Windows Vista plays to a captive audience
By Jonathan Schlaffer
It’s no secret that when you buy a new computer today you have no choice but to get it with Windows Vista; unless you buy a Mac or buy/build a Linux System. For the most part, the average consumer will buy a computer and most of those will head out to the nearest retailer buy an off-the-shelf desktop or laptop which will have Vista on it.
This is to Microsoft’s advantage as it allows them to push Vista sales up and really doesn’t offer anyone a choice but this is the way things have always been since Windows 95; perhaps since Windows 3.1. Those of you who want to reminisce about the DOS days feel free to debate amongst yourselves, I wasn’t old enough at the time to remember enough about it nor do I feel like digging into 25 years worth of archives to debate every aspect of it.
The point is that no one really wants Vista when Windows XP is doing just fine for most people but Microsoft isn’t really giving anyone a choice, it’s Windows Vista or bust and that’s that.
Okay, so Steve Ballmer has said that if consumers demand XP stay on the market that Microsoft would consider keeping it out past the June 30 cut off date. It’s being demanded there Steve but you just aren’t listening very well. There’s been some beating around the bush on the issue but no official announcement; I’m not holding my breath.
While Windows Vista holds us all hostage, some of you may downgrade your system to Windows XP anyway, some of you may replace it with Linux but some of us are just stuck with it until Windows 7 comes out and as far as that’s concerned let’s hope Microsoft gets it right.
Whatever you do with your version of Vista, Microsoft can still count it as a sale whether you are using it or not and exact usage numbers can be a little more difficult to count.
Windows XP has been, by far the best operating system to come out of Redmond since, ever. It would have been a tough act to follow either way but Vista… Vista, Microsoft could have done better.
Microsoft is just trying to bide its time until Windows 7 is ready which will (probably) be based largely on Windows Server 2008 code and I doubt very much the company wants to repeat anything that happened with Vista, including a confusing marketing campaign or too many consumer editions. Only time will tell if these problems will get fixed with Windows 7.
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April 26th, 2008
Micro Center, and Dell sells new XP computers and Dell and Lenovo promises to sell new XP computers after the June 30 2008 cutoff date. I expect other manufacturers to follow this lead.
The Tiny PC revolution has ensured the availability of XP Home until at least 2010.
Maybe the Tiny PC phenomena has in a round about way “saved” XP.
The rub here is that XP Home was only saved because Linux left MSFT at the starting gate and left them in the dust. MSFT had to scramble and play catch up to counter the “competition” from Linux.
(When in the history of desktop operating systems did a outsider like Linux make MSFT back track and play catch up?… this is 2008 and not 1998 anymore…a sign of progress…???)
In addition many refurb and used computer stores are still offering XP over Vista installs and also sell many used and refurb computers with fresh installs of XP. Many of these have some kind of warranty.
I hope MSFT decides to continue sales of XP Pro through regular retail channels. Otherwise people will find XP through less than legitimate means, which might be the ultimate irony to MSFT.
All the chair throwing and “monkey boy” antics won’t save wild eyed Steve from the angry stockholders and the financial bottom line. Vista is but one issue MSFT faces, there are a whole slew of others including “that” E.U. problem and the recent reports of irregularities with the OOXML vote in Norway.
I sure don’t want to be in Ballmer’s shoes later this year when he attends a stockholder meeting and has to explain why he discontinued a successful money maker and very popular and stable operating system and basically gave the XP market away to pirates.
April 26th, 2008
These posts are just getting repetetive, XP being the best blah blah…You’re not getting more weight to your words for being repetetive every day. Who btw demanded XP over Vista? I don’t know anybody here.
How you can say XP is best when it gets infected in same second when you plug it onto Internet?
Vista doesn’t do that. Vista doesn’t need virus scanner at all…
I think Vista blorge is getting quite a lame XP- fanboy Blog and nothing more.
April 26th, 2008
Hi Jan, I do not think this has become a XP “fanboy” blog. I love reading these posts and news about how poor Vista is, which is true.
Keep these news and posts coming. We need to tell as many people as possible about how poor Vista is.
Personally I run Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 on my PC even though my computer is powerful enough to run any edition of Vista. They work fine, are compatible with all hardware and softwares, and are quite fast. I am also planning to install Ubuntu 8.04 once the DVD image is released. No Vista and no MS Office for me.
April 26th, 2008
Jan: wrote
April 26th, 2008
These posts are just getting repetetive, XP being the best blah blah…You’re not getting more weight to your words for being repetetive every day. Who btw demanded XP over Vista? I don’t know anybody here.
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Just do a Google on “XP over Vista” and you will get your answer.
Go into any computer repair shop and ask the person in charge how many XP over Vista installs they did in the last month.
How come if Vista is so wonderful, how come…the all important IT Corporate World have rejected Vista and plan on keeping XP until Windows 7 ..if not later?
How come Microsoft “backtracked” and extended XP from the end date of January 2008 to now June 30 2008?
How come Microsoft “backtracked again” and kept Windows XP on the tiny laptops until 2010 if “Vista is so wonderful”? (Are they THAT scared of Linux??? )
If Vista is so great and “wonderful”, then how come Vista is too bloated and buggy that it cannot even run on that important fast growing tiny laptop market?
How come with all the money that Microsoft has, and the best minds, developers, programmers, salespersons and analysts money could buy, no one at that company could even see ahead and plan a new operating system for the tiny laptop market?
How come Ballmer is talking about the possibility of extending XP (yet again) in retail if “Vista is so wonderful”?
Why did Bill Gates talk about releasing Windows-7 in 2009 if “Vista is a best seller”?
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And to James Bond …I believe Ubuntu DVD 8.04 is out. Might be better to get it by torrent, Google, Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy releases and look for the Apr 24 2008 final release.
April 27th, 2008
Ubuntu doesn’t need a DVD, it comes on CD.
April 28th, 2008
Ken,
Yes I know. But I prefer working with the DVD.
ralph,
I have just got it by bittorrent. I shall install it later.