Secret No More: Revealing Windows XP Mode for Windows 7

[edesignuk]

Over a month ago, we were briefed about a secret Microsoft technology that we were told would be announced alongside the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) and would ship in final form simultaneously with the final version of Windows 7. This technology, dubbed Windows XP Mode (XPM, formerly Virtual Windows XP or Virtual XP, VXP), dramatically changes the compatibility story for Windows 7 and, we believe, has serious implications for Windows development going forward. Here's what's happening.

XPM is built on the next generation Microsoft Virtual PC 7 product line, which requires processor-based virtualization support (Intel and AMD) to be present and enabled on the underlying PC, much like Hyper-V, Microsoft's server-side virtualization platform. However, XPM is not Hyper-V for the client. It is instead a host-based virtualization solution like Virtual PC; the hardware assistance requirement suggests this will be the logical conclusion of this product line from a technological standpoint. That is, we fully expect future client versions of Windows to include a Hyper-V-based hypervisor.

WinSuperSite.

Sounds good to me. Looking forward to getting my hand s on the RC, 30th April.

 

[steveza]

Sounds good to me. Looking forward to getting my hand s on the RC, 30th April.

Me too, only 3 days to go . I'm guessing that we are going to have to wait for 9AM EST before it's released though.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Oh, that sounds very useful! I'm looking forward to this.

 

[Chundles]

This one puzzles me.

If the XP mode is so good and transparent does that mean there's less of a reason for development for W7?

I guess it's kind of like classic for osx but that was annoying enough to make developers crank up osx development.

Can someone explain to me why this is a good thing? It sounds to me like MS is still viewing XP as a viable OS despite all the efforts put into W7.

 

[edesignuk]

^ Just about everything works under XP. With a full XP "classic" mode available it'll help with the speedier and less painful adoption of Win 7 as you won't have to ensure everything works perfectly under 7 (especially useful in business where there are a small mountain of old, largely unsupported in house apps that non one wants to work on).

 

[wbeasley]

This one puzzles me.

If the XP mode is so good and transparent does that mean there's less of a reason for development for W7?

I guess it's kind of like classic for osx but that was annoying enough to male developers crank up osx development.

Can someone explain to me why this is a good thing? It sounds to me like MS is still viewing XP as a viable OS despite all the efforts put into W7.

Hahaha... what about the female developers? LOL

XP is not only viable, are there any real world (ie normal computer users, not geeks) who are gonna want this system? I've yet to see anything apart from pretty graphics on screen tops for 7... ah yes, Vista revisited.

Will the "Wow starts now" be rolled out again?

Any better is ideas for their new slogan?

I'm pitching "Yawn, same as before"...

 

[steveza]

I think that their enterprise customers have said that they will have to delay W7 deployments until their developers can change all internal applications to be compatible with it. Obviously that means less revenue and slower uptake for MS.

 

[r.j.s]

^ Just about everything works under XP. With a full XP "classic" mode available it'll help with the speedier and less painful adoption of Win 7 as you won't have to ensure everything works perfectly under 7 (especially useful in business where there are a small mountain of old, largely unsupported in house apps that non one wants to work on).

But since many developers are going to think, 'Well it works fine in the built-in xp mode,' what reason do they have to actually rewrite apps to optimize for W7?

 

[edesignuk]

But since many developers are going to think, 'Well it works fine in the built-in xp mode,' what reason do they have to actually rewrite apps to optimize for W7?

Only certain versions will have this XP mode. Eventually XP mode will be gone, this just gives everyone more time to get their butts in gear.

 

[r.j.s]

Only certain versions will have this XP mode.

But that just introduces more problems for the users, since they have to check all their vital apps and determine if they run fine in W7 or if they need to shell out more for the XPM-enabled versions.

 

[edesignuk]

But that just introduces more problems for the users, since they have to check all their vital apps and determine if they run fine in W7 or if they need to shell out more for the XPM-enabled versions.

Honestly, you can pick holes in the idea all you want, but it will be useful for those that need it, and a welcome feature to those that need it.

edit: Microsoft's reasoning:

"Windows XP Mode is specifically designed to help small businesses move to Windows 7," said Microsoft. "Windows XP Mode provides you with the flexibility to run many older productivity applications on a Windows 7 based PC."

 

[steveza]

Honestly, you can pick holes in the idea all you want, but it will be useful for those that need it, and a welcome feature to those that need it.

edit: Microsoft's reasoning:

I wonder if this is going to be a VMware Fusion type implementation where a Start menu shortcut or registered file extension will launch the VM and run an application.

