Leaked HP documents indicate Microsoft has given XP yet another stay-of execution, this time until April 30, 2010 - meaning it will be on the market with not just Vista, but Windows 7.

Microsoft was originally scheduled to finally take Windows XP off the market, after a number of reprieves, in June last year.

The OS is, after all, now eight years old in a market where Microsoft has traditionally upgraded Windows every two years.

Asked at a US analyst meeting whether Windows XP users should upgrade to Windows Vista, or wait for Windows 7, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer replied: "If people want to wait, they certainly can”. Mr Ballmer was speaking at a technology conference in Florida hosted by Gartner, which is now archived as a webcast on the research company’s website.

Despite everything Microsoft has said, do you still wish you had kept Windows XP instead of switching to Vista? As something of an outsider to Windows (my advice is, get a Mac) I'm a little perplexed - yes, there are aspects of Vista that are pretty annoying but it works and is seriously more secure than XP.

But if you feel stuck with Vista on your new PC, don't; instead, download Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 (microsoft.com/windows/downloads/virualpc/default.mspx) and install that for use whenever you really need an XP break.