Hasta la Vista, XP

Tomorrow is the day Microsoft officially pulls the plug on Windows XP.... More or less. Although most computer manufacturers will no longer be able to sell machines loaded with XP, there will be some exceptions.

Chief among those are the so-called "subnotebooks," such as the Asus eee laptop. Those machines simply don't have the ability to run a memory hog such as Vista (the Asus, depending on the exact model, has as little as a 4 gig hard drive). If not for XP, the only other operating system for those tiny laptops would be Linux, and apparently Microsoft isn't ready to completely surrender the subnotebook market.

Also, customers who do buy a Vista machine will still be able to purchase an "XP downgrade," but only at additional cost. In other words, Microsoft is going to force Vista on you whether you want it or not.... Much like what happens when you drop your soap in a prison shower.

Microsoft also says that Windows Seven will be out in early 2010. However, don't look for any improvements with that. The company says that Seven will run "off the same core architecture as Windows Vista." In other words, if you already hate Vista, you're gonna really, REALLY despise Windows Seven.

Given their policy of repeatedly alienating and antagonizing customers, the people at Microsoft must think they're running an airline.

Well, there's always Apple.