Plenty of business systems and lots of regular users continue with XP.
Probably MOST 'business systems' continue with XP...but then MOST 'business systems' do NOT use any form of GUI modification/skinning.
I am sure there are 'squillions' of users out there hanging on in grim death to Win98, but if Microsoft is relinquishing support for 'legacy' OSs then so should everyone else...unless THEIR particular interest IS in 'legacy' - DosBOX, for one.
I really don't think it's about "how many customers you'll lose" as if they are existing customers using existing product/resources [skins] then nothing changes.
It is the focus upon the NEW User that is important....and for development to keep up with where Microsoft is dragging us....willingly or not.
XP is 'legacy', Vista was an aberration, 32bit and 64bit flavours of OSs compounds the issue [if not at skinner level then at proggy dev level].
The reality is there are people out there still using Win98....and there are skins on Wincustomize.com that were created for Win98....pre XP. The 'customer' is still 'served'. Why cannot the same apply with/for XP users?
Should 'we' jump up and down and demand skinners ALSO skin for 98?....95?
Left to THEIR OWN devices skinners will skin for the OS/s THEY use....unless it's a Master/commercial skin with which they wish to snare the greatest customer base. I [still] skin for WinAMP 2.9x .....for me.... for the fact I still use it. I really don't care that [maybe] no-one else uses it...but if they do...well and good.....they can have it too.
Problem is....MUST I then make damn sure MY 2.9x skin also works perfectly on WA5 [or whatever the number is up to] or I may not upload it?
It's patently unfair AND difficult to impose on skin uploaders that they 'MUST' skin all 'three' versions, particularly when one ver alone is a pain in the bum to do these days.
Why are there fewer skins [and skinners]? Could it be simply that it's all getting too much like hard work?
The 'FUN' has left skinning?...