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Windows XP to be phased out by year's end despite customer demand


Chris
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Computer makers have been told they'll no longer be able to get Windows XP OEM by the end of this year, despite consumer resistance to Vista and its compatibility problems.

By early 2008, Microsoft's contracts with computer makers will require companies to only sell Vista-loaded machines. "The OEM version of XP Professional goes next January," said Frank Luburic, senior ThinkPad product manager for Lenovo. "At that point, they'll have no choice."

Despite Microsoft's relentless promotion of Vista, manufacturers are still seeing plenty of demand from customers for systems preloaded with XP, especially in the finicky SOHO market.

In a recent post on its Direct2Dell blog, Dell reaffirmed to concerned customers that it wasn't about to force small business users -- who typically purchase PCs piecemeal, rather than in large enterprise-style orders -- to shift to Vista, which has experienced a less-than-stellar reaction from many buyers because of driver issues and moderately beefy hardware requirements.

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In anticipation of this, my son has already bought a number of copies of XP Pro OEM for his next round of builds.

He has one Vista machine as a trial (not built by me) and he and all his employees either dislike or hate it.

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It's called progress. In general the younger members of society will be the ones who welcome Vista and other advancements - for they are our future.

Oldies and luddites will be less accommodating - only those of us who enjoy a challenge will climb out of our comfort zone and embrace a new challenge and the rich experience of a new environment.

Every time Microsoft do anything major - the same old arguments are wheeled out by the same people - who a few years down the line then criticise the next advance - conveniently forgetting the noise they made originally against the system they now depend upon.

I am enjoying my Vista experience and frankly cannot understand why it gets so much negative reaction - especially from people who have yet to try it. There are too many people using third party articles to justify preconceived opinions. Fortunately - an accusation which cannot be levelled at members of this venerable forum...... ;)

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The point of the argument is that MS are taking away choice. There is still a lot of software that won't run on Vista, and not everyone who needs or wants a new machine wants to wait for suitable software. I was quite happy to change to XP when I needed a new computer, because all my old and well loved software could run on it. If I now had Vista on a new machine, would Office 200 to mention just one, run on it?

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It's not just Microsoft that is at fault - some major equipment manufacturers are slow in producing drivers for Vista - even though they have had virtually a couple of years notice and the information to from Microsoft to do so.

I bought an HP 4850 scanner 15 months ago - and the Vista driver patch from HP is total rubbish. It looks as though I will need to replace what is a fine machine (on XP).

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I bought an HP 4850 scanner 15 months ago - and the Vista driver patch from HP is total rubbish. It looks as though I will need to replace what is a fine machine (on XP).

Do you expect anything different?

HP are in business to make money, just as any other company. If Microsoft offer them an opportunity to make even more money by making good equipment obsolete in introducing a new and incompatible operating system they will jump at it. The same philosophy is being shown by Microsoft itself, I understand, with the new version of Office, with at least parts of it, incompatible with previous versions.

It's called capitalism.

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If I now had Vista on a new machine, would Office 200 to mention just one, run on it?

I presume you mean Office 2000 - my guess is that it would be OK.

I did mean 2000 actually. Talk about progress, if you want Publisher in the newer versions of Office, you have to pay more, it is no longer part of the latest package.

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It's my belief that pops' comment about "commercialism" and "It's called capitalism" puts the whole computer "advancement" business into perspective.

I know this is slightly wide of the original topic but I think the development of the computer as we now know it has been a long term disaster for mankind. Short term it has thrown millions out of work, it has empowered big business and banks to create billions of pounds of profit by monetary manipulation, and has given man the idea that with the aid of this wonderful tool he can control the world/life/universe.

At best it is a flawed tool in the hands of a flawed creature with a warped brain and a warped sense of importance. At worst....who knows?

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