp-rules-windows-7-and-8s-expense-235521">Windows XP rules, at Windows 7 and 8&#039;s expense</a> (InfoWorld)</p><p><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/software-services/Windows-XP-users-unwilling-to-move-to-Windows-8/articleshow/29824227.cms">Windows XP users unwilling to move to Windows 8</a> (Times of India)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dm1za4-r61018iMGTiTp6lAcrtR5M&authuser=0&ned=us">178 additional articles.</a></p>