Save XP

XP downgrade disks extended to OEMs for six more months!

2008-10-04T03:01:00Z

An important update from IDG News Service:

Microsoft will provide hardware partners with media to let their customers downgrade from Windows Vista to Windows XP for six months longer than it originally planned, the company confirmed Friday.

The move comes even as Microsoft has just launched a US$300 million marketing and advertising campaign to encourage people to buy Windows Vista. The company is also prepping Windows 7, the next client version of the OS, for release in the next 12 to 18 months.

Microsoft will give OS disks to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and system builders so customers that purchase Windows Vista Ultimate and Business editions can downgrade to XP Professional if they so choose until July 31, 2009, Microsoft said through its public relations firm.

Previously, Microsoft planned to provide the XP recovery disks to partners until Jan. 31, 2009, although there is no deadline for downgrade rights, the company said. If a customer wants to downgrade from Vista to XP after the new deadline, they can contact Microsoft for a disk, the company said.

A published report revealed Microsoft’s extension of the XP media deadline early Friday, citing an OEM source.

Microsoft predicted that Vista, which was released on Jan. 31, 2007 and took more than five years to develop, would be the most successful launch of its Windows client OS. However, Vista has been riddled with glitches and bad publicity, and many businesses and consumers still prefer XP.

Microsoft offers tool to verify ‘genuine’ editions of Windows XP

2008-08-29T03:00:00Z

From Elizabeth Montalbano of IDG News Service:

Microsoft has updated software that verifies whether a copy of Windows is genuine in its Windows XP Professional edition, making it similar to the notification in Windows Vista and thus more persistently visible to users.

In a blog posting attributed to Alex Kochis, a Microsoft director of product marketing and management, the company said it made the changes to the Windows Genuine Notification (WGA) alerts for XP Pro because it is “the product edition that is most often stolen.”

Now when a version of Windows XP Pro is found to be pirated or counterfeit, the next time a user logs on to the system, the desktop screen background will be black, replacing whatever custom desktop may have been set by the user. This will reappear every 60 minutes, even if a user resets the screen’s background. Previously, this was not a part of the WGA notification for Windows XP Pro.

Another new feature of the alert system is to put the PC into “persistent desktop notification” mode, with a banner at the bottom of the screen informing the user that the copy of Windows is not genuine. The notification is translucent and users can interact with any objects underneath it; however, it will continue to appear on the screen until a user installs a genuine copy of Windows.

Microsoft said the update to WGA also simplifies the installation of the alert system on Windows XP Pro. In addition, the company has improved its ability to detect non-genuine copies of Windows.

Users have had mixed reactions to the WGA program, which Microsoft launched two years ago as part of an aggressive program to eliminate counterfeit and pirated versions of Windows. While some think it’s a good way for Microsoft to prevent use of non-genuine Windows software, others found the program irksome and an intrusion, particularly when it would peg systems they knew to be genuine as pirated or counterfeit.

The program even at one point was thought to be acting like spyware by sending information from people’s computers back to Microsoft. However, Microsoft said it only provides information about whether the copy of Windows is genuine, not any other information about the user or the PC.

Microsoft first distributed WGA only to users of Microsoft’s download services who wanted to install add-on software, excluding security releases, for Windows XP. Eventually, it became an automatic part of Microsoft’s update services and then was built directly into Windows Vista as the company developed that OS.

MS still activating XP installations

2008-08-26T02:59:00Z

Although Microsoft stopped selling XP through retailers June 30, users will still be able to activate XP, according to PC World.

Lincoln Spector filed this report.

According to a Microsoft representative, you will be able to activate new XP installations for the foreseeable future. The fact that the company longer sells XP “has no bearing on one’s ability to activate XP installations…”

Of course, the current rules about moving a Windows installation from one PC to another will still apply:

You can only do this with a retail version of Windows. The copy of XP that came with your computer stays with your computer. You must remove Windows from the old computer. Automatic activation will fail on the new computer. When that happens, call the toll-free number displayed on the screen and explain your situation to a human being. They will help you manually activate XP.

Email your technology questions to me at answer at pcworld.com, or post them to a community of helpful folks on the PCW Answer Line forum.

The down-low on Vista users who took the XP ‘downgrade’ offer

2008-08-20T02:59:00Z

From InfoWorld:

When Microsoft stopped selling new licenses to Windows XP on June 30, it gave users and PC makers a “downgrade” loophole so that those who wanted XP could still get it, even though they still had to buy a Vista license.

