Microsoft desperately offers $50 in goodies for users to switch from XP

People, what is it going to take for you to finally ditch Windows XP? Microsoft has already sent out plenty of warnings to XP users letting them know support for the platform will end on April 8th. However, if the threat of getting nailed by countless new strains of malware isn’t enough to get you to upgrade from XP, Microsoft is now sweetening the offer with $50 worth of free stuff… but the catch is you’ll have to buy a new computer with Windows 8.1.

Microsoft has anted up in its attempt to convince last-minute laggards to abandon Windows XP by handing a $50 carrot to people who buy a new Windows 8.1 device. On its online Microsoft Store, the Redmond, Wash. company is giving a $50 gift card to customers who buy one of 16 Windows 8.1 notebooks, desktops, tablets or 2-in-1 hybrids. The card is good for future purchases at the e-store. Microsoft kicked off the deal on March 4; it ends April 30. The move was the latest in a series to convince customers to ditch the 13-year-old XP, which was sold on new PCs as recently as October 2010. Microsoft will issue the final public patches for XP security vulnerabilities on April 8.