Ballmer hints at extension for XP

Mon May 12, 2008 6:55PM EDT

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With concern over the end of the road for Windows XP reaches feverish levels, Microsoft appears to be altering yet again its timeline for killing off the popular operating system, which would ultimately force people into upgrading to Vista.

The latest news comes from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, reacting to criticism at a recent news conference, who said "XP will hit an end-of-life. We have announced one. If customer feedback varies, we can always wake up smarter, but right now, we have a plan for end-of-life for new XP shipments."

As of now the June 30 deadline stands, but PC makers may be encouraging Microsoft to get "smarter" by taking the rare step of openly combating Microsoft's direction that vendors move from XP to Vista. HP, Dell, and Lenovo have all said they will downgrade operating systems on new machines from Vista to XP at customer request and will continue to do so until 2009 (specific ending dates vary).

Note that no one's breaking the law here. Legally, anyone with a volume license or an OEM license for Vista can downgrade to XP without having to pay extra for the OS. The only exception is for those who purchased "full packaged product (FPP)" editions, which do not include downgrade rights, though Windows Vista Professional and Ultimate editions do. Whether XP drivers are available is another issue.

If asked, many companies will include an XP disc with your order, but Dell is installing XP at the factory as well. Cnet also offers some additional helpful advice on obtaining XP if you're buying a Vista machine.

My best advice is that if you're buying a new machine and want XP, get on the phone instead of using the company's website to configure the product. Salespeople can make options available, like downgrades, that you won't get online.

Of course, all of this could be moot in the next month or so if Microsoft bows to pressure from users to continue to sell XP. Stay tuned to see if Microsoft has a change of heart before the end of June.

Comments on Ballmer hints at extension for XP

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  • 6 Posted by miller6994 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:20PM EDT Report Abuse

    Kids, all of this needless hassle... forget about it and move on. No worries about OEM this or that, no worries concerning XP EOL and a poor product that people are being forced to use. Step outside the box, there is Linux. Exercise your "Freedom of choice" to determine your own Operating System. Do not let someone else dictate what OS you should run or how much you should pay. Choose Linux, the cost is $0.

  • 7 Posted by cnangano on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    Being in IT the issue with Vista is the variety of changes that have been made to the standards of where things are located. Being a part of a company where we replace on avg 10+/- machines per month for individuals that are not truly computer literate and travel 80% of the time these changes may be detrimental to business. Also, being a company that manufactures a product and uses specific software to run legacy systems and such a forced change may end up costing big bucks to upgrade systems and softwares and/or possibly being forced to change b/c something is not compatible. It sounds like all the people who are for the change are the average person that sits home on their desktop and does not intricate systems that run multi million dollar companies. Vista is ok for the home, but for business XP stands head and shoulders above the rest.

  • 8 Posted by ybotherasking on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    Thank you, cnangano, for confirming what I've been saying for months. Vista might work for most home users but not for most businesses. I work in a large hospital with several thousand computers running 24/7/365. All are equipped with XP and are used for everything from monitoring patients' vital signs, accessing records, positioning lasers in the operating room, reading Xrays, etc. Our IT folks have tested Vista extensively and will NOT upgrade any time soon because of compatibility issues with existing software. (Some of the software has been manufactured after Vista was released and Vista just can't handle it... but XP Pro can.) Just for grins, check with your local doctors, hospitals, police, fire departments, and see how many have switched to Vista.

  • 9 Posted by richardxrs on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    It's all about making more money folks. Vista is just another way of taking your money, forcing to buy a new OS and programs. It maybe pretty to look at, but who cares. It's the computer systems performance and savings the public is looking for. It sounds like Micro is in panic mode and the major companies are finally looking at the bottom line, the consumer. Thanks.

  • 10 Posted by rogueist on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    Nope not making it up - install Vista SP1 on a Dell XPS that came with Vista on it.

  • 11 Posted by jd_1876 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    richardxrs, I entirely agree with you. To me, Vista is not pretty to look at when the OS itself does something I describe as freezing up every couple hours... not at all pretty to look at "physically" either. Not compared to Leopard, that is!

  • 12 Posted by thebabbclan@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    The old adage of: "If it ain't broke don't fix it" is a truism for most XP users. In this day of increasing costs and trying to cope with an economy that is rapidly spiraling out of control, "the last thing we users need is the 'headache' of 'new spending and overhead', and lost productivity as employees and others experiment with a calamity plagued 'new SET UP.'" Microsoft should (as a favor to your loyal customers) just "bite the bullet" and to Quote Steve: "wake up smarter" by breathing "new life" into a fine, mature product until you have a worthy product that folks can trust and warrants their investment in new equipment and and training of personnell. Keep Vista alive as well, if you wish but learn from its problems when you put out the solid version that will be a fitting successor to XP.