According to data from theexo.performance.network, 35 percent of Vista-equipped PCs have been downgraded to Windows XP. “That’s way out of proportion for even the dramatically unpopular Windows Vista,” says Randall C. Kennedy, an InfoWorld contributing editor, whose company Devil Mountain Software developed the Windows Sentinel tool and analyzes theexo.performance.network data. (More than 3,000 PCs are monitored worldwide using the tool, in both the free InfoWorld Windows Sentinel version and in the more extensive version provided to Devil Mountain clients.)

The idea of a downgrade option is nothing new for enterprise licenses, since it can take several years for large organizations to plan out and deploy significant new software, under schedules that bear no resemblance to a vendor’s product schedules. But in a twist of this policy, individual users can also “downgrade” to XP from Vista Business or Ultimate (and later restore Vista if they desire at no extra cost). Most major PC makers offer users the option of downgrading to XP on at least some models, typically those sold to small businesses and gamers.

Readers react to petition results

2008-08-09T02:58:00Z

We recently published a story on the results of our Save XP petition, which gathered 2,125 signatures.

Reaction was mixed.

Shawn Wright of London, Ont. wrote: “As a computer system builder I find that the negative PR circulating about vista is overblown compared to the reality. We build over 3000 PC’s a year and 95 per cent are shipping with Vista. Our customers are sometimes cautious about the change to Vista due to bad press and the masterful marketing campaign Apple has waged. The reality is we have had few complaints and only a handful of downgrades because of compatibility with out-dated software or hardware. “

Some users have a different view.
Glen, who declined to post his last name or home town, wrote:
So far, I’ve heard no advantages to Vista save bells and whistles (Who really needs a series of panes that shuffle pictures before your eyes?) As to those saying I should suck it up and go Vista, you suck it up. My XP’s working fine and I see no reason to fork over big bucks to end up having to learn a system that I ultimately do not need at this time.

One in eight users choose Vista

2008-08-01T02:57:00Z

Over the past two months, InfoWorld’s Robert X. Cringely has been running surveys on the BuzzDash and Tynan on Technology sites.

Among other topics, Cringely and his team have asked users about operating systems.
Question 2 on the survey was: You’re buying a new OS. Which one would you pick?
Cringely wrote:

More than 400 people responded to this one, and the results are: Windows Vista (13 per cent), Windows XP (70 per cent), Linux (8 per cent), and the Mac OS (9 per cent).
Frankly, this one surprised me. Oh, I knew Vista would take it in the shorts, but I expected a stronger showing by the Mac OS. The Apple fanboys were probably too busy trying to get MobileMe to work to weigh in. Commenter Austin says,

“I run XP on four machines and Ubuntu on another machine. Hell will freeze over before I install Vista. Dell’s customer support may stink to high heaven but their marketing is smart to continue selling XP.”

2,125 Canadians want to save Windows XP

2008-08-01T02:57:00Z

Microsoft Corp. has stopped selling Windows XP through retailers and is strongly encouraging users to upgrade to Vista, touting the new operating system as more secure with a better interface.

But more than 2,000 users beg to differ.

Before we removed it from this blog site, 2,125 people signed our Save XP petition, which asked Microsoft Corp. to continue offering Windows XP beyond the June 30 end of sale date. At ComputerWorld Canada, we launched our Save XP campaign last February.

Though the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant has stopped selling XP in retail stores, XP Professional is available to some users as a downgrade option with the purchase of Vista Business or Vista Ultimate.

PC manufacturers offering the downgrade option include Dell, HP, Lenovo, NEC and Sony. Businesses will also qualify for download rights if they are part of a Microsoft Volume Licensing Program.

Companies have complained to ComputerWorld Canada that upgrading to Vista is too expensive and some applications will not run on XP.

Infoworld magazine collected 210,562 on a similar petition.

One Canadian user who signed ComputerWorld Canada’s petition was Art Richmond, director of information systems for Mosaid Technologies Inc., an Ottawa-based company that designs semiconductors for component manufacturers.

“On the several occasions that we tested Vista, we found that it performed poorly in comparison to XP and that it was incompatible with much of our existing hardware and software,” Richmond wrote in an e-mail to ComputerWorld Canada. “XP on the other hand is working well as the core of our PC environment and I don’t see any need to replace it.”

