Many people remember Windows XP. It was a whole era that coincided with the rise of the Internet.
The operating system was external in 2001, its support ended in 2014. Since then, Microsoft has released several new versions of Windows, but despite this, Windows XP today holds a 0.39% share (according to StatCounter) of the computer OS market.
It seems that this is not enough. But Microsoft says there are 1.4 billion Windows PCs being studied worldwide, which means Windows XP is still used on 5.5 million PCs.
It is also worth considering that StatCounter statistics only take into account computers connected to the Internet. Therefore, the actual number of PCs with Windows XP will be larger.
But what kind of PC is this? Who uses Windows XP today? It’s the same old system that doesn’t even support Google Chrome for 8 years. Well, the answers to these questions will probably surprise you.
Short description
Briefly about Windows XP
Computers at NASA
Medical equipment
Banks and ATMs
Where systems older than Windows XP were used
You can’t do without this on the train to San Francisco.
When will old operating systems stop being used?
Briefly about Windows XP
When Windows XP came out in 2001, it was a very modern operating system, especially compared to the previous Windows 2000.
Windows XP introduced a new design, which many still remember, text smoothing, fast switching between users, limiting work with permanent devices and disks, the system itself worked more stable and faster. There were also many more new functions that could be listed for a long time.
The system quickly became the most popular in the world and held this title from 2003 to 2011.
To beat the success of Windows XP, the company needed to release two operating systems. First it was Windows Vista, which was a failure. Then, based on it, Windows 7 was released, which was already able to overtake Windows XP in popularity.
Many people believe that Windows XP is used only by fans and enthusiasts. This is partly true, but there are also other areas where this operating system can still be found.
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Computers at NASA
NASA Goddard Flight Discovery Center
Yes, Windows XP is still used on some devices at NASA Goddard Flight Center.
More precisely, NASA uses Windows XPe (Embedded). This is one of the editions of Windows XP, which was created for chips, microprocessors, controllers and embedded devices. In other words, a system for equipment that operates inside other equipment.
It is unknown where exactly Windows XPe is used at NASA. But this is probably old equipment that still works and does not require an urgent update.
The fact is that such a request for equipment can cost several million dollars, and NASA has always had problems with allocating funds. Therefore, for now, gadgets running Windows XPe continue to work in space agencies.
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Medical equipment
Windows XP on the computer of the prince-ophthalmologist.
Windows XPe can still be followed in many healthcare settings. Such an OS can be used in laboratories or medical devices released in the middle of the zero stage.
The reason for using it is the same as at NASA: don’t change what works (and money). Often there is no money to update equipment. And if the old one continues to perform its functions, then there is no point in updating it.
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Banks and ATMs
Windows XP at HSBC bank (one of the largest in the USA).
Windows XP is still used on computers in banks. It is unknown whether they are connected to the Internet or not.
Support for Windows XP ended in 2014. Some users suggest that banks have entered into an agreement with Microsoft to support Windows XP. At least in the US, but there is no evidence of this.
Windows XPe is still found in ATMs. This version was supported until 2019, but has been out of date from a security point of view for 5 years.
In Russia, Windows XP was used in Sber ATMs back in 2017. In 2022, the bank began migrating its ATMs to Linux.
Other Russian banks mainly use Windows 10 in their ATMs. At least that’s how it was in 2019. Windows 10 support ends in 2025.
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Where systems older than Windows XP were used
In January 2024, Deutsche Bahn (Germany’s main rail operator) posted a job advertisement requiring knowledge of Windows 3.11 and ideally MS-DOS.
MS-DOS is a non-graphical operating system released in 1981. Windows 3.11 was released in 1993 and already had a more or less familiar interface.
Legacy operating systems provide “an in-cab display system on central and regional trains that shows the driver the most important technical data in real time.” One of the users of the Hacker News forum reported that similar equipment is used in European trains ICE 1 and ICE 2, which will run until 2030.
This user also reported that one of the railway systems uses a BIOS from 1996 with a 166 MHz processor and 8 MB of RAM.
It is not known whether Deutsche Bahn found a new person, but the day after the vacancy was published, it was deleted.
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You can’t do without this on the train to San Francisco.
The use of older operating systems is not as surprising as floppy disks in 2024. The San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has used 5-inch floppy disks in subway operations since 1998.
The floppy disk is one component of one system that automatically controls our subway trains.
Mariana Maguire, SFMTA spokesperson
According to her, floppy disks were introduced back in the “era when computers did not have a hard drive.” Therefore, it is necessary for the Metro to load the software from a floppy disk onto the computer, which they still do.
It’s as if you lost your memory overnight and every morning someone had to tell you, “This is who you are and what your purpose is – what you have to do today.”
Mariana Maguire, SFMTA spokesperson
But Maguire’s statement sounds a little strange because hard drives have been common even in home computers since the early 1990s. Floppy disks were also widely used at that time. For example, installing Windows 95 required 24 floppy disks. But by the end of the 90s, the era of CDs had already begun.
The floppy disks in the San Francisco subway were designed to last 20-25 years, but have been in use for 26 years. They still work fine, but “every year there is an increasing risk that the quality of the data on floppy disks will deteriorate and that at some point there will be a catastrophic failure“
The transition to a modern technology system, according to the SFMTA director, will take about 10 years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. So far, no one has taken up the development of modern technology.
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When will old operating systems stop being used?
Never. In devices and devices that are designed to solve narrow problems, stability always comes first.
That’s why there are still organizations using Windows XP and floppy disks. The “replacement” for Windows XP will likely be Windows 10. It is the most popular Windows in the world, despite the fact that the last major update for it was released in mid-2022. It is installed on 69% of computers.
Windows 10 works stably, which captivates not only the protection, but also ordinary users who are in no hurry to upgrade to Windows 11, which is also very demanding on hardware.
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Source: Iphones RU
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
