retiring at the end of the month. Microsoft will stop selling
and licensing Windows XP to PC manufacturers.
I am sure the news could not come at a better time, after all
we have been through a lot together with Windows XP. The average
computer user has spent over 8000 hours using Windows XP and is
the system most used to the connect us to the Internet.
If you are not prepared to go down the path of upgrading to
Windows Vista, what are you options after the cut-off date other
than switching to Mac OS X or Linux?
Tech Support For Your XP Problems
In terms of getting support for the numerous technical issues
that XP users come across everyday, some form of support from
Microsoft will exist until at least 2014, so that gives you
another six years, although the support may be more difficult to
get hold of.
You may want to purchase a premium tech support service to get
around this problem or purchase software to keep your registry
in tact. Or you can search on tech forums as there is a good
chance if you have a problem that other users will also have the
same problem, far easier than asking Microsoft for support.
XP On Brand New Machines
Despite Microsoft denying that you won't be to purchase a
machine with XP after June 30th , the reality that you can as
the situation a little more complicated than that.
PC manufacturers who have an inventory of unused XP licenses
will still be able to sell machines with XP and the same also
goes for other PC retailers as well , who have surplus stock to
sell.
Switching Operating Systems
Downgrade rights are the second way for you to get your hands
on a new computer with XP. If a manufacturer has downgrade
rights from Microsoft, they'll be able to sell you a PC that
started on Vista, but which they downgraded to XP before they
sold it to you.
If this is the case, you'll be supplied with the discs for XP
and it's drivers, as well as the same discs for Vista, so you
can re-upgrade at a later date if you decide to. Dell have
confirmed that they will make this option open to customers, but
it only lasts out until January 31st next year.
'Limited Hardware Capabilities'
There is an alternative legal way of getting your hands on XP.
That is purchase a PC that has 'limited hardware capabilities,'
a term that Microsoft has phrased for machines that lack the
muscle power such as slow processor or limited memory, to run
Vista. Laptops such as the Asus EEE lack both processor power
and hard-disk space to run Windows Vista. Instead these machines
must run XP.
XP is Still Hanging On
To tell the truth, XP lives on. You can still buy it until at
least June 2010, which will probably be extended, and you'll
still get support until 2014. That's a long time to say goodbye
to your favorite operating system, although you need to be aware
that eventually you're going to have to make the switch.
About The Author: Kay Brenner is a PC Doctor consultant who
specializes in restoring your slow PC, saving you time and money
wrestling with a sick computer. To reclaim your dream machine
you first bought, download a free PC Health Check visit
http://www.pcdocpro.com
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