Of the 50,000 enterprise users surveyed by Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research Inc., 87.1 per cent were still running Windows XP at the end of June, compared to 8.8 per cent for Vista. According to author Thomas Mendel, that implies that the majority of PCs upgraded to Vista were those running older versions of Windows, such as Windows 2000 or 98.

Mendel described Vista as the “new Coke” of software, in reference to Coca-Cola’s decision in 1985 to change the formula of its soda pop. The same year, the beverage maker scrapped New Coke and resumed sales of its old drink under the Coca-Cola Classic brand.

Microsoft is encouraging companies to upgrade to Vista through the Windows Vista Small Business Assurance, which is available to businesses with fewer than 50 employees or 25 PCs. It also said it will provides free telephone support through the end of October to companies that buy new PCs with Vista Business or Vista Ultimate between now and Sept. 30.

But this does not help users like Richmond.

“The plain truth is that nobody is moving over to Vista willingly and so Microsoft is trying to jam a failed product down our throats by killing a product that works well for us,” he wrote.

With files from Eric Lai and Gregg Keizer

Vista SP1 ‘probably more secure’ than XP

2008-07-29T02:56:00Z

Despite some reported glitches, the Vista operating system does has some advantages.

Robert Mitchell of Computerworld filed this report, titled “Reconsidering Vista.”

OK, it’s not perfect. But Windows Vista on a new PC is perfectly serviceable for many users. In some ways, in fact, Vista is a better operating system than Windows XP. Unfortunately, XP’s heir apparent is also the most derided and discounted Microsoft operating system since Windows Me.

With all of the negative press about slower-than-expected adoption rates and the push for vendors to continue offering an XP option on new PCs, users may be left with the impression that anything is better than opting for Vista, including paying a premium to downgrade to Windows XP when buying a new PC.

That’s a bit extreme. Granted, the operating system has its share of glitches and issues. Higher-end versions are pricey, and Vista requires state-of-the-art hardware for optimum performance. But more than a year after its release, Vista with SP1 is reasonably stable and probably more secure than XP. It’s also technically more advanced than its seven-year-old predecessor.

As developers bring products to market that exploit unique Vista capabilities, such as the Presentation Graphics subsystem and support for Sidebar gadgets, users will want them. But those who buy XP with that new PC won’t have access to those applications because they will be working through an operating system designed in the late’90s to run on millennium-era hardware. What’s more, general support for that “new” XP operating system will end next April, even though many consumers will keep those machines for five years.

If users buying new PCs are going to stick with Windows, they should get machines with Vista preloaded. Sure, the incessant barking of security warnings is annoying, but those can be muzzled. Windows is the platform on which users run the applications that do the real work. Those applications will increasingly exploit and rely on Vista’s capabilities.

In a market that watches shipments as if they were movie box-office grosses, Vista has fallen short of very public expectations. But although Vista hasn’t been a blockbuster on par with Windows 95, general penetration rates for the operating system are following the same slow, steady trajectory as those for Windows XP, according to a June report by Bernstein Research.
For business, the Vista adoption calculation has many more variables. And there’s no need to rush. Enterprises can continue to install their own XP system images onto new hardware, and the security updates that businesses need will be available until 2014. By then, Vista’s successor should be established.

But there is also something to be said for staying current with your users. Vista is shipping on most new Windows PCs in the retail channel. Microsoft claims to have shipped 140 million copies as of March 2008, and it’s a sure bet that most of those licenses aren’t being downgraded to XP. That means users will increasingly be running Vista at home.

At least one wavering CIO sees this as a political issue. He worries that if users accept Vista at home and businesses wait for Windows 7, IT may look lethargic in its efforts to deploy the latest technology to meet business needs. By the time Windows 7 is ready for enterprise use, XP will be at least 10 years old. At that point, being on the trailing edge with XP could hurt IT’s credibility and make kicking off more-ambitious projects difficult, he says.

In the end, the Vista decision involves striking a delicate balance between political, technical and business issues. Wait or migrate? Both choices involve some risks.

Robert L. Mitchell is a Computerworld national correspondent. Contact him at robert_mitchell at computerworld.com.

