Apr 23, 2007
The Return of XP
Filed Under: Software
In an unusual move Dell is bringing back Windows XP.
Amid significant customer demand, the computer maker said on Thursday that it has returned to offering the older Windows version as an option on some of its consumer PCs.
What does this say about Vista?
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12 Comments so far. Add Yours Now!
Brian Lemon
What does it say about Microsoft.
Back in the 95/98/NT you bought the software and could put it on other machines you owned. Maybe you liked 98 better than NT.
Then XP came along with extra security for the benefit of MS. Now Vista offers even more.
And you or your IT dude needs to learn a new system, there are always bugs.
And how much more functionality do you get? None really.
If MS didn’t pretend to come out with new solutions they’d go broke.
Apr 23rd, 2007
Len Kutchma
I actually tried Vista and didn’t like it.
Apr 23rd, 2007
Joan Tintor
I guess it’s just as well that I bought my computer just before Vista came out.
Apr 23rd, 2007
Real Conservative
Vista is catering to the establishment too much while not really offering much of value to the average person. I hear that most business is not interested in it, at least not yet anyways.
Apr 23rd, 2007
Len Kutchma
Vista is somewhat buggy right now but I suppose the same can be said for any new software. Having said that MS should have delayed its release for at least another year.
Apr 23rd, 2007
Mike Brock
Well, as somebody who makes the lions share of my money actually engineering software, I can tell you that Windows Vista is an improvement in more ways than one over previous Windows version.
It’s funny how in addressing some of the fundamental security concerns that people have had over Window’s previous model, some of the same people have cried foul.
The compatibility problems with Vista do not speak to the quality of the OS. That’s like saying a Lambourghini sports car is low quality because only a few manufacturers make parts for it.
In fact, Vista’s managed to come in with an excellent score in 2 months with a minimal number of security bugs. Far better than previous releases of Windows have done, and far better than even Apple’s OS X has done (Just read the Secunia report)
The truth is, if there are two companies which really screwed Microsoft over, it’s Hewlett-Packard and NVIDIA. Compared to virtually every other major hardware vendor, these two companies acted like deers in the headlights when Vista was released.
In HP’s case, they decided they would release Vista drivers somtime in June. An interesting decision, considering they’ve had access to Vista’s print and scan API’s since April of 2006.
So HP sat on it’s hands, a bunch of consumers found their scanners and printers don’t work, and everyone blamed Microsoft’s poor quality.
I’m not a Microsoft fanboy. But this is a perfect example of blaming the wrong party.
Microsoft went out of their way to release Vista’s specifications to vendors and ISV’s long before the release date. The fact that a select few companies decided not to actually get their ass in gear until after the release is not Microsoft’s fault.
People should not be bitching at Microsoft and throwing out their Vista CD’s over their HP Scanner not working. They should be throwing out their HP Scanner for it being by a company that loves to outright avoid using standard API’s all together, and distribute copious amounts of bloatware with their hardware.
I’ve ran Vista as my primary OS on desktop and Laptop since October 2006, and I develop on it. I am compiling code, breaking things, running things like Oracle off my desktop, and I can tell you that Vista has been a much nicer platform for me than XP was.
Blame HP.
Apr 23rd, 2007
Len Kutchma
Thanks for the input Mike.
Apr 23rd, 2007
dougf
“Vista is somewhat buggy right now but I suppose the same can be said for any new software. Having said that MS should have delayed its release for at least another year.”
Microsoft depends on obsoleting its own products even if the product performs perfectly well for 99.9 pf all the applications for which it is used.
Vista DEMANDS a monster PC just to operate it. Since when is 1GB of Ram a MINIMUM base figure? Microsoft’s position is like a car maker that decides when you must replace your vehicle by stocking parts for only 8 years(which for car makers is I think - ILLEGAL). In the case of cars of course the ‘aftermarket’ takes care of the shortfalls if there is sufficient customer demand. In Microsoft’s world, not so much.They OWN the system and you are just a serf in Microsoft World.
I have a new Dell machine running XP and had a chance to upgrade to Vista. My answer - no thanks. Looks like many others told Dell much the same thing. Maybe Dell and other manufacturers should now be telling Microsoft that they expect support for XP to continue as long as there is demand for the product from the customer.
Or maybe Vista will be the thing that brings out a truly competitive alternative to Windows as an operating system. Perhaps this is Microsoft’s ‘bridge too far’ moment. Forcing change just once too often for no very compelling reason. One can only live in hope I suppose.
Apr 23rd, 2007
OMMAG
No.
Forkem’ I’ll only buy another computer if I have the option of what OS I get with it.
If a vendor like Dell won’t give me an option and I have to use an OS I already own I’ll tell em to subtract the retail price of their pet OS and ship to me without it.
Apr 23rd, 2007
Len Kutchma
I’m neither a Microsoft basher nor fanboy. All I know is I tried Vista, didn’t like it, switched back to XP.
Apr 24th, 2007
Hatrock
It will be a looooooong time before large businesses start adopting Vista and Office 07 nevermind the hardware upgrades required to run them. All of these OSs are just glorified file storage and program systems. MS OSs aren’t stable until about 4 or 5 years later. Just when NT 4.0 was stable, they tossed it. XP Pro is now stable so they go ahead and make it fancy with Vista. Sorry, no thanks, I’ll wait a while.
Apr 26th, 2007
Len Kutchma
Hi Hatrock,
That is exactly what I was saying to a friend just the other day. If I decide to go with Vista (and I much prefer XP) I’ll wait until they have issued a few hundred patches.
Apr 26th, 2007
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