As Red has mentioned Windows XP is ancient and with age, also comes the fact that eventually you run out of people who can do support. I have seen software providers who stopped support literally because they could find no one still working who knew the software. Windows 7 will do what you want likely and be less of a shift. And recall this rule I was taught with change "Don't think of how you felt about the old software today. Think about how you felt about it the first day. That horrible piece of garbage that you will never be able to figure out and does nothing right, that today you are holding and refuse to let go like a child or a beloved pet. Then realize the parallels with the new software. "
Windows 8 is a big change, but one someone was going to make sooner or later. We are even now seeing a generation rise whose computer experience has been entirely mobile and via touch screens. 7 will likely be the ground level that they keep longer than normal like XP was, but just as desktops are seen as passe, don't be shocked if laptops go that way too within 10 years.
