Going out in style
Well, that's it folks. Support for Windows XP officially ended on Tuesday, marking the end of a run that lasted nearly 13 years. Some will inevitably cling to the dead operating system, though as PC shipment data shows, many have also chosen to migrate rather than risk running an abandoned OS. As a final reminder to those who have yet to upgrade -- and perhaps as a fitting homage -- Microsoft created "Escape from XP," a fun (and free) time waster that's available to play on modern browsers.

It's a trip down memory lane that begins with booting into Windows XP from presumably an ancient PC with a CRT monitor. You're then thrust into an arcade-style shooter in which you move around blasting bits of XP era icons. In the game, you're the last person in the world still supporting IE6 on XP, and it's time to navigate away from what Microsoft now calls a "pestilence on the peaceful developer community." Controls are simple -- WAD to move, arrow keys to shoot in the desired direction, and Q to swtich weapons.

Diehard XP fans might take exception to Microsoft painting their belove OS as a "pestilence," but hey, it's a fun way to remind people that the retro party's over. The only thing missing is a cameo from Kurt Russell, who starred in Escape from New York and Escape from L.A.