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Microsoft relaxes restrictions on new XP PCs

Time: 02:44 EST/07:44 GMT | News Source: PC Advisor | Posted By: Kenneth van Surksum

Microsoft has eased the hardware requirements for PC makers to load Windows XP Home on ultra-low-cost PCs to allow touchscreens and larger screen sizes, further prolonging the life of Windows XP.

While June 30 marked the last day for selling most new Windows XP licenses, Microsoft has made several exceptions for the older operating system, including its use on ultra-low-cost laptops such as the Asus Eee PC, as well as on an emerging class of mini desktops. These devices are sometimes called netbooks and nettops.

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#1 By 8556 (71.15.132.254) at Friday, July 04, 2008 09:17:39 AM

I was recently surprised when a customer that is a teacher in the local school district asked for a new notebook PC. She "had" to have Windows XP. I told her that was possible. Then I asked if she would ask the school district computer administrator what programs were being used that would not run on Windows Vista. So far, nothing she mentioned would not run on Vista. I explained that Vista is superior to XP on new machines in many ways. She is looking into it. My point is that there is an amazing amount of either ignorance or laziness in the real world. Sure, there are some ancient programs that don't run right on Vista. These people would save money buying a low cost 15.4" screen, dual core 1.73-GHz machine with 3-GB of RAM for under $500 than a small XP machine that will become obsolete much sooner than the more powerful Vista notebooks. MS is so darn annoying at times.

#2 By 54556 (68.35.10.96) at Saturday, July 05, 2008 07:59:22 AM

Why not just give the customer what they want? Sell them a Vista equiped laptop (i.e., include the Vista license), but with WinXP installed as allowed in the downgrade clause of the Vista license. This doesn't have to cost the customer any more (at the time of initial sale), gives them a piece of hardware that will not "become obsolete much sooner...", and creates the possibility that you may be awarded a later service call to install Vista when the customer <s>sees the error of their ways </s>. The customer is allways right...

#3 By 89623 (65.117.71.140) at Sunday, July 06, 2008 01:23:31 PM

notketchum, who pays the reseller for the time involved in loading, patching and testing XP on the laptop? Unless the OEM specifically includes XP downgrade media, and many do not, this will take at least 3 hours, and much more if the OEM doesn't provide XP driver support (again, many do not).

Margins are so slim on computers that I don't even bother selling them anymore unless the customer is looking for value-added services to go along with the sale. I don't see a teacher willing to spend an additional $500 to downgrade a $1,000 Vista notebook to XP. And I can't afford to lose that income by donating 3 hours of billable time to make a net $100-150 on the sale of a notebook. It doesn't add-up.

#4 By 82766 (202.154.80.82) at Sunday, July 06, 2008 07:11:23 PM

Mark - with PCs that you make up for customers, I can easily understand that situation...

Dell, HP, etc will do the 'downgrade' for the customers but then charge some AU$200 (Dell) for doing it.

If one is 'making' their own PCs and enough people are asking for XP, then you could come up with a XP disc image with all the drivers etc already installed. That would save you quite a bit of time.

As an idea, you could say "this PC comes with Vista pre-installed for N dollars... if you want XP on it, then it will cost N+$500 for me to install XP"... that is the reality of the current XP-downgrade situation.

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