XP downgrade option extended

Windows Vista is, if not a complete flop, still far from gaining mainstream popularity. Microsoft is admitting as much by announcing that they will continue to provide Windows XP media to vendors through July 31, 2009. This means that PC vendors will be able to offer the XP “downgrade” option on new equipment through that date.

Details can be found in this article.

Windows 7, the successor to Vista, is currently planned for release in the first quarter of 2010. The extension of the XP downgrade option will help to bridge the gap and possibly avoid Vista altogether.

I’ve always insisted that no one should be forced into the expense of a software upgrade unless improved features and functionality make it worth the cost. Vista fails that test. It was released because Microsoft’s budget cycle called for a Windows upgrade, and they expected their customers to snap it up just because it was new. When that didn’t work, they tried to force the issue by stopping sales of XP. Then XP users revolted.

All I can say right now is that Windows 7 had better be a worthwhile upgrade.

It’s after June 30. Can I still get XP?

Microsoft officially withdrew Windows XP from marketing as of June 30. However, there are still ways to obtain XP if you are buying a new PC or laptop.

While XP is no longer available in retail channels, Microsoft has made provisions for a “downgrade” option. In this scenario, you purchase a new system with a license for Windows Vista, and you are allowed to install XP in its place. You’ll pay a small penalty, but it’s all good and legal.

Unfortunately, vendor policies are not consistent. Most vendors offer a downgrade option, but you must purchase a designated “business” model as opposed to a home PC. Some will preload XP for you, others have you install it yourself. And at least one vendor (Gateway) no longer offers XP at all.

Christopher Null of PC World has saved me a lot of research. He documented his efforts to purchase an XP system from each of the nine biggest PC makers. Follow the link to read the results:

“What Does It Take To Get a PC with XP?”

In other news, Microsoft has promised to continue to support Windows XP through 2014, so it looks like those of us who have rejected Vista will be taken care of for a while.

Windows Update: What’s up with Vista?

We’ve all been awaiting the release of Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista, hoping that it would resolve at least some of the performance and compatibility issues that have prevented me from recommending Vista to anyone so far. Home users, many of whom were stuck with Vista when purchasing a new computer, have struggled to work through the issues, while businesses have almost entirely ignored Vista.

Service Pack 1 became available to end users on March 18. Is Vista ready for prime time now? This detailed report from the PC World Business Center doesn’t give us much cause for celebration. Their take? If you have Vista, the service pack is a must. But there’s still no compelling reason for Windows XP users to make the jump.

Microsoft warned us back in December not to expect the service pack to have much impact on Vista’s overall compatibility, and that appears to have been the case.

In case you think I’m the only person who has major reservations about Vista, it might interest you to know that Infoworld’s Save Windows XP petition has been signed by over 160,000 people so far. It’s hard to say if the petition will have any impact. Microsoft is still holding firm that XP sales will cease June 30.

However, there are still newsworthy developments regarding our favorite not-dead-yet operating system. Microsoft will be releasing a third service pack for Windows XP in the next week or so. SP3 contains a handful of Vista security functions that have been backported to XP, but it’s primarily a collection of all the previously-released updates, packaged up nice for the convenience of corporate users. (There are some indications that the service pack will improve XP’s performance by as much as ten percent – sounds too good to be true, but let’s wait and see.) There had been rumors that SP3 would make some of the “cool” Vista interface features available to XP, but they appear to have been false.

Microsoft has also agreed to keep the Home version of Windows XP available specifically for “ultra-low-cost” PCs. These machines are usually priced at $500 or less and are targeted for education and developing countries. They don’t meet Vista specifications and usually ship with some variant of the Linux operating system.

In the midst of all this fuss, details are now beginning to trickle out about the next Windows version, Windows 7. Microsoft’s announced roadmap calls for the new OS to be available in 2010, but a rash of recent (and unsubstantiated) rumors indicate Windows 7 could be out a lot sooner, even as soon as next year. I point you to this excellent piece by Ken Fisher which explains why this would be a very bad idea. Microsoft cannot afford to rush another OS out the door before it’s ready and further jeopardize its credibility and reputation.