ITPRO

Printed from www.itpro.co.uk

Register to receive our regular email newsletter at http://www.itpro.co.uk/reg/register.

The newsletter contains links to our latest IT news, product reviews, features and how-to guides, plus special offers and competitions.

Skip to navigation

    PC makers flout XP end date

Dell and other manufacturers are telling Vista-phobic buyers to exercise their "downgrade rights" to keep the older Microsoft operating system.

By Barry Collins, 28 Apr 2008 at 10:59

Dell is set to defy Microsoft's attempt to cut off Windows XP at the end of June by continuing to sell the operating system to its customers.

The PC maker is exercising the "Downgrade Rights" that come with the Business and Ultimate editions of Vista to allow customers to preload Windows XP Professional beyond the 30 June deadline.

HP and other PC makers are reportedly set to do likewise.

The downgrade scheme could be seen as a win-win for Microsoft and the PC makers. It allows Microsoft to count the new machines as Vista sales, as customers still technically buy a Vista licence. Meanwhile, the PC makers can continue to supply XP to businesses and consumers who are reluctant to move to Vista.

There are, however, caveats for customers who choose the downgrade option. "Dell will only support the factory-installed operating system," claimed the Dell Windows XP Availability site. "Windows Vista Home Basic and Windows Vista Home Premium do not have this option, as they are not capable of downgrading to Windows XP."

Dell is also describing the downgrade options as "Genuine Windows Vista Business BONUS", suggesting that such a "bonus" might come at an additional cost, although Dell was unavailable to comment on the pricing at the time of publication.

The downgrades make a mockery of Microsoft's self-imposed XP cut-off deadline, which has already been put back from this January to June.

Steve Ballmer last week suggested that the deadline could be extended once more, claiming that: "if customer feedback varies we can always wake up smarter but right now we have a plan for end-of-life for new XP shipments."

Email to a friend

Print this page

< Previous   Server : News Next >

Be the first to comment on this article

You need to Login or Register to comment.

    You may also like...

 Sponsored Links

advertisement

    You may also like...

advertisement

    Register for IT PRO

You'll get exclusive member benefits including free whitepapers, downloads, Webinars and weekly newsletters full of the latest IT PRO news, reviews, insight and expertise.

Sponsored Links
Advertisement