Google has announced it plans to halt support for its Chrome browser on a number of older desktop platforms.
From April 2016, the company will no longer offer security or feature updates for Chrome users on Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Across the other side of the isle, Mac OS X users will need to be running at least 2013’s Mavericks in order to benefit from a supported Chrome browser.
“If you’re still on one of these unsupported platforms, we encourage you to move to a newer operating system to ensure that you continue to receive the latest Chrome versions and features,” engineering director Mark Pawliger wrote in a blog post.
The phasing out of older versions of Chrome may be a sign of things to come at the new “streamlined Google” working underneath the Alphabet parent company.
The move will probably please Microsoft and Apple, which will both benefit from users updating the operating systems to the latest versions. In many cases, that will have to involve the purchase of new machines.
Related: Windows 10 review
Microsoft itself stopped supporting XP last year, so it’s almost surprising Google has maintained support for so long.
Will this change in tack encourage you to finally update that old operating system? Or will you happily forge on without the Google Chrome browser in your arsenal?
Share your thoughts below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
