Microsoft Extends Windows XP Cutoff Date

InformationWeek ^ | 12/22/2008 | Paul McDougall

[A_Tradition_Continues]

Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) is extending the deadline for making its supposedly retired Windows XP operating system available to custom PC builders.

Under the plan, system builders will be allowed to take delivery of XP licenses and media through May 30. Previously, Microsoft had announced a Jan. 31 XP cutoff date for system builders, which are typically smaller, build-to-order vendors. The news was first reported Friday by InformationWeek.com sister site ChannelWeb.

[AbeKrieger]

Windows: DOS in a colorful clown suit. (I don’t remember where I read that so I can’t give proper credit. It was >7 years ago.)

[Vroomfondel]

Linux anyone? Ubuntu and Open Office. Works.

Actually, Linux and I don't get along. I don't quite know why, but I seem to lose arguments with it about things that just work on BSD (stuff like using files larger than 2GB seem to be unnecessarily obtuse on Linux, but just work on BSD). And since I have plenty of things that aren't PCs, NetBSD is my Unix flavor of choice.

But my heart belongs to CP/M. At least, the parts that don't belong to RT-11 and VMS...

[A_Tradition_Continues]

Please post your crude replies elsewhere.

[McGruff]

I bought a new PC and decided to get Vista just so I could see how bad it was. Funny thing is I don’t have any problems with it. Most people won’t unless you’re still using a dot-matrix printer or some exotic piece of hardware. The user interface takes a little patience to get use to (or you can click back to classic or ‘XP’ mode).

[Uriah_lost]

The next OS will be XP “Classic” . It worked for Coke....

[antiRepublicrat]

Wow, two years after Vista’s release and people are still demanding the over seven year-old operating system. Can you imagine people demanding Mac OS X 10.1?

Still, kudos to Microsoft for bowing to the desires of their customers instead of forcing Vista.

[Gondring]

Maybe Bill Gates needs to steal another operating system and release it under Microsoft’s name (only this time, he ought to steal one that actually works).

Is it stealing if you get someone else to do it for you?

Besides, things worked fine. It took years of work to turn it into the bloated monster known as Vista.

"Ask Bill [Gates] why function code 6 ends in a dollar sign. No one in the world knows that but me." -- Gary Killdall, author of CP/M

[A_Tradition_Continues]

I have no real beef with Vista other than I simply don’t care for the look and the memory consumption. We have a couple of laptops around here loaded with Vista that are the last preference. Around here the “Classic XP” traits are the preferred choice.

[Gondring]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Anyone have a suggestion on a vendor making good XP boxes these days?

[CriticalJ]

Good.

XP is pretty solid, especially when compared to Vista.

[NathanR]

Tell me you have a web browser running on CP/M. Tell me, I dare you.

LOL

Otherwise, nice OS for the time.

[mowowie]

It would be nice if Microsoft would give us XP users DirectX 10.

[southlake_hoosier]

dell

[msnpatriot]

By all Means! Installed Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04 LTS on two different Dell D600 laptops dual boot with XP Pro a few months ago.

Generally I've ended up using Ubuntu around 90% of the time. The system works smoothly and is less high maintenance (anti virus, spy, defrag, etc.

***Linux anyone? Ubuntu and Open Office. Works.***

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

“Personally, I'm waiting for the OS/2 crowd to show up.”

LOL, I still have an unopened copy of OS/2 sitting on a shelf.

[JSteff]

“Vista is a slow motion train wreck, I don’t see how they have much choice.”

PC Mag today had an article that showed Vista vs XP vs Windows 7 (not out yet). Guess what XP was nearly as fast as Vista. In one test it beat Vista in start up speed. Nearly tied it in another. So they made a new OS and it was barely better than XP. What did they expect?

Don't get me wrong. XP is easy to use, stable, and works great for most users... still. Unashamedly I like XP for those reasons and more.

Yes, some make jokes on how unstable it is, but usually that is because of all the junk ware they have on their systems. That is NOT MS’s problem. Usually user errors.

Now the oddest thing is for all the folks out there who love Apple, if MS was so bad could they be selling Vista at a very good clip and have a 10 year old OS so good it is STILL selling at an exceptionally good clip? With the new one selling well? No. Everyone would buy Apples or using Linux or something else.

Personally I hate Vista, and have taken it off my laptop to put XP on it. But that is me and many I know really like Vista and would never go back to XP.

But let's face it, if MS did the same things Apple has done with restrictive hardware and proprietary software and the licensing requirements for new software the MSM would have (and did have) a fit over it's practices. In fact those “users” and “activacy” groups took them to court several times for the same practices Apple still uses... and blatantly.

MS is still the nearly prefect example of capitalism that exists. They created a market, then developed and perfected their product until they dominated it. If someone else comes along with a better, more stable, and easier to use product... they will take over the market.

But no one has. That is capitalism in practice.

[Paleo Conservative]

To be fair to XP, I may have more browser issues than XP and a wireless router that just don’t mesh well occasionally and I have been to cheap to replace it.. ;-)

The main reasons to use XP over 2000 are the support for multi-core processors, multi threading, and improved support for high resolution monitors. Large high resolution monitors are difficult to configure in Windows 2000 without the help of 3rd party utilities to allow larger fonts. You wouldn't believe how many people actually configured 21" monitors at 800 x 600 SVGA mode just so the icons and window title bars would display at a legible size.

[mowowie]

I just built an Intel Micro-ITX for my mom for X-mas for 170 bucks!! delivered from Newegg.com.
Intel Mico-ITX motherboard with an 1.6 GHZ Intel Atom dual core with hyperthreading. Shows up as a quad-core. 80 Bucks
2 Gig DDR2 memory. 20 bucks
Mini-ITX case w/ 250 watt power supply. 50 Bucks
Sony/Nec 20x DVD Burner. 20 Bucks
Already had a SATA hard drive.
Sweet system for basic web, email, office work.
Rips through XP no problem.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121359

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154084

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145180

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118011

For a basic pc this thing is awesome!!!
Makes hardly zero sound, Is the size of a shoebox, Atom proccesor uses like 6 watts and very snappy performance with XP.
It is what it is.

[snarks_when_bored]

I had forgotten some of those details and didn’t feel like googling for a source. Thanks...