If you’re a fan of Windows XP, life as you know it ends on June 30.

OK, maybe the situation’s not that bad. But lord, it isn’t good.

June 30 is the day Microsoft will begin phasing out its popular XP operating system, and the prospect of having to turn to the much-maligned Vista OS is more than many XP users can bear.

“No matter how hard Microsoft works to persuade people to embrace Vista, some just can’t be wowed,” writes Jessica Mintz in this Associated Press article. “They complain about Vista’s hefty hardware requirements, its less-than-peppy performance, occasional incompatibility with other programs and devices and frequent, irritating security pop-up windows. For them, the impending disappearance of XP computers from retailers, and the phased withdrawal of technical support in coming years, is causing a minor panic.”

“Save XP” petitions like this one are littering the Web these days, but chances are they will have no effect on Microsoft’s decision.  “Microsoft already extended the XP deadline once,” Mintz writes, “but it shows no signs it will do so again.”

I can’t speak for the rest of the finance world, but I’m feeling a little XP angst myself these days. I have two laptops at home, one with XP and one with Vista. Without a doubt, I prefer the XP machine. It’s faster, more reliable, isn’t prone to “freezing” like the Vista machine, and, most important for me, it doesn’t use the Office 2007 suite. (Is there anyone out there who actually likes using .docx Word files or .xlsx Excel files?)

But that, of course, is just my opinion. I’m sure Vista has many fine points, and CPA firms and companies everywhere may soon decide to make the switch from XP to Vista — if they haven’t done so already. For those who will soon be crossing over, Boomer Consulting’s Andrew Sterling Hanenkamp offers a closer look at the timetable for XP’s phaseout. The bottom line: Start preparing now for a life without XP.

Which operating system do you prefer? Why?