Why don't pathology vendors just update their software? The answer is regulatory. When a company like Roche, Leica, or Beckman Coulter updates the operating system for a Class II medical device, they must re-submit to the FDA (510(k) clearance). This costs millions in clinical trials to prove the new OS doesn't change the diagnostic result.

Historically, Windows XP was the primary platform for the birth of "telepathology." Real-time Consultation : Pathologists used Windows Live Messenger and Skype on Windows XP

Surprisingly, Windows XP has not "died." Its persistence in the 2020s resembles a resilient biological organism surviving in a hostile environment:

Great for legacy games/apps, but fails on modern web/hardware.

Where to obtain Windows XP in 2025? - Microsoft Community Hub