Yesterday marked the one year birthday of Windows 7, as well as the end of XP as we know it being preinstalled on OEM machines, including Netbooks. This comes as no surprise as Windows 7 is quickly becoming the defacto installation on most new PC’s. Businesses, consumers and hobbyists have quickly jumped on the Windows 7 train and have loved it. I have seen very little negativity towards Windows 7, especially compared with Windows Vista. One person even went as far as to say “Since Windows 7 came out, I’ve been telling clients that it took Microsoft 24 years to get it right — and it finally got it right with Windows 7.”. XP was a great operating system, and it served its purpose for many years, but it is time to move on. Times have changed, security threats have moved on, it is definitely time for the OS to move on.

Netbooks were the last category of PCs on which Microsoft was still allowing XP preloads at this point. Back in April 2008, Microsoft told OEMs that October 22, 2010, would be the day that no more XP Home would be permitted to be preinstalled on new netbooks.

Update: XP preloads are done, but XP downgrades are not, by the way. Best any of us Microsoft watchers can tell, it looks like XP downgrades will be allowed up until 2015. (Microsoft won’t confirm or deny that date.)