HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
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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Talkback
If customers want Windows XP then continue...
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Not sure that is true
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.
Easy fix to make Xp better
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.
The problem is not installing software it...
On using proper terminology....
Do you think you're being original?
We've never heard that one before. Sheesh.
You must not have been around very much
Beleagured Microsoft
their customers, the anicient and insecure XP, or the chrome
plated turd that is Vista, with nothing to replace them for
years. Ouch.
Really? Don't you find it interesting
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".
RE: HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
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!
Another poster who thinks he's being original.
My question to you is, if you really believe this, why are you being irresponsible and selling them systems with Vista instead of XP?
And yet another one
And MS laughs all the way to the bank
RE: HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
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
If Steve Ballmer would just give me his email address
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.
You can already get XP if you have Vista Business or Ultimate
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.
RE: HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
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.
RE: HP, Lenovo join Dell in extending Windows XP
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???..