Vista received like the ‘New Coke’

2008-07-25T02:55:00Z

If you’re younger than 35, (or if you were asleep during the mid-80s), some explanation is required.

Coca Cola decided in about 1985 that the formula for its flagship drink was a little dated, so it started shipping “New Coke,” which went over like a lead balloon.

So it scrapped New Coke and then started packaging old Coke under the label Coca Cola Classic. A Forrester Research analyst has compared Windows Vista to New Coke.

Eric Lai of Computerworld US wrote this report.

Fewer than one in eleven of the PCs being used in large or very large enterprises runs Windows Vista, according to survey results released Wednesday by Forrester Research Inc.

Of the 50,000 enterprise users surveyed by the Cambridge, Mass. analyst firm, 87.1 per cent were still running Windows XP at the end of June, compared to 8.8 per cent for Vista. According to author Thomas Mendel, that implies that the majority of PCs upgraded to Vista were those running older versions of Windows, such as Windows 2000 or 98.

“Vista is ‘new Coke,’” Mendel wrote, comparing Microsoft’s flagship OS to the ill-fated soft drink. Enterprises still on the fence about Vista would be wise, he said, to “consider following the lead of Microsoft’s important partner Intel and re-evaluating the case of Vista.”

Mendel’s comments undercut the momentum for Vista claimed by Microsoft, which says it has sold 180 million licenses for its 18-month-old operating system to PC makers and end users.

Vista still has double the share of Macs among big businesses, however. The share of Macs grew from to 4.5 per cent in June from 3.7 per cent in January 2008. Eighty per cent of those are Intel-based Macs.

Linux’s share of desktops, meanwhile, fell significantly, according to Forrester, to 0.5 per cent in June from 1.8 per cent in January.

As a result, enterprise application developers only need to “develop exclusively for Windows XP and Vista. Forget about Macs unless you’re aiming at a specific business vertical where Mac use is prevalent.”

Forrester’s study examined the Web browser as well as the desktop environments of the 50,000 users, spread out among 2,300 companies. It found that 19.4 per cent of enterprise users are using FireFox, up from 16.8 per cent at the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, Microsoft Internet Explorer’s (IE’s) share only slipped slightly, from 79.1 per cent in January to 77.6 per cent at the end of June.

“At least make sure that applications work on Firefox as well as IE — this is a must,” Mendel wrote.

Apple Inc.’s Safari owns only a small slice of the market — 2.4%, according to Forrester.

Both Flash and Java were nearly ubiquitous. Flash Player version 9 was on 97 per cent of desktops, while Java was on 99.9 per cent of them. But application developers shouldn’t try too hard to jazz up their apps with Flash elements — “business users don’t want to hunt for navigation nor do they crave excitement,” Mendel wrote.

Forrester also discovered that despite ever-increasing screens and screen sizes, the largest slice — 34.1 per cent — of business users are using screens between 15 and 17 inches in size with resolutions of 1024 by 768 pixels; another 25.2 per cent use screens between 17 and 19 inches in size with resolutions of 1280 by 1024 pixels.

Aversion to Vista like belief Earth is flat: MS

2008-07-24T02:55:00Z

What do Microsoft and ancient Greek scholar Eratosthenes of Cyrene have in common?

Both have educated the masses on the true shape of the earth.

The Web site Adrants, which comments on advertising campaigns, has posted commentary on a Microsoft ad reminding Vista haters that at one point, everyone thought the earth was flat.

As Eratosthenes pointed out in his famous experiment (of which one per cent of the population may be aware), this is clearly not true.

So, if you are still stuck on XP, Microsoft is urging you to move forward, get real and face the reality that the earth is round.

MS finds new ways to push Vista

2008-07-11T02:54:00Z

Microsoft Corp. has launched a promotional campaign, temporarily offering free phone support to small business users buying new hardware loaded with Windows Vista operating system.

Gregg Keizer of Computerworld filed this report

Microsoft offers free Vista-to-XP downgrade help
Microsoft Corp. has said it will offer free technical support to small businesses that buy new PCs with Windows Vista in the next three months, its latest attempt to convince users that moving to Vista is a good idea.

And if those efforts are for naught, Microsoft will help those users downgrade from Vista to Windows XP, the same maneuver several large computer makers, including Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co., have used in recent months to continue offering the older operating system to buyers.

