Piracy Keeps Windows XP SP3 Alive And Kicking: Still A Top Torrent Download

It is no secret that burying Windows XP is a tough task for Microsoft. Microsoft’s Windows XP is maintaining a strong market share in the global desktop market of around 25% largely due to the proliferation of piracy. This has to be the case with Microsoft’s classic OS because Microsoft no longer allows any new “legal” activations unless an extended support package is purchased. A quick check of a couple of the biggest torrent websites in the world, KickAssTorrents and The Pirate Bay, reveals that Windows XP is still hugely popular in terms of seeders and leechers of P2P torrent files. Windows XP support officially ended in April but that hasn’t stopped pirates downloading the OS in significant numbers. The popularity of pre-configured Windows XP SP3 installations with cracks or activations continues to entice not just pirate consumers but also system builders in emerging markets where piracy is the norm for keeping computer costs down. The piracy rate for Windows 7 is dramatically higher, but it is still surprising to see Windows XP doing so well given its age.

Source: Softpedia

Image #1 courtesy of Microsoft, image #2 courtesy of eTeknix