Just When I thought I Was Out...They Pull Me Back In

Rats. Uncle Bill has given with one hand and taken away with another - again. What am I referring to? XP Mode for Windows 7. It appears that Windows 7 and computers with Intel processors may not work for the XP Mode, announced last week. I wrote about it in a previous blog.

The problem is a very techie thing that breaks down this way: Microsoft requires that computer processors support a certain type of instructions for the XP Mode software to work. Most Intel processors don’t support it; most AMD processors do support it. It’s another conversation as to why Microsoft would do this and why Intel processors don’t support code that AMD processors do support.

What does this mean long term? Not sure. Microsoft could change their standards for supporting XP Mode and this problem may go away. Likewise, Microsoft’s employees could stay in theaters for weeks until the new Star Trek movie goes to video (no really...it could happen - ok, well maybe not). Either way, it doesn’t look good for us Intel PC users that want to drive that car until the wheels fall off.