The offer, dubbed Windows Vista Small Business Assurance, is available to businesses with fewer than 50 employees or 25 PCs, and it provides free telephone support through the end of October to companies that buy new PCs with Vista Business or Vista Ultimate between now and Sept. 30, according to details posted on the Microsoft Web site.

Only businesses buying new hardware can take advantage of the free support; companies upgrading existing computers from, say, Windows XP, don’t qualify.

Microsoft has set up a toll-free number that will be manned weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. PDT. Typically, Microsoft shunts users to computer manufacturers for operating system support.

“We have such confidence in the state of Windows Vista that we’re going to all U.S.-based small businesses and we’re offering free support, one-on-one coaching and assistance via phone to help them go through and make the transition to Windows Vista,” Brad Brooks, the executive who heads Windows consumer marketing, said in a keynote address at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference yesterday.

Brooks also acknowledged the problems, real and perceived, that users have had with Vista since its general release early last year. “We had an ambitious plan. We made some significant investments around security in this product,” said Brooks. “And you know what, those investments, they broke some things. They broke a lot of things. We know that.”

But Decisions on Microsoft analyst Michael Cherry questioned whether free support will convince users to switch. “It will give some people a safety net,” he said, “but if you have a machine truly configured for Vista, you probably like Vista. My biggest problem is still the hardware footprint for Vista.”

To make his point, Cherry quoted from a catalog he’d recently received from a “major OEM,” a reseller that targeted small and midsize businesses. On the cover, he said, was a PC priced at US$500 that includes 1GB of memory. “I don’t see that as being really adequate to the task,” said Cherry. “But the base for all the systems [in the catalog] seems to be 1GB. I still worry about the amount of RAM in machines being sold with Vista.”

Small businesses aren’t putting off Vista because they think they’ll need more hand-holding, or even because they believe compatibility issues plague the operating system. “There’s some compatibility problems, but those are kind of being resolved,” said Cherry. “That’s not their fear. Their fear is spending that much money on hardware for a PC that can run Vista.”

Microsoft’s help desk representatives will answer any Vista questions, help users with application and peripheral compatibility problems, and point out key features of the operating system, said the company. The support isn’t permanent; it ends Oct. 31.

The program, said Microsoft, is only temporary because it’s designed to help customers make the transition to Windows Vista. “As Windows XP availability begins to wind down, we want small businesses to know we’re behind them to provide special support during this transition period,” said Microsoft in the program’s online FAQ.

But if Small Business Assurance can’t make users happy, Microsoft will walk them through a downgrade to Windows XP. “In cases where a small business customer cannot overcome an incompatibility issue and has the PC’s recovery media disc for Windows XP, we are equipped to help with a downgrade over the phone,” said Microsoft on its Web site.

Small Business Assurance is available only to U.S. customers, although Microsoft didn’t say whether it might expand the program into other markets.

InfoWorld collects 210,562 signatures on its petition

2008-07-01T02:51:00Z

Today is the last day Windows XP will be available through retailers. One of our affiliate publications, InfoWorld, says more than 210,000 users have signed its petition asking Microsoft to keep Windows XP available through all channels. Editor Eric Knorr has filed this report, along with a letter to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Last Friday, InfoWorld FedEx’d the Save Windows XP petition to Steve Ballmer. I have to say that sliding the memory stick into the envelope was an emotional experience: Over 210,000 users have made their voices heard to the world’s largest software corporation. I think there’s still a slim chance that Microsoft will change its mind about making XP available after Monday, particularly if we get more major media pickup and another wave of signatures Monday. Meanwhile, here’s the full text of the cover letter I sent along with the petition

Dear Steve,

On January 2, 2008, InfoWorld launched the Save Windows XP campaign. As of June 27 at 2:00 PM Pacific Time, we have gathered 210,562 signatures from passionate users who demand the right to purchase Windows XP after June 30, the deadline beyond which Microsoft has said it will no longer license Windows XP through most sales channels. The Save Windows XP petition is enclosed as a CSV file.

We began this campaign because our readers compelled us to do so. Those of us who have been in the industry for a long time have never seen anything like the negative reaction to Windows Vista. Our readers have frequently voiced their frustrations about software incompatibilities, arbitrary UI changes, expanded hardware requirements, and altered security business rules. On the other hand, we’ve also head from many users who are clearly satisfied with Vista.

