Sir, you need to not speak on things about which you are not knowledgeable. From a technical perspective, there's a reason they can't "fix all their sloppy bugs in XP," and I only have to point to this VERY ARTICLE as a corollary for that reasoning.
When a company programs an operating system, they have to take into account numerous factors: usability, platform compatibility, interoperability with other operating systems, kernel-level software interaction, etc. When Microsoft wrote XP, they allowed any and all programs to directly address the kernel, the very core of the operating system. This meant that at any given time, an installed program could go berserk and break the OS, hence the reason blue screens of death were so prominent in Windows platforms pre-Vista.
When Microsoft released Vista, they released an operating system that was fundamentally different from anything previously. Vista, Win7, Win8, even all of their Server operating systems since Windows 2008 have been running on a kernel that no longer allows direct addressing. This means that you have a much more stable operating system platform, because any errors from a program-level are handled at a different abstraction layer, thus only affecting a small portion of program's operating environment vs. the entire operating system.
Of course programmers HATED this. It meant that they actually had to code properly (*GASP*), and it also meant certain programmatic changes to the operating system such as UAC became very visible to the end user in the form of windows asking for permission to continue. You hated them, but they are the same mechanism used by Apple to keep their end users safe, albeit a little less chatty.
In reality, Microsoft made the choice to make their operating system platform much safer and more stable in lieu of ease-of-programming for software developers. This ensures the very engine of your computing experience runs relatively smooth while any programs that you install run as auxiliary components that are "bolted on" to the operating system itself. In reality, sir, Microsoft did EXACTLY what you suggested they do: they fixed all of their sloppy bugs.
never offered anything more than simple add-on functionality packages to XP
This is also incorrect. As I just finished saying, due to the nature of the XP operating system, Microsoft had to literally patch their kernel to disallow access to certain critical functions of the operating system. As time has gone on, Microsoft has patched so many flaws to the XP kernel that you have little more than a smoldering husk of the original. And this brings me to my final point:
Take a look at the article in question here. Over the last few months, we've heard incessant stories about how common encryption methods are now at risk. SSLv1 is one security example that's been identified recently as no longer safe just as RC4 before it. SHA1 hashing is no longer considered "strong enough" for encryption security just like MD5 before it. Not many Mac users out there are still using OS 9, and I guarantee that Apple isn't writing vulnerability fixes for it or any of its predecessors any more. Your anger is directed at Microsoft for moving on, something that every operating system developer has already done. Your anger is directed at Bill Gates who retired from Microsoft in 2008, leaving it to Steve Ballmer, who I agree mishandled a lot. Satya Nadella, the new CEO, is doing a great job rebuilding the Microsoft brand by standing firm on his commitment to stop the garbage with old support. Microsoft no longer supports XP. They stop supporting Server 2003 in July. They'll no longer support Internet Explorer versions earlier than 11 as of January of 2016.
I don't care what ANYONE in this thread has to say in defense of their use of XP. People like dayglored and I are NOT here to browbeat for your use of the OS. If I were a betting man, I'd say that dayglored probably even liked XP, I know I did, but EVERYTHING changes, guys. I'm sorry you don't like the current crop of Windows operating systems. Go buy a Mac or find a Linux distro you like. The fact is (and this IS FACT) Microsoft's legacy operating systems are NO LONGER SAFE. You can burying your head in the sand, throw a temper tantrum, avow that "it won't be you," but the bottom line is that you are putting your personal information at risk. Don't shoot the messengers here, guys. You HAVE been warned.
> If I were a betting man, I'd say that dayglored probably even liked XP, I know I did, but EVERYTHING changes, guys.
Correct. I reluctantly switched from Win2K to WinXP when XP-SP2 came out, because it was clear that 2K would never get that level of improvement in security, and the changes necessary for apps to work with SP2 were substantial enough that the older programs were getting left behind in droves.
I stayed with XP for many years, through SP3, hated and ignored Vista for its UI and slowness (although I had to deal with it plenty for my clients and fellow employees), and only started switching my personal machines over after Win7 had stabilized. I view Win7 as Vista-Fixed -- they're very similar in most respects but 7 is much more tractable to the user. I recommend 7 highly, even though I'm not a Windows partisan. I haven't bothered with 8.x (again mainly because of the UI being abstruse, though I get to maintain plenty of instances at work and with friends/family). I'm playing with 10.
I'm 63 and I don't expect to be too active in the engineering/admin scene past another decade, but I expect I'll have a chance to see a couple of successors to Win10 before I, like WinXP, can no longer be patched back into suitable operation.
My last (offline VM) instance of XP was retired about a year ago, after I had ported the last of my old utility programs. XP is a dear old family member who has at last become a respected but quite enfeebled nuisance and a danger to himself and others, who needs to be cared for safely in the house until he finally expires. Running around outdoors and driving the car on the highway, falling over and getting in accidents, isn't good for him or the rest of us.
Thanks again, and have a great day!