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HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP

By | April 26, 2008, 5:39am PDT

Summary: Rumors of Windows XP’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. I wrote about Dell’s downgrade program in a post earlier this week. Now HP and Lenovo also plan to offer Windows XP to business customers after Microsoft’s official cut-off date of June 30.

Rumors of Windows XP’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.

I wrote about Dell’s downgrade program in a post earlier this week (Windows Vista just can’t catch a break). It looks like Dell may have started something. Both HP and Lenovo now plan to offer Windows XP to business customers after Microsoft’s official cut-off date of June 30.

Lenovo will provide a Windows XP recovery disc with systems so that users can downgrade from Windows Vista until January 31, 2009, according to Information Week. The downgrade program covers laptops and desktops with Vista Business or Ultimate.
HP said it will offer Windows XP to business customers for an unspecified time beyond June 30.

Dell’s program covers OptiPlex desktops and laptops, Latitude laptops, and Precision workstations. Those systems come with Windows XP pre-installed but include a copy of Vista Business or Ultimate so customers can upgrade when they are ready. The Vostro desktops and laptops for small and medium-size businesses, and some XPS gaming systems, will also continue to offer the downgrade service for a fee.

Though it has been widely reported that the Dell downgrade option would be good through 2010, (when Microsoft is set to release Windows 7) Dell now says the program will last as long as “Microsoft supports it,” according to Information Week.

This comes after CEO Steve Ballmer suggested earlier this week that Microsoft might change its mind and extend Windows XP if customers asked for it. But he said the majority of new systems ship with Vista, and so far they haven’t seen customers asking for Windows XP.

Not everyone is convinced. Microsoft reported quarterly earnings on Thursday and revenues in the client division fell a little short, which The New York Times’ Steve Lohr writes could be a sign the company has a problem with Vista. Meanwhile InfoWorld Editor-in-Chief Eric Knorr has collected more than 160,000 signatures for his Save Windows XP petition (complete with countdown clock).

Microsoft has already announced that Windows XP will continue to be available specifically for ultra low-cost systems that do not meet the system requirements for Vista.

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Topics

Dell Computer Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., Lenovo Group Ltd., Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Operating Systems, Software, John Morris

John Morris is a former executive editor at CNET Networks and senior editor at PC Magazine.

Disclosure

John Morris

John Morris is a former executive editor at CNET Networks and senior editor at PC Magazine. He now works for a private investment firm, which may at any time invest in companies whose products are discussed in this blog, and no disclosure of securities transactions will be made. No investment advice is offered in this blog. All duties are disclaimed.

Biography

John Morris

John Morris is a former executive editor at CNET Networks and senior editor at PC Magazine. He now works for a private investment firm, which may at any time invest in companies whose products are discussed in this blog, and no disclosure of securities transactions will be made. No investment advice is offered in this blog. All duties are disclaimed.

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RE: HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
cstorme64@... 25th Jun 2008
Lets Just head straight back to the source of this article, It is OEM's Supporting an end of life cycle OS, which would put it in the UNSUPPORTED Class, and then throw out The warranty. Now thats just #1,
What about, Hmm where is the OEM's getting their support, & who actually has the XP operating system savvy to follow up on their claims. Finally Last but decidedly not least is, When WIll Microsoft pull the rug out of under the OEM, or start requiring them pay more for any assistance, which ends up meaning higher END USER COSTS passed down onto our head.
View in thread
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If customers want Windows XP then continue...
ye 26th Apr 2008
...selling it to them. But raise the price above Vista and I'm willing to bet all of a sudden many people will no longer want it.
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Message has been deleted.
STARTWYNKLES Updated - 28th Apr 2008
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Message has been deleted.
ye Updated - 28th Apr 2008
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Not sure that is true
rhomp2002@... 25th Jun 2008
It would depend on how much it would cost businesses to shift their computing needs to Vista. As of now there are a lot of applications that just do not work on Vista. There are also a lot of companies, particularly in a downturn in the economy who choose not to upgrade their computers to have the power to even run Vista at all while these same companies are already running XP very satisfactorily. Why go to all the trouble of changing to something when you are doing well with what you have and you have a lot of other places in the companies that need money more. Makes no sense from a company standpoint to do that. And if Windows does stop with the XP and the companies find another way to keep it working securely and well, then screw Vista - stick with XP even if you have to run it with Wine or some other way.

The days when a company will change all the computers at once are over for now and unless they are all changed then Vista would be a bad choice for a company to make.
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Easy fix to make Xp better
croberts 26th Apr 2008
There is one easy fix that MS could have make to make Xp better than vista: Allow a simultaneous RDP login.

That way people could run as normal users and then switch to an admin RDP session window if they need to install software or whatever.

