Windows XP extended support question(s).

[stop!theradio]

I'm no longer using XP, and haven't been for a few years now, but I was wondering something. On the MS website, it says that XP has entered the extended support phase, meaning that if someone needs tech support they'd have to pay. It says that XP mainstream support is totally done, but it says something about SP2 and 3 being supported until 2010. What's the difference here? If SP2 and 3 are still being "supported" until 2010, then how can XP support be dropped? Am I missing something here?

I guess I'm asking how can sp2 and 3 be "supported" if XP is is in extended phase? Or is there something I'm missing? Any clarification would be appreciated, thanks.

EDIT: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifean31

Support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) will end on July 13, 2010. This date was established when Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) was released on April 21, 2008.

This announcement is in line with the Microsoft Support Lifecycle policy for Windows service packs. This policy states that when a new service pack is released, Microsoft will provide 24 months of support for the previous service pack for products that belong to the Windows product family.

Note The release of a service pack has no impact on Mainstream Support and Extended Support end dates. Therefore, there will be no change to the previously announced end of Mainstream and Extended Support dates for Windows XP. Windows XP will transition from the Mainstream Support phase to the Extended Support phase on April 14, 2009, as scheduled. During the Extended Support phase for Windows XP, Microsoft will continue to provide paid support and security updates at no additional charge. Extended Support for Windows XP will retire on April 8, 2014.

What does that mean, exactly?

 

[dugn]

Mainstream support for an OS is 10 years - 5 of which is mainstream support where all updates (security or otherwise) are free, then 5 years of extended support where all of the extra, nice-to-have, cute stuff stops coming out and only security updates and service packs are free.

Pinched within that 10 year OS lifespan are the OS service packs. Each OS service pack is supported (as an OS + SP combination) until the end of life of the product (in this case, the end of WIndows XP's 10 years) or 24 months after a newer service pack comes out.

Since XP SP3 was released, it put SP2 on a 24 month death watch until it is no longer supported at all. At that point, no updates (security or otherwise) will be provided for XP SP2 - only the newer SP3.

In turn, SP3 will be supported until the end of Windows XP's 10 years.

Theoretically, if they came out with SP4, SP3 would be have only 24 months to live - and SP4 would live until the end of XP's 10 year lifespan.

But since the end of XP's 10 year lifespan is so near, it's safe to say SP3 will be the last service pack - so there's no chance of an SP4 (which would have a very short lifespan anyhow since it would quickly bump up against the overall 10 year lifespan of the XP operating system).

That's probably as clear as mud, but that's how it works. I hope it helps...