NetworkWorld claims China is urging Microsoft to extend support for Windows XP because it would lead to an increase in the use of pirated software:
Terminating support for XP will pose security threats to users, according to Yan Xiaohong, deputy director of China’s National Copyright Administration.
He linked the demise of XP to China’s efforts to stem software piracy by making pirated software seem a better option. “These practices affect the smooth operations of genuine software in China,” Yan Xiaohong is quoted as saying.
About the same time Microsoft launched Windows 8 it stopped selling a low-end version of Windows 7, forcing potential customers to consider the more expensive Windows 8, he says.
He says he hopes Microsoft and other software vendors would promote use of legitimate software through sales and services that meet the needs of China customers.