Our point from the beginning has been that Microsoft customers should have a choice: For a reasonable period, those who want to license Windows XP should be able to continue to do so just as easily as they can license Windows Vista.

The typical interval from the introduction of a new version of Windows to the end-of-sale date for the previous version is two years. Given the disruptive nature of many Vista upgrades, we feel that Microsoft should continue to make Windows XP available for at least that long, rather than ending the sale of Windows XP after 18 months. Now that the ship date for Windows 7 has been moved up to January 2010, why not make Windows XP available until then?

We recognize and appreciate that during the past several months Microsoft has decided to allow OEMs to sell “low-power” laptops and desktops with Windows XP pre-installed until June 2010. We are also aware that many hardware vendors, including Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Lenovo, are offering “downgrade” options that enable customers to replace preinstalled copies of Windows Vista with Windows XP. We hope that Microsoft will continue to enable vendors to present those options, as well as allow Vista Business or Vista Ultimate customers to “downgrade” Vista installs using site-licensed versions Windows XP Professional.

Our ultimate aim, however, is for Microsoft to reverse its decision and keep licensing Windows XP through all normal channels. At work and at home, Windows XP has become a familiar and reliable part of the lives of millions of users. We respectfully ask that you continue to offer the best operating system Microsoft has ever produced.

Sincerely,

Eric Knorr
Editor in Chief
InfoWorld

How to get XP after June 30

2008-06-27T02:50:00Z

James Gaskin of Network World wrote this report, which gives you advice on how to scrounge a machine with Windows XP, without paying through the nose for Vista only to downgrade. Microsoft stops selling XP next week.

Microsoft warned us well over a year ago that XP will Die Die Die, at least on new computers, by the end of June, 2008. Petitions and prayers notwithstanding, XP has a firm date with Boot Hill. RIP, XP.
Change is the only constant and we need to embrace new things, yada yada yada, but this is business. Many voices in the tech biz complain about Vista, with good reason. I have yet to see an advantage for small businesses that Vista provides over Windows 2000 with a handful of third party utilities. Even some Microsoft apologists will apologize for Vista when you force them to tell the truth.

All this is beside the point. Do you really need to ensure every added computer comes into your business with XP for valid technical reasons, such as special software you wrote that doesn’t work with Vista? (a problem for big companies that write their own software). Or are you just afraid of change, or afraid of spending the money that a jump to Vista often demands? Let me show you a way to sidestep both problems and avoid Vista a bit longer, maybe even another two or three years.

First, check out the refurbished desktops and laptops at the major brand outlets. Prefer Dell? HP? Gateway? Lenovo? They all have factory direct refurbished systems for sale, and some still have XP installed. But this option won’t last long, because refurbished systems are usually those computers returned by users who either didn’t like them or couldn’t figure them out, so they tend to be fairly new. Many of them have already been infected with Vista, so you’ll have to act quick to grab the last XP systems from the refurb piles at major vendors.

Second, check systems that have been returned after their lease term from huge corporations refreshing their desktop and laptop inventories. Companies tend to keep their systems three or four years before replacing them, so the off-lease systems available today were purchased originally in 2004 or 2005, prime XP years. When the hard disks are wiped (and they will be from reputable outlets), the original OS gets put back on. Almost all off-lease systems include the Windows Certificate of Authority label on the box and XP on the drive. Sometimes these systems are labeled off-lease, recertified, or reconditioned, depending on the outlet.

I trustuBid.com for the systems I buy for my small business test lab. When my wife wanted a new system last December, I got a refurbished Gateway desktop for her, with XP. Prices range from under US$100 for older P4 systems to $600 for newer high end systems. Prices vary considerably based on many factors, so shop carefully. A good deal today can be beat by a great deal tomorrow, and vice versa. But in the refurbished computer listings, many systems are new enough to have Vista installed, so uBid may not be a good answer for too much longer.

Let’s go to the Web. Search for “off-lease computers” and you’ll find over 300,000 listings. The majority of these are small resellers that buy off-lease systems, check them out at least a little (some sites offer decent warranties), and sell them online. When you look into the computer recycling business, you’ll find an entire ecosystem of buyers, sellers, middlemen, and outlets for everything ranging from complete computers to metal computer cases sold by the ton for scrap. Check out resellers in this business near you (they are everywhere) and you can tap this enormous resource as well.

