Windows XP: The OS That Won't Quit
Found on PC World on Saturday, 13 December 2008
This week, Dell announced it will offer systems with the aging Windows XP for a surcharge of US$150 over the newer Windows Vista--this only five months after it stopped offering XP on its Inspiron consumer desktop and laptop PCs.
The deadline for Windows XP downgrades has been pushed back twice now, remaining in effect until July 31, 2009-a strong indication that enough users want to stay with the aging XP rather than give Vista a chance.
The idea to put extra fees on an old system to make your customers use the new one might sound somewhat logical at first. However, this backfires. The customer doesn't want to be forced and there are enough alternatives to Windows. Many people complain about the changes between Vista and XP when it comes to useability. So if they know that they'll have to learn some new things, they can as well switch to a Linux solution. Especially when they can save the $150 extra fee and the costs for the operating system itself.