 

[rwilliams]

I think it's a fantastic idea for businesses that are interested in migrating, but are worried about those old apps of theirs. And I think that businesses are going to move to Windows 7 faster than they did to Vista. 7 in beta and RC form is so much better than Vista SP1, it's ridiculous.

 

[r.j.s]

Honestly, you can pick holes in the idea all you want, but it will be useful for those that need it, and a welcome feature to those that need it.

No doubt it will be useful, but I'm just thinking that MS will screw up the implementation, as they often do on potentially great features.

 

[MRU]

It's not in the 7100 RC as far as I can tell.....



but then I haven't found many XP applications that don't run in 7 as normal for me....

 

[edesignuk]

It's not in the 7100 RC as far as I can tell.....

It'll be released as a separate installable product for certain versions when it hits release. From what I can gather right now, only certain beta testers have access to it.

 

[Everlast]

OMG, will that be:
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Starter
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Home Baisc
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Business
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Enterprise
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 ......
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 ...

If that so, I'm out....

 

[John Jacob]

How will this work under virtualization? Say, I am running Windows 7 on my Mac (running Mac OS X, of course) under Parallels or VMWare, and I want to run an app in XP mode. This would be running a VM within a VM. Wouldn't the hypervisors conflict?

 

[The Flashing Fi]

OMG, will that be:
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Starter
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Home Baisc
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Business
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Enterprise
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 ......
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 ...

If that so, I'm out....

Try reading the article...

It will be made available, for free, to users of Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions

The only people who will need this and find this useful are businesses. You can't run your games in XP-Mode. All it is is a virtual machine with XP installed, nothing more, nothing less.

Those of you who are asking what's the incentive to develop for Windows 7. Well, the program will run in a virtual machine, which means that the program will be inherently slower than running it natively. For their use, I'm sure their programs are going to run fast enough in seamless mode.

 

[01jamcon]

OMG, will that be:
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Starter
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Home Baisc
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Business
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Enterprise
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 ......
Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 ...

If that so, I'm out....

I wish some people would at least read the linked page before making comment. From the linked website (in bold, 3rd para): "It will be made available, for free, to users of Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions via a download from the Microsoft web site."

 

[Everlast]

It still "Windows Xp mode" for different version~ Oh, I know, you telling me you are smarter, okay I get it~

 

[steveza]

How will this work under virtualization? Say, I am running Windows 7 on my Mac (running Mac OS X, of course) under Parallels or VMWare, and I want to run an app in XP mode. This would be running a VM within a VM. Wouldn't the hypervisors conflict?

XP on W7 will use a version of Microsoft's Hyper-V which requires hardware based virtulisation i.e. Intel VT or AMD-V so it won't run within another virtual machine.

 

[chewietobbacca]

It still "Windows Xp mode" for different version~ Oh, I know, you telling me you are smarter, okay I get it~

No, it's just a setting in the actual OS itself that allows you to run things in that mode

Read the article instead of hating for the sake of hating

 

[wbeasley]

I think it's a fantastic idea for businesses that are interested in migrating, but are worried about those old apps of theirs. And I think that businesses are going to move to Windows 7 faster than they did to Vista. 7 in beta and RC form is so much better than Vista SP1, it's ridiculous.

well they couldn't move slower to 7 than they did to Vista...

"so much better"... any specifics you think make it so?

if they'd just fixed up some of XP's problems and given it a fresh coat of paint, perhaps more people would have upgraded by now willingly.

instead they moved things around (making admin tasks harder to perform for seasoned users) and broke programs and drivers. for real world people this is just stupid - when will OS developers realise not every home or business user is capable of learning the ins and outs?

Linux has the same issue... there's a steep learning curve.

MacOS has it's own learning curve but the growing number of switchers out there can attest, it's nowhere near that hard to get used to quickly. (If only the "delete" key worked like on a PC. LOL)

 

[wbeasley]

I think it's a fantastic idea for businesses that are interested in migrating, but are worried about those old apps of theirs. And I think that businesses are going to move to Windows 7 faster than they did to Vista. 7 in beta and RC form is so much better than Vista SP1, it's ridiculous.

well they couldn't move slower to 7 than they did to Vista...

"so much better"... any specifics you think make it so?

if they'd just fixed up some of XP's problems and given it a fresh coat of paint, perhaps more people would have upgraded by now willingly.

instead they moved things around (making admin tasks harder to perform for seasoned users) and broke programs and drivers. for real world people this is just stupid - when will OS developers realise not every home or business user is capable of learning the ins and outs?

Linux has the same issue... there's a steep learning curve.

MacOS has it's own learning curve but the growing number of switchers out there can attest, it's nowhere near that hard to get used to quickly. (If only the "delete" key worked like on a PC. LOL)