Windows XP Availability at DELL after June 2008

Question

There is a lot of discussion about continuing availability of Windows XP on new DELL systems following the expiration of Microsoft's latest 'drop dead' date of June 30, 2008.  Unfortunately, there seems to be a severe lack of details that may influence purchase decisions.   I'd like answers to the following questions:   a) WILL Windows XP be available for order with new DELL PCs after June 30, 2008? b) WILL these systems continue to have Software Restore CDs shipped with them? c) Will Windows XP be part of some kind of 'downgrade' license arrangement with Vista?   I'd like to think I can continue doing business with DELL as before but I'd have to have Windows XP Pro available along with the media.  My clients all feel the same way.  They'd also much prefer to have a source of Office 2003 as opposed to Office 2007, but that's a whole other problem area.   Anyway, if I can't get Windows XP under the terms above, I'd have to start building PCs again and that's really not a viable solution.  I'm of the understanding that the Windows XP OEM channel will dry up after January 2009.  If I'm wrong about that, I'd surely like to know.   Thanks

Balaji Ramanath · Answer

As of now, the answer to question number 1 is NO.  However, it is legal to replace Vista with XP pro (not XP home), so if you have an XP pro disc already, you can use that to reformat and change the OS of any computer you get after June 30th.  As for the software restore CD, you will get Vista CD's with the computers since they will ship with Vista.

Rebel9 · Answer

balji, That is incorrect. See this Dell site. See this article as well. It looks like XP will be around for a while yet.

Balaji Ramanath · Answer

I must have missed that entirely. That is a good article (except they misspelled upgrade every time as d-o-w-n-g-r-a-d-e!). And they are providing the XP discs too. Excellent. Thanks for the reference. I guess home users are the only ones out of luck after June 30th since there seems to be absolutely no legal way to get XP home on a new computer.

tommyo1954 · Answer

Sometimes I wonder to myself if there's anyone at Microsoft scratching their heads and murmuring to themselves..   ' What happened ?  What did we do wrong ? '

ai5u · Answer

It's the Microsoft consumer edition curse of "3" =

1. Win 95 -Good

2. Win 98 -Good

3. Win ME- Bad

4. Win2k -Good

5. Win XP -Good

6. Win Vista -Bad

Note: This does not count Win NT/Server/2003/2008 or x64 editions

wyeknott · Answer

Thanks for all the answers folks. Much appreciated.

Know what this reminds me of? Remember IBM's MicroChannel Architecture?

For all I know, MicroChannel may have been the greatest I/O Bus since sliced bread but the WAY IBM went about promoting it was an enormous turn-off for people. All option cards for the ISA Architecture were rendered obsolete to buyers of MicroChannel PCs. There was NO way to use ISA cards - you hadda replace them. What happened? Buyers stayed away in droves is what happened.

DELL must have told Microsnot something along the lines of "We can't sell this turkey to our business customers; fix your licensing or we're gonna lose beaucoup business" (or words to that effect).

Glad Microsnot listens to SOMEBODY.

NytOwl · Answer

WyeKnott: We can't sell this turkey to our business customers   That sounds familiar; have you seen... Has Microsoft Disavowed Vista? http://www.speedguide.net/read_news.php?id=2553   Here's a link to some posts about this here in the Dell forums... http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=Tech_Talk_XPS_Laptop&view=by_date_ascending&message.id=12631#M12631

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