A Windows executive;s statement this week that Microsoft will keep on to offer netbook makers with XP if they want it to get a year soon after Windows 7 ships isn;t a new policy. It's a restatement of what business officials said a yr back.In 2008, Microsoft announced officially its decision to enable vendors of low-cost laptops to proceed to bundle XP by way of 2010 or for the year soon after the next release of Windows (a k a Windows seven) shipped, whichever came last. At that time,
Office Pro Plus, Microsoft and a quantity of other business players had been calling these PCs “ULPCs” (ultra-low-cost PCs),
Office 2007 Professional, not netbooks.From an April 3, 2008, blog post I did:“As Microsoft officials announced on April 3,
Windows 7 32bit, makers of ULPCs will be allowed to continue to preload XP on ULPC machines until June 30, 2010, or one 12 months soon after general availability of the next version of Windows, whichever comes later.”If Microsoft launches Windows seven this fall, as many are expecting, netbook makers will be allowed to continue to preload XP on new systems via fall 2010. Given that Windows seven has been shown to perform quite well on netbooks,
Office Professional 2010 Key, there are only a couple of reasons I can see vendors wanting to preload XP once seven is out:1. If Microsoft tries to gouge vendors on price with Windows seven. Suitable now, Microsoft is believed to be charging PC makers $15 a copy for XP. Microsoft hasn;t yet told OEMs what it plans to charge them per copy of Windows seven Starter or Home Premium (or any other Win seven SKU for that matter). If Microsoft goes much above $15 per copy, it will leave the door wide open for Linux/Android,
Office 2007 Professional Key, etc.2. Users want to continue to run XP apps which won;t work with Windows 7. The new XP Mode capability Microsoft is introducing with Windows seven is designed to work on higher-end Windows seven SKUs, not the low-end ones likely to be preloaded on netbooks.Anyone else see any reasons users and PC makers might want to keep offering XP right after WIndows seven ships?Speaking of Microsoft and netbooks, Microsoft;s netbook “Jedi mind tricks” (gotta love those Reg headlines) are just one of the topics that Gavin Clarke and I cover in our latest “Microbite” podcast — which is now posted and available for your listening pleasure.