Hi there
There are some VERY GOOD reasons we continue to keep XP running as a Virtual Machine such as you need to keep older (but still very serviceable) and expensive hardware is still running -- even though the original equipment maker has either long since gone out of business or won't release new drivers.
For example I have a Plotter and an old CAD Blue print architectural drawing machine -- both work fine on XP and for the amount of use I need them for it's not even woth thinking about buying the newest equivalent hardware (would cost over 45,000 USD !!!!!!).
Other examples are pefectly excellent Canon Photo scanners and I'm sure you can think of loads of other devices -- for starters what about Minidiscs --these might seem like an aberration to the "Ipod Generation" but as portable RECORDING devices at HIGH QUALITY they still can't be beaten.
So long as you need Legacy devices / programs or equipment you will still need XP so it will probably STILL be available in 10 years time albeit only as a Virtual Machine.
I'm 100% not against innovation and update but I'm not junking perfectly good equipment when for a very small extra effort I can get a Virtual XP up and running when I need it --no Dual boot or things like that --It only takes a few seconds to start a VM on even the most modest of todays laptops BTW --plenty of power in them all.
Cheers
Jimbo