What do I think about eBay as an option? Be aware that some legal authorities believe that up to 40% of all eBay items listed are stolen. Buying from sellers with online stores, not just individuals, will increase your odds of a “clean” machine. I have learned the hard way never to buy from a seller that doesn’t include Buyer Protection to cover the amount of the purchase. You have to use PayPal to get that peace of mind, but it’s worth it to me.

That said, I just checked desktops and used XP as a filter in the “PC Desktops Finder” listing on the left side of the eBay page, and 1,631 computers popped up. You can also search by brand, processor type and speed, amount of memory, hard drive capacity, and condition as well as putting in keywords, as I did with the XP test. When I put in “refurbished” for condition and left XP as the search keyword, 607 desktop computers appeared.

The final option is to bite the proverbial bullet, try Vista, and see if it will hurt as much as you think. Get a refurbished system with Vista, even if you have to pay maybe $50 more than a similar system with XP. Try your software and you might be surprised. When HP sent me a Vista system last year, the first thing I did was load up the Firefox browser and the office suite from OpenOffice. Both ran great with nary a hiccup.

Vista is inevitable, and the demise of XP this month emphasizes that point. You can delay Vista and save money at the same time, but you can’t run forever. And upgrades from Microsoft have taken much of the pain away from Vista migration. It still stings, but you can live with it. Just remember you can buy smart and save money on new computers, even with Vista.

Dear Customers: Microsoft addresses the XP outcry

2008-06-24T02:52:00Z

With only one week to go before it pulls the plug on sales of the operating system, Microsoft made public a letter sent to customers about their support options, the business issues and the future of Windows 7.

Read the full story here: MS plugs downgrades as XP deadline nears

Microsoft calls shots on XP downgrades, says Dell

2008-06-20T02:52:00Z

From Computerworld U.S.:

Microsoft has put limits on the types of PCs that can be downgraded to Windows XP after June 30, Dell said yesterday, a restriction that means it will offer home users the option only on machines designed for gamers.

Buyers of the three consumer models that can be downgraded to XP after today must pay an additional $20 fee, Dell also said. The charge is similar to the $20 to $50 added to the price of Dell’s entry-level business computers.

“Microsoft says what kinds of systems can be downgraded,” said Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden yesterday. “Those are enterprise, small business and gaming systems.”

While Microsoft has set June 30 as the general end of availability for Windows XP, Dell will stop preinstalling most versions of the seven-year-old operating system today. It will still ship some PCs with Windows XP, however, by taking advantage of the downgrade rights built into Vista Business and Vista Ultimate. Downgrading lets Dell install Windows XP Professional in lieu of Vista, although the newer operating system is still shipped with the machine so that buyers can, if or when they choose, move from XP to Vista.

“Small businesses are slow to transition to Vista,” said Camden, who noted that business users often rely on applications that don’t run in the newer OS. “Gamers are in [a] similar situation. They often have significant investments in special peripherals and special games that won’t work in Vista.”

After today, Dell will downgrade only three machines in its upper-end XPS consumer line, Camden confirmed: the XPS 630 and XPS 720 H2C desktops and the XPS M1730 notebook. Previously, Dell had said it would not offer XP as an option after today on its mainstream Inspiron lines of desktops and laptops.

A spokeswoman for Microsoft denied that the company is keeping any customers from downgrading. “No, Microsoft is not targeting any specific customers with downgrade rights,” she said in an e-mail. “Anyone who buys Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate is eligible for a downgrade.” Nor is Microsoft telling computer manufacturers which type of PCs they can downgrade to XP, she added.

In comparison to its limited number of consumer PCs that can be downgraded from Vista to XP after today, Dell’s small business selection includes all four lines: Vostro, Latitude, OptiPlex and Precision.

Dell, which said yesterday that it would charge up to $50 to factory-install an XP downgrade on its Vostro-branded desktops and notebooks, added later in the day that it planned to waive those fees for a limited time. “I can’t say much more than ‘limited time,’ Camden said Tuesday afternoon, “but I wouldn’t expect it to last more than a couple of weeks.”

Buyers of Dell’s Latitude laptops, OptiPlex desktops and Precision desktops and laptops don’t incur any additional fee for downgrading.

The downgrade charge waiver for Vostro customers begins tomorrow, said Camden, who added that there will not be a similar deal for buyers of the three XPS machines that include the downgrade option.