14 DAY TRIAL // The latest news on Dell shows that the company intends to offer Windows XP on some of its systems until 2010. Windows XP Professional will be included as a pre-installed option on Dell OptiPlex desktops and Precision workstations at least for the next two years, according to InformationWeek citing "a Dell employee with knowledge of the computer maker's plans".
The information on Dell's plans regarding Windows XP comes two months before the deadline of this operating system, as Microsoft announced that starting with June 30, this OS would no longer be available to large PC vendors. Dell's customers would conceivably skip Vista, the current Windows version, if the company goes with its plan. As for the next version of the OS, Windows 7, Microsoft plans to launch it in 2010.
Technically, after June 30, a license for Vista will be purchased by the buyers who would want to aquire from Dell a system with XP pre-installed. Dell will also offer systems marketed as Windows Vista "Bonus" edition. A pre-installed copy of Windows XP will be included on these systems as well. Dell business systems that can be configured with Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate will feature the "Bonus" option as well. Users wanting to downgrade these systems to Windows XP will just have to call Microsoft in order to receive an XP activation code.
Providing the codes is the only thing Microsoft can do.
Microsoft's OS license agreement allows users to make the downgrade of a purchased operating system to the previous version without being charged. For Dell's customers will be easier to benefit from this option as they will have XP pre-installed on their systems long after its official expiration.
Dell's action comes as a result of having a considerable number of business customers not willing to upgrade to Vista at this moment, although the OS has been released more than a year ago and has had upgrades and fixes released all this time, as well as a fully update with the Service Pack 1. Yet, Dell's customers are not the only ones that reject Vista or complain about its requirements, security gaps, and incompatibility with older applications or systems.
The question that pops up now regards the means by which Dell will continue to obtain Windows XP media after the cut-off date, as it's well known that the company is trying to control costs as much as possible. The existing stock is a possible solution, as well as the stamping its own media with explicit permission.
Another solution may be provided by the fact that Microsoft will continue to offer its operating system to small manufacturers until 2010, to make XP available on low-cost systems with less resources than Vista requires. Microsoft also announced that "independent" system builders will be able to get XP until 2009.
"It's standard practice for original equipment manufacturers, retailers, and system builders to continue offering the previous version of Windows for a certain period of time after a new version is released. Dell is exercising their right to offer Windows XP as an option, though we expect the majority of their customers to continue to order the latest and greatest technology, including Windows Vista.", commented a Microsoft spokesman.