  • 13 Posted by shtinojo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    It is still to green for massive adaptation in large scale networks. It also has way to much system over head. What is the key features it offers over XP?

  • 14 Posted by kupriaa1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    rogueist - Install loop for SP1. I worked with beta versions of SP1 and released versions- never had this problem. What software were you running on the Vista computer to cause this? Performed hundreds of upgrades to SP1 with Vista never experienced this problem. In addition, I have run quite an assortment of software and hardware with these upgrades. Why do people feel the need to make up stories?

  • 15 Posted by kupriaa1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    rogueist - Install loop for SP1. I worked with beta versions of SP1 and released versions- never had this problem. What software were you running on the Vista computer to cause this? Performed hundreds of upgrades to SP1 with Vista never experienced this problem. In addition, I have run quite an assortment of software and hardware with these upgrades. Why do people feel the need to make up stories?

  • 16 Posted by daniellelegault on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    I just installed Vista SP1 and it worked perfectly. I don't really notice much of a change, but it worked. I've never had a problem with Vista.

  • 17 Posted by ausaafkhan on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    I do not want to buy more hardware for what is essentially eye candy. Also the fact the VISTA does run slower than XP on the same machine its a no brainer that XP is a viable choice.

  • 19 Posted by markbriones3 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    alex is right, ok. but you have to respect most people are used to xp due to their own personal or yet business reasons, a business for one running a particular customized software, they can't risk business if vista isn't compatible, one of them is POS softwares. i remember yeah people were still afraid to upgrade to xp back then because of compatibility,but people will gradually move to vista but not by force. im infact using dual os at the moment, but installed most the software such as games on xp and leave vista for latest ones and use for learning process as well. you'd be surprised some people still use windows 98se.

  • 20 Posted by edward.schwarzmann on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    What people fail to realize is that most manufacturers are simply not writing XP drivers for OEM equipment. So, NIC's, sound cards, etc. will simply not work in XP. And, most component manufacturers see writing XP drivers as a waste of time, since XP has an already set EOL. So Microsoft should not cave in to people's demands, and make their June 30 EOL date a set-in-stone date. ============================================================ So we should allow Micro$oft to control our lives by insisting we use what we consider to be an inferior product? I have been told too many times about Vista's problems to consider using that OS, the least of which is that it's a memory hog that requires more memory than my P-4 system can handle.

  • 21 Posted by edward.schwarzmann on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hi markbriones3, The only reason I changed to XP Pro from W98 SE SP1 was that my W98 system couldn't handle my desire for an upgrade to DSL phone service. W98SE SP1 is still a good system if you use a standard phone connection with your IP.

  • 22 Posted by ctate39183 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    I don't mind the change when it is beneficial. However, Vista will not run several thousand dollars worth of software that I have. If Vista had been developed to run legacy software, I would use it. With the appearant Microsoft mentality of trying to force me to buy more software, I say "stuff it". I'll stick with XP. I really hope the next OS will be developed to run existing software.

  • 23 Posted by sieglindevolsung on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    All tekkie stuff aside, I LIKE XP and have heard almost NOTHING but bad comments and complaints about almost every aspect of Vista. My biggest problem with Vista is their proposed expansion of the already privacy-invading WGA requirement. Gee, you don't happen to WORK for Microsoft, the way you're sticking up for a ruthless conglomerate??? And the comment about people not wanting anything different, as in the upgrade to XP, I couldn't WAIT to get it, after the disastrous Windows Me! So much for THAT argument. Let's face it: experts, users and even manufacturers agree: VISTA STINKS! If they force it on us, I'm going with Mac or Linux. To heck with Microsoft!

  • 24 Posted by jeditheskyisblue on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    I've had two computers with XP and one with Vista. On my first computer I got it right after XP came out and did have some trouble with it, crashed on me once but that was after I had it for three or four years and I wasn't keeping my virus protection up. Now with Vista I only had my laptop a month when the glitchs started first glitch was that in the games it kept making the window the game played in smaller or larger then it would save only one game and you could never get it to save another saving then the laptop frozen up a few times then just started to just frozen up everytime took it in to get looked at and they asked do you have Windows update on which I did and their scan said no so they checked that and low and behold I did have it turned on. They claimed that Windows LiveMessenger was the cause when it came on at startup and it worked for about two weeks then it started it old troubles again. This time I just call the laptop company who talked me through reloading Vista which I have to say was way easier then reloading my old Dell desktop which took six hours this took maybe two hours and would have taken less but I had trouble with my internet connection at the time so it wouldn't load right. Since I've reload Vista about two months ago I haven't had any other trouble other then it gets slow like any computer when it uploads Windows updates. Compairing XP to Vista is not really fair to me because Xp was the my first OS so you know I'm going to like it better.

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