Hello, darling.  I see you’re doing okay.  A little cluttered, spastic, and disorganized, but you’re still dependable, yes you are.  You’re a little behind the times, with your fashion and the way you handle things, but you’re still churning along like it was yesterday.  Those three operations made you run a lot better.  In fact, I’d say you’re just as spry as you were when we first met back in 2001.  You’ve come through for me in ways I can’t imagine.

……that’s why this is so hard for me to do.

I can’t decide what the more humane thing to do is.  Should I keep on pretending everything is okay?  Should I take you out back and put a bullet in your head?  My own head hurts just thinking about it.  It’s been love/hate these past few months or so, but I can’t deny where this is going, and darling, it’s not boding well for you.

Let’s be frank, XP.  I’m leaving you.

DON’T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT.  It’s not like I never appreciated you.  I stood up and defended you so many times against those others.

Those whores.

You remember.  First there was Linux, sporting her little geek-chic thing.  Sure, she was pretty to look at, especially with that whole brown, African Ubuntu thing going on sometimes.  And what a wardrobe she had, too.  Mint, Debian, Slackware for when I was feeling nostalgic.  Seemed like she could do everything.  Everything except replace you.  Even with a glass of Wine, she still wouldn’t play nice with the things I had for you.  Things like Photoshop, 3DS Max, and all the fun games you and I still play to this day.

Then there was Mac OSX.  The one with the cat fetish.  She’d come around sometimes, and shake her little tail at me, with that slick as hell looking outfit.  I have to admit, when I saw her you-know-whats bounce up and down when I started something with her, I got a little hot under the collar.  She even tried to replace you on my own system, how about that?  One of her pals got her running on the very system you’ve inhabited for years.  Remember that, darling?  That time all three of us got together, and once even included Ubuntu in the game?  That was a fun time for all, but eventually you won out and were the last one standing.  I knew from the very beginning OSX was no good.  Sure, she was pretty, but underneath that chassis was a frail little thing that tried so desperately to be like you.  She even had some parts switched out a while back to be just like you.  I hear that sometimes, she likes to roleplay to her playmates acting like you.  Having the same look and feel, but lacking.  People who’ve experienced that call it BootCamp.  I call it a lie.  High maintenance, and lacking in substance.

Then…..then, there was your sister.  The one who was chosen to carry the torch.  The one who they said would make me leave you.  A few years back, they trotted her out, looking shiny and new, but there was one problem with Vista:  She was brutally retarded, hard to work with, and had severe bouts of narcolepsy.  Virtually nobody liked her, and those that did, usually never experienced you to compare.

The choice was obvious.  Hell, sweetheart, it’s always been obvious.

You.  Always you.

Until now.

I have to admit, and you’ve probably already suspected this….I’ve been seeing someone behind your back.  She’s fast, and has most, if not all of your good qualities.  Some might say she IS you, with Vista’s looks and your heart, all rolled up into one neat little package.  We played all the same games, did all the same things, and communicated in the same way.  The only difference was, I felt safer with her.  She was new, improved, and I’m sorry, darling, but she’s also looking much better than you.

Do you think I’d do this lightly?  Do you honestly think I’d just up and leave you without knowing what I’m getting into?  You know I don’t make decisions like this if I don’t think that it’s going to benefit me.  I believe it will.  I believe that in 7, I’ll still have all the good parts of you and less of the bad.  She’s already proven receptive to me, even if she is just out of the running gate.  She’s almost ready, but I’m ready for her now.  Just a couple of more weeks, and I’ll have the space for her in my life.

It’s not the end, dear.  I’m not giving up on you completely.  I’ll put you away somewhere.  Somewhere safe.  I’ll not close the door on you just yet.  I’ll keep it cracked.  Just a little.  I know, I know, that makes me a heel, keeping you in the wings while I have my way with someone new.  You shouldn’t feel too slighted, though.  Weren’t you the one that convinced me to dump 98 in your favor?  That’s right.  I didn’t want to bring that up, since she’s been gone for so long, but it’s the truth.

We’ll have some more good times before I close the book on this relationship.  I owe you that much.  You still work great, but I have to move on eventually.  The sooner I can do that, the better off we’ll be.  You’ve worked hard all these years, girl, and you’ve been good to me.  But 7 promises all that and more.  Everything you are and more, that’s what she is.

Come on, XP.  Let’s celebrate our life and history together, instead of mourning your passing.  Lots and lots of people still dig you.  Most people all over the world still look upon you as a steady and reliable goddess.

But you know that’s not in my nature, baby.  I gotta move on.

Thanks for the good times, darling.  I’ll give your love to 7 when she moves in.  It’ll be like meeting you for the first time all over again.

Thanks for the memories, XP.  Goodbye.