“InfoWorld confirms that Dell will sell and support Windows XP to consumers beyond the June 30 Microsoft sales cutoff date that Microsoft reaffirmed today, after comments from CEO Steve Ballmer yesterday seemingly indicated it might reconsider that decision,” Ephraim Schwartz reports for InfoWorld.
“Dell will take advantage of a licensing option in Vista Business and Vista Ultimate that lets PC makers provide XP under the Vista license, which Microsoft calls a ‘downgrade’ license. (Enterprises with site licenses have these same rights with any version of Vista.) In essence, the user is buying a Vista license that it can apply to XP, and Microsoft can still claim a Vista sale,” Schwartz reports.
“The computers available with the XP option will include the Windows Vista installation DVD in the box so users can later install Vista over XP under the same license if they wish,” Schwartz reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “MacVicta” for the heads up.]
So, Dell sells with PCs with Windows XP, throws the unwanted Vista DVD in the box, and Microsoft pretends they’re Vista sales? Now that’s desperation. And, another thing: the ancient Windows XP sucks, too. That it’s the best Dell and all of the other PC box assemblers can offer is just pitiful. Get a Mac.
