The following FAQ list appeared on Computerworld U.S.:
Even though it has had its own problems of late, Windows XP remains
the most-used version of Windows. The newest data from Web metrics
vendor Net Applications Inc., for example, pegs XP as driving 73% of
the personal computers that went online last month, five times the
nearest competitor, Microsoft Corp.’s own Windows Vista.
Which is why an impending deadline five weeks from today is important.
According to Microsoft, June 30 is the last day it will permit
retailers and OEMs to sell the nearly-seven-year-old operating system.
You’ll have questions as that date approaches, including whether the
deadline will drive up prices (gouging, anyone?); we plan to have the
answers, starting with this FAQ and continuing through the end of next
month.
How long until Microsoft shuts off the XP spigot?
Five weeks from today is the last day Microsoft will officially allow
retailers to sell the old operating system, and let major computer
makers — called “OEMs,” for “original equipment manufacturers” — to
sell PCs with XP pre-installed.
Monday, June 30, is the EOL, or End-Of-Life, a term Dell Inc., not
Microsoft, has publicly used, for XP’s retail and OEM availability.
So what’s the June 18 date I’ve heard about? That’s
the day that Dell has said is the last possible day for its customers
to buy a machine running Windows XP. “To meet Microsoft’s June 30
last-day-to-ship OEM Windows XP deadline, June 18 is the last time to
purchase a Dell laptop, desktop, or workstation with an OEM Windows XP
license,” Dell says on its Web site.
Other big-name OEMs, such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Lenovo, have
not announced cut-off dates, but must also abide by Microsoft’s rules
that no XP-based system ships after June 30.
Are there any loopholes? Sure, and they’re big
enough to steer the Titanic through. A “downgrade” clause in
Microsoft’s guidelines for OEMs lets computer makers install Windows XP
Professional — but not the more common and less expensive Windows XP
Home — on new PCs at customer request when those machines are ordered
with Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate.
Dell took advantage of the clause to announce last month that it
would use the downgrade rights of Vista Business and Vista Ultimate to
install XP Professional free of charge at the factory. Assuming
customers want to, they can later use the included Vista installation
media to upgrade from XP Professional. of the clause Other vendors are
doing similar things. HP, for example, also offers a free
at-the-factory XP Professional downgrade option on some systems sold
with Vista Business.
Can I still buy Windows XP? Absolutely. In fact, we’ve started tracking retail availability and pricing at three popular online technology outlets –Amazon.com,Buy.com andNewegg.com — to gauge whether the operating system is in stock and what it’s selling for.
For the three-day stretch leading up to Monday, May 26, all three
outlets have Windows XP Home OEM — the least-expensive version of the
OS, but also the one that comes with the most restrictions — in stock
and ready to ship for those who want to downgrade a Vista machine on
their own, or who prefer to have a backup license in hand.
The prices for May 26, shipping included, were $95.15 atAmazon.com, $100.24 atBuy.com, and $89.99 atNewegg.com.
We’ll revisit those stores on a regular basis, and report our
findings in future FAQs or stories in the run-up to the June 30 EOL.
Will I be able to buy Windows XP after June 30?
Affirmative. There’s already a healthy market for the workhorse on
eBay, the online auction site that sells both old and new stuff. That
won’t disappear overnight.
Again, we’ve started tracking eBay’s listings for a couple of
Windows XP metrics: How many items pop up when a search using the
string “windows xp” is run on the site, and the current lowest “Buy It
Now” price for Windows XP Home OEM.
We tried several different searches on eBay. During the three days
prior to the 26th we found 1,804 results for “windows xp;” 1,080
results for “windows xp” narrowed down to listing strictly in the
“Software” category; and 675 results for “windows xp” narrowed to not
just the Software category but by “operating system” and “windows.” The
auction site’s lowest prices, shipping included, for a legitimate copy
of Windows XP Home OEM for the three days were $91.75 for May 23 and 24
(that is, Friday and Saturday), with a slight uptick to $92.00 on
Sunday.
We’ll monitor eBay’s XP listings and prices to see if, for example,
more sellers start flogging the OS as June 30 approaches, and whether
prices move as the end draws near.