Dell death knell: XP Xpires

After years of reporting that Windows XP has had another extension, it’s something of a novelty to be able to tell you of a situation where the nine-year-old operating system really has been killed off. Dell has confirmed that it will be dropping XP options on new machines some time this month.

Technically this shouldn’t come as a surprise: Microsoft has previously stated that manufacturers of netbooks will be barred from shipping with XP pre-installed from 22 October. Of course, given the history of XP, it’s one thing knowing it will eventually disappear and another altogether to actually see it happening.

Dell is simply getting ahead of the game, though it appears its decision will affect all types of computer, not just netbooks. The “early” action is designed to avoid situations where the company takes an order for an XP machine but is then unable to deliver it because the shipping deadline for the license has kicked in.

There is one exception to this policy, which says a lot about the continuing business community love for XP (or at least its hostility to Vista.) Businesses that take up Dell’s Custom Factory Integration option, in which machines are supplied with both Windows and the company’s chosen applications pre-installed, will still be able to get XP in Professional, Home or Tablet versions.

As for other customers, Dell does note it will continue to offer XP driver support until December 2010. It’s also promoting the XP mode in Windows 7 Professional edition.

It’s also worth remembering that Dell customers should still be able to order a new computer and run XP on it. That’s possible through downgrade rights included in Windows 7 which mean companies such as Dell can ship machines with an equivalent edition of XP that can legally be put on the machine in place of Windows 7.

Microsoft recently clarified its policy on downgrades, noting that with each new system (such as Windows 7), downgrade rights to previous systems (eg XP and Vista) will be available until two years after the following system (“Windows 8″ in this example) ships. Once activated, the rights are valid for the lifetime of the PC but aren’t transferable to a new machine.

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• Guide: How to get XP over Vista from Dell and other OEMs after Wednesday
• Dell now bullish about Windows Vista
• Dell’s XP ‘downgrade’ now $150
• Downgrading Vista to XP costs $50 from Dell
• Microsoft may continue to sell XP and Vista side by side