Ironically XP could have done that from day one if MS would stop being so pathologically obsessed about charging for remote desktop features.

That would single handedly deal with Vista's supposed security advantage.
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The problem is not installing software it...
ye 26th Apr 2008
...is running the software. A lot of programs assume the user has administrative rights and would fail to run if they did not. Your solution doesn't appear to address that issue.
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On using proper terminology....
MGP2 26th Apr 2008
Question: If so many customers are opting to convert their machine's OS from Vista to XP, why is it considered a downgrade? I ordered a brand new pc in November that came with a Vista Business license, but I exercise my option to UPgrade to XP Pro.
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Do you think you're being original?
ye 26th Apr 2008
" I ordered a brand new pc in November that came with a Vista Business license, but I exercise my option to UPgrade to XP Pro."

We've never heard that one before. Sheesh.
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You must not have been around very much
hasta la Vista, bah-bie 29th Apr 2008
I've heard that statement all the time.
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Beleagured Microsoft
Monkeypox 26th Apr 2008
MS Windows is going down. What compelling choices for
their customers, the anicient and insecure XP, or the chrome
plated turd that is Vista, with nothing to replace them for
years. Ouch.
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Really? Don't you find it interesting
AllKnowingAllSeeing 27th Apr 2008
that they are "extending XP"?.
They're not selling up Linux in any distro, but instead continuing to sell XP.

As in people want Windows.

Sure doesn't sound like "Windows is going down".
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RE: HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
computerlogic 26th Apr 2008
I wish companies and bloggers would stop calling the move from Vista to XP a "downgrade". My customers come in and want me to remove Vista and install XP as an UPGRADE!

Vista is selling well because most consumers have no idea they have a choice between XP and Vista because the majors push Vista and don't tell customers they can request XP!
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Another poster who thinks he's being original.
ye 26th Apr 2008
"My customers come in and want me to remove Vista and install XP as an UPGRADE!"

My question to you is, if you really believe this, why are you being irresponsible and selling them systems with Vista instead of XP?
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And yet another one
AllKnowingAllSeeing 27th Apr 2008
whose "customers" all run in and want to "switch back over to XP". wink
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And MS laughs all the way to the bank
theoxygenthief 27th Apr 2008
I'm betting none of those customers got the money they spent on Vista back though?
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RE: HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
STARTWYNKLES 26th Apr 2008
I believe very firmly that WINDOWS XP IS THE BEST OS MICROSOFT HAS EVER RELEASED, and that they should take a few of the features that people who "like" VISTA and add them to XP and keep it as a supported OS forever--they could just keep updating it. I have an HP laptop that came with XP, and my son has a new HP TOWER with Vista. I have seen the nightmares he has gone through and the tech support for it is so very limited for an OS with so many problems. ALL OF US WANT A STABLE, USER FRIENDLY OS, THAT WE CAN DEPEND UPON AND NOT BE FORCED TO UPGRADE TO A NEW OS JUST BECAUSE THEY THREATEN TO STOP SUPPORTING THE ONE THAT IS WORKING BEST AT PRESENT.
Thanks for letting me have my say. ONE OTHER THING--THEY FAILED US BY MAKING US PAY FOR THE OS AND THEN WITH HOLDING THE OS CD'S.
Star Shepherd--shepscove@windstream.net
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If Steve Ballmer would just give me his email address
peter_erskine@... 27th Apr 2008
then I'd let him know what happened to the Vista that used to be on my laptop.
The reason Microsoft aren't hearing from people is that they're virtually impossible to contact. Even if you do manage to get the ear of some lowly minion, they aren't going to be able to pass your view up the line to the decision makers.
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You can already get XP if you have Vista Business or Ultimate
rosanlo 28th Apr 2008
Most PC manufacturers have a ___grade policy iin
place where if you have Vista Business or Ultimate,
you can buy OEM Windows XP for a small fee. Microsoft
licensing allows that.

The only problem there is that some of these same
manufacturers may not make the XP drivers available,
and the Vista drivers may not necessarily work.

This is one way of forcing the marketplace to
take Vista whether they like it or not.
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RE: HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
cjinsomniac@... 28th Apr 2008
Ballmer's claim that customers aren't asking for XP has to be a lie. He cannot be unaware of the huge dissatisfaction of consumers with Vista.

Of course, what is he supposed to say? "Vista is a giant failure, and we're sorry"?

Besides, there are some people who seem to like it, and I have seen it run relatively well myself on particular machines... I have also seen it run poorly on high-end systems, not to mention lots of software problems.

OS experience is simply not a universal thing. I still know people who swear by Windows ME, darn few, to be sure, but they're out there... in more than one sense.

Computer shops are stocking up on XP, researching what hardware will work with it, as well as what hardware and software will actually work well with Vista...

