Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft
Windows XP gets another stay of execution
by Brad Linder Oct 3rd 2008 at 6:00PM
Windows XP, also known as the operating system that will not die, looks like it could be around a bit longer, making it just a bit more likely that you can upgrade directly from Windows XP to Windows 7 in a year or two and skip Windows Vista altogether.Microsoft instructed retailers to stop selling copies of the operating system to consumers this summer. But there's a loophole that lets customers purchasing new computers running certain versions of Windows Vista request a free downgrade to Windows XP. That option was set to expire on January 31st, 2009. Now Microsoft has extended that date through July 31st, 2009.
That means you may not be able to pick up a standalone copy of Windows XP from your local computer store, but you will be able to get Windows XP with a new computer until the middle of next year. Unless, of course, you pick up a low cost ultraportable machine like the Asus Eee PC, Dell Inspiron Mini, or Acer Aspire One. Microsoft has made an exception for that class of laptop and will support Windows XP through 2010.
For anyone keeping track, the operating system was first introduced in late 2001. It's already nearly 7 years old, and at this rate, you may still be using it in another 2 or 3 years. Which is to say that either this is the best operating system Microsoft has ever produced, or Windows Vista is really just that bad.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Nobodyzhome said 7:09PM on 10-03-2008
So doesn't this mean that vista's numbers get inflated? I would love to see the accounting on this!
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Ashwin Narasimhan said 7:14PM on 10-03-2008
The vast majority of those that downgrade Vista are businesses, which never upgrade anyway. Most businesses did not upgrade from Windows 2000 until 2006. They will probably be installing Windows Vista a few years after Windows 7 is released.
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Joe B said 8:02PM on 10-03-2008
My company still hasn't upgraded from Windows 2000....
Taylor said 7:42PM on 10-03-2008
Microsoft is continuing this because for every PC you buy, you are now buying two copies of an operating system from them. You pay how much you would pay for a computer with vista installed, plus another $100 for the "downgrade" option for XP. You are literally paying for XP and Vista. Really makes the whole situation pretty lame.
-Taylor
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Zeta said 8:10PM on 10-03-2008
if i read the article correctly, the downgrade is free, retard
Gary said 4:42PM on 10-06-2008
You most certainly do NOT pay twice. I buy at least 3-4 machines a month for my business and I always get a free downgrade to XP Pro.
Bannana said 9:37PM on 10-03-2008
"That option was set to expire on January 31st, 2009. Now Microsoft has extended that date through July 31st, 2009."
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Samuel Wat said 9:37PM on 10-03-2008
Nope it's mostly because the press given Windows Vista a bad rep, but in actuality theirs nothing bad about Vista. XP users, I personally used both xp and vista and the only difference are the visual and security upgrades. If you guys actually tried the OS, I bet you'll like it.
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Christian Velasquez said 9:13PM on 10-03-2008
Well, I've personally used Vista at my high school that I used to go to before I graduated.
There were only like two bugs that really bothered me; in which I didn't like about Vista.
It's new navigation through folder paths, and that it won't show the full path sometimes, other than that; Vista is on all right OS to me.
asho said 1:12PM on 10-06-2008
I've used XP for years and have tried Vista enough to know I hate it. I can do without the moronic eye candy and the ultra-slow performance, not to mention the incessant, designed-to-be-annoying UAC prompts. Keep your Vista.
XPGeek said 11:01AM on 11-04-2008
Dude : everybody is entitled to his own fantasy... so yours is that vista works just fine... well... fine. So let it be. No way you gona convince other people to do what you said on your say so... But then again, you are not selling that idea are you... you're just saying so coz you believe that Vista is that Good.
Bob Hawkins said 10:42PM on 10-03-2008
My new computer came with Vista and the XP downgrade option. You exercised the option by not installing Vista over the pre-installed XP.
The VISTA disc is still in the shrink-wrap.
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kastonie said 9:37PM on 10-03-2008
I can say i was once a vista hater, but when i decided i wanted to build a media center pc, i used vista ultimate. After turning off UAC,i think vista is awesome. Definately a step up from XP. But i would admit if i put vista on my older p4 comp with only 1gb of ram i think i would have a worse experience than i do now with my core 2 duo and 4 gigs of ram(and before the nerdcore try to call me out, yes i realize only 3.2gb is usable...)
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tcgiant said 8:28AM on 10-04-2008
the core 2 series chips are 64-bit. You could set your BIOS to use larger memory addressing and actually get all four gigs if you wanted to with Ultimate.
mdmadph said 12:12PM on 10-06-2008
@tcgiant ...as long as he used a 64-bit verison of Vista Ultimate, which he may not have.
James said 12:47PM on 10-06-2008
Unless they're on a laptop, people really have no business griping about how memory-hungry Vista is. If you're on an older desktop, consider the extra ~40-50 bucks it now costs for 4 gigs of RAM to be part of the upgrade cost. If you're buying a new system that comes with Vista, you're a retard (or the vendor is a dishonest prick) if the system comes with less than 2 gigs stock.
greenroundboogie said 8:14AM on 10-27-2008
Vista is so much bloated you actually need to have a more powerful and bigger capacity computer to make it work as good as xp. That is not innovation, that is a step back. That is called scamming people to spend more. Why do you need an OS to demand so much when programs that you actually use doesn't? Not to mention electricity consumption on this is like astronomical.
Travis said 10:12PM on 10-03-2008
XP is still available from Newegg.
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Jake said 8:28AM on 10-04-2008
The problem with Vista is it's System Requirements. Some of these computer aren't meant for Vista. Furthermore, computer that will run Vista can run XP even faster. I have both XP and Vista, and besides the "Aero Glass", I see no reason to upgrade an XP comptuer to Vista.
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jacky said 8:28AM on 10-04-2008
vista is great but you need at least core 2 due at 1.8ghz with 2gb of memory. XP is beginning to age a bit, it looks and feels very clunky next to vista. Though I havent upgraded either because my very old laptop wouldnt handle vista well. My next laptop obviously will be either vista or win7. I use vista at work and we have not had any issues; i rather enjoy using it. Its *very* slick compared to winxp.
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