Thu. Jun. 26, 2008
Can this be right? After more than a year of dodging the EOL bullet, Microsoft Windows XP finds itself square in the iron sights of its long and harshly debated successor, Vista. The curtain has fallen, and the credits are rolling, but how does the crowd feel about the show? Or better yet, what do they think of the sequel?
It’s been a good run for XP, who’s been touted as the longest shipping (2001-2008) and most widely accepted operating system Microsoft has put out to date. It’s also, as far as I can remember, the only OS that’s actually created a public outcry, endorsing its temporary pardon from joining the inevitable resting place of Windows 95, 98, 2000, etc… But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and it’s an end that XP has finally found.
With rumors of Windows 7 visible, but not quite distinguishable, on the horizon; Vistas victory over XP may be short lived, although you’ll have to stay tuned for more on that one. In the mean time, is there an option for those business users who aren’t quite ready to say goodbye to XP? Yes, two actually. The first is basically a “loophole” in the Microsoft licensing agreement that allows for downgrade rights. The short version is that Dell can sell what we’ve branded “Windows Vista Bonus” which allows us to preinstall XP Professional with a Vista license (on select system categories). This lets customer’s upgrade to the Vista platform when they’re ready. And yes, Dell will support both OSs. You’ll find more on the subject here.
The second option, which is the good news for the channel, is that if you utilize our CFI process for your customers, nothing changes. XP will still be available as an image to roll out on new systems.
Microsoft is scheduled to transition XP to EOL status on June 30th, 2008. The last day to order a system pre-installed with XP from Dell will be today, June 26, 2008, in order to allow for building and assembly of the system and stay in accordance with Microsoft’s licensing policies.