In the meantime, those who really want XP machines will find them, others will go with Linux or Mac, and the market will decide what's what.

And people will argue endlessly about all of it. It's what we do.
0 Votes
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RE: HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
Notsoandso 28th Apr 2008
Microsoft is a lot like General Motors in the 70's, both dinosaurs to big and knowing to adjust to the changing consumer. GM only cared about the bottom line and did not pick up on what customers wanted. The 79 Oldsmobile Mobile diesel was a classic example. GM Blamed the consumer for bad engineering when the consumer would experience 3 engine failures in the first 50,000 miles. The overpaid GM Executives kept hiring the same non-thinking outside the company box engineers to produce the same crap and failed to see the changing market until too late. GM was late in understanding the need to produce quality cars, late into hybrids and probably has not yet noticed the $4.00 going to $5.00 for a gallon of gas.
As the equipment gets better there will be less and less need for the bloated OS systems Microsoft produces and more creative thinkers will bring forth more friendly Operation Systems at a lower price. Microsoft will notice this trend after introducing it???s ???Black Hole??? OS in 2015???..
0 Votes
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Better example is IBM in the 70's and early 80's
rhomp2002@... 25th Jun 2008
NT
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Why Am I A Second Class Citizen?
rle11wb@... 28th Apr 2008
Corporations again get special treatment! Why am I, as a consumer, not allowed the option of purchasing XP if Corporations are allowed? I don't want VISTA because of its widespread, agreed problems. XP is stable and that is what I want for an operating system.
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You became a second class citizen
Ole Man 29th Apr 2008
When you started using Microsoft
software. You may also be a thief, so
Microsoft must check you periodically
(frequently) to determine whether or
not you have recently stolen
something from them.

Nothing personal, you understand?
Just "business as usual".
0 Votes
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MS is greedy
wiguna@... 29th Apr 2008
I am living in Indonesia. Most Indonesians now living with a salary less than $300 per month, despite they are required to do things with computer. And most PC here are using Windows, in many variations.

Now, what is the price of Vista Business Ed.? US%346 !
Can you imagine, we have to pay for an OS with more than a monthly wages. It's outrageous! But there is no law to prohibit them putting such a high cost, instead the law required everybody to buy a license, only to be safe from police raiding this small business place.

Unlike in US, we don't get much customer services here. Even the language is still english, not indonesian. All for such a price!

It's good to back to Win XP, I am suggesting it should be FREE now, counting how many revenues and profits that MS has gained from it all these years.
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RE: HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
goldmosh 29th Apr 2008
It sounds great, but what with respect to people like me that have a brand new HP laptop and want to "downgrade" the Windows Vista Home Premium built into it?
I read in the HP website that it is impossible (or at least not recommended) to downgrade to XP in those HP laptops because they were specifically designed to meet the requirements of Vista.
Someone can tell me What do I have to do?
Thanks.
-- Moshe Goldstein
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MS Not Dead Yet
rshol 11th Jun 2008
MS is not going anywhere, at least anytime soon. Just like the people who said IBM was dead in the 90's (IBM's sales last year were nearly $100 Billion -- "they're not dead yet").

Last year MS made $18.5 Billion on sales of $51.1 Billion or a 36% net margin. Pretty good. Q1 08 had Net Profits of $4.4 Billion on sales of $14.4 Billion or 30.5% net margin. Not up to last year's Q1 but not many companies this size have 30% net margins. Add to that $23.4 billion in cash and short term investments.

Just as a reference, Apple had an 18.3% net margin at its most recent fiscal year end (9-30-07) and 17.3% at the most recent quarter. IBM had net margins of 13.7% at its 12-31-07 fiscal year and 13.4% at the most recent quarter. GE had 12.8% net margin at its 12-31-08 fiscal year end.

Microsoft has an extraordinarily strong balance sheet and an income statement with amazing margins. As a company its biggest problem is 90%+ market share in its primary market (there's no place to go) and a bad track record developing other markets.
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The reason they have that margin
rhomp2002@... 25th Jun 2008
Microsoft has that margin because they overcharge so much for their product and then for all the help services in case of problems, charging for supposed illegal copies, etc. If they charged the normal profit % for their product, the balance sheet would not look nearly so good.
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RE: HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
cstorme64@... 25th Jun 2008
Lets Just head straight back to the source of this article, It is OEM's Supporting an end of life cycle OS, which would put it in the UNSUPPORTED Class, and then throw out The warranty. Now thats just #1,
What about, Hmm where is the OEM's getting their support, & who actually has the XP operating system savvy to follow up on their claims. Finally Last but decidedly not least is, When WIll Microsoft pull the rug out of under the OEM, or start requiring them pay more for any assistance, which ends up meaning higher END USER COSTS passed down onto our head.

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