Posted on 09/27/2007 9:21:58 PM PDT by abt87
Bowing to pressure from customers and computer makers, Microsoft plans to keep Windows XP around a little longer.
Large PC manufacturers were slated to have to stop selling XP after January 31. However, they have successfully lobbied Microsoft to allow them to continue selling PCs with all flavors of Windows XP preloaded until June 30, a further five months. Microsoft also plans to keep XP on retail shelves longer and will allow computer makers in emerging markets to build machines with Windows XP Starter Edition until June 2010.
The move indicates the continued demand for the older operating system, some nine months after Windows Vista hit store shelves.
In recent weeks, several PC makers launched programs that allow new PC buyers to more easily "downgrade" their Vista Business and Vista Ultimate machines to Windows XP. Fujitsu, which was among those lobbying for the change, has started including an XP restore disc in the box with all of its laptops running Vista Business.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
As far as Internet and basic computing tasks go, I've been using Linux Ubuntu as a duel-boot for some months now and am very happy with it ... Ubuntu does everything that I need to do in a very compact and efficient manner. No more waiting 7 minutes for XP to go thru its throes of excruciating angst booting up to its desktop, no more endless virus and spyware scans, no more AOL and RealNetwork inserting their 'Call Home' crap without my permission, and lastly ... no more of this MicroSlow nonesense!
I still use XP for some tasks, but becoming very few .. as Linux 'flavors' can do those same tasks far more efficiently than any of the bogged down MicroSlow OS can
MM
Dell, HP and Lenovo concur. Each of them is now offering Linux pre-installed. In Dell’s case, it’s Ubuntu. However, the problem with Linux is that it’s still a little rough around the edges, especially with driver issues, as OEM’s aren’t quite used to supporting it yet. In addition, there’s also the fact that Linux distros won’t play mp3’s (lack of license from Fraunhofer, so at worst they’ll have to wait until the patents for the mp3 expire in five years) or DVD’s (again, lack of a license). In addition, you still need to use a command line for several of the important tasks, rather than there being an equivalent to the Control Panel in XP and Vista.
If distro makers (especially Ubuntu’s KDE) can fix these problems, then yes, Linux will have a real shot at overthrowing Windows, especially at the corporate level. Many companies already use a flavor of Linux for their servers, so switching their desktops over to Linux may not be as hard as they would think.
If XP was preloaded the manufacturer probably has a restore copy in a second partition. Also find out the name of the sound card/chip manufacturer. You can then go directly to that site and get the correct driver.
Also there is a company that makes a program that will find the drivers for all your devices. You can find it here:http://www.driver-soft.com/
It should detect all the drivers for the devices on you system. Good luck
Would that delete everything I’ve done since then? ——Yes. I was hoping you had burned CD’s with your projects.
Thank goodness. My XP computer works. My Vista computer borders on crap.
Really, as a user I'm not at all interested in who is at the 'top of the heap' as it were, all I'm interested is in what works. Linux works, for the time being, so I use it. If ever there becomes a time where something else works better for my needs then I'll adopt that one. XP worked for good amount of years, then it began to *not* work so well anymore (too many 'patches' bogged it down? I dunno) ... re-installs after re-installs and then the massive 'security updates' seemed to have slowed XP down to a crawl, even after a clean re-install.
MM
I built my own computer a year ago. I bought a so called full retail copy of XP Pro to go with my system.
I like it so far and don’t have any plans to change to Vista any time soon. XP boots up in less than 30 seconds with my AMD dual core 3800.
I hate resource hogs that slow down your computer and internet connections.
IE 7 is another story though. Gets dumped and dumps programs a lot especially with my financial trading programs.
Huh?
Worst case, go get the Linux LAME sources and compile the binaries yourself, if you can't find the compiled codec...
Heck, I use the LAME Windows codec a lot under XP. For one thing, it has more options at the lower end, such as when "time shifting" AM radio shows. Do you really need 48KHz/320Kbs/stereo, when 22.05Khz/16Kbs/mono (or even 11Khz/8Kbs/mono) does the trick, given the source?
I just glommed one (2000) from a recycler for free.
I use my Millennium about 8 hours a day today, and am still sorting issues with my other computer (a new XP—with Dell's bundled bungles). :^)
I’ve been playing with(and tweaking) Knoppix 5.1
Ut is very, very impressive, and I never thought I would hear myself say that about a Linux distro.
I just wish they’d make the myconfig=scan boot option the default...
That is weird!
Bump for help
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