http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-xp-why-it-wont-die-for-years-to-come/?loc=newsletter_large_thumb_related&ftag=TRE5575fdc&bhid=102795212
 
Interesting.  Some of it is hardware related.  Windows 7 will be the new XP.  Every vendor still sells W7 OEM.  I have a scanner that would only run on XP.   The XP mode was a great feature in W7.  I didn't want to spend any money on new hardware that I may use 3 times a year.  I keep one machine on W7 so I can use XP Mode.  I tried using XP vrtual machines on W10 and the USB scanner would not work. 

... my scanner died before Win XP, which is still going. New scanner won't run on XP. So far Win 10's compatibility mode has worked when I need it to.