In 20 days Microsoft will roll out its much-anticipated Windows 7 operating system. But that isn’t the only thing the software behemoth is making available to users. Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft said late Thursday that it has completed development on Windows 7 XP Mode and will also make it available on Oct. 22.
Windows XP Mode is a stand-alone feature specifically designed to help small businesses using Windows XP applications move to Windows 7 with ease. XP Mode is an optional feature of the Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions.
Accounting, inventory and other productivity applications will benefit the most from Windows XP Mode. The feature isn’t aimed at consumer applications because those use a lot of hardware interfaces, including 3-D graphics, audio and TV tuners, that won’t work well with virtualization.
“The sweet spot for applications that run in Windows Virtual PC is business and productivity applications that tend to conform to the basic Windows application programming interface (API),” said Scott Woodgate, Microsoft’s director of desktop virtualization.
“Small businesses operate under constrained resources and are highly sensitive to the time and expense required to upgrade their PCs,” he added. “Windows XP Mode provides small businesses with the ability to run many Windows XP applications, saving time and expense, but Windows XP Mode does not have 100 percent compatibility with all Windows XP applications.”
Windows XP Mode is actually a combination of two features. The first includes a prepackaged virtual Windows XP environment, according to Woodgate. The second is Windows Virtual PC, which runs the virtual Windows XP environment.
Because XP Mode is designed for small businesses, Microsoft is offering an alternative for larger businesses that need to reduce the cost of installing virtual PCs across hundreds of users. It is expected to be available within 90 days of…