Text 16409, 126 rader
Skriven 2007-02-22 18:50:30 av mike (1:379/45)
Ärende: Limited choices for Windows XP holdouts
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From: mike <mike@barkto.com>


http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-6161250.html?tag=nefd.lede

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Despite words of caution from some in the tech industry that it's too early to
make the switch to Microsoft's Windows Vista, many PC shoppers have no choice.

The PC industry has moved almost everything they sell to consumers--and some
businesses--over to Vista, both in stores and online.

To be fair, there's a reason for it. Vista integrates new security technologies
and entertainment features that were unavailable on Windows XP machines. It
also makes finding a Wi-Fi connection a simpler task and makes it easier to
search a PC's hard drive for a particular file or document. And PC sales did
jump during the first few weeks the operating system was available to
consumers.


"It's like a car dealer. They're going to blow out the '07s; they'd rather sell
(customers) the '08s."
-- Samir Bhavnani, analyst with Current Analysis


But not everyone thinks that's enough to justify an upgrade quite yet. Symantec
CEO John Thompson told CNET News.com he wouldn't be upgrading anytime soon
because of security concerns, and security expert Bruce Schneier wrote in
Forbes that Vista's digital-rights management technology will actually slow
your computer.

Add a smattering of application compatibility problems and the extra expense of
ordering a system configured to handle Vista's performance demands, and there's
a sense of hesitation among some consumers and businesses.

So what if your PC dies this week and you need to buy a new one, but don't want
to upgrade to Vista? Good luck finding a Windows PC with XP on it at your local
retail store, let alone a desktop or notebook that you actually want.

"Consumer retail is almost exclusively Vista," said Samir Bhavnani, an analyst
with Current Analysis, which tracks the U.S. retail PC market.

Options are limited
So what are your options? You could buy a PC aimed at business customers. You
could buy a Vista machine, buy a boxed copy of Windows XP online, and install
it on the new machine--with the added bonus of getting rid of the "crapware"
that accompanies a new retail PC. Or you could go through more convoluted
technical exercises such as virtualization.

And, yes, you could get a Mac, or load one of the various desktop Linux
distributions onto your PC. But customers who just need to replace a basic
system or add a cheap desktop for the kids--and small businesses that have
standardized on Windows--will either have to add all of Vista's bells and
whistles along with that system or pay an additional
$100 for a boxed copy of Windows XP.

Microsoft said in a statement that it expects PC companies to keep a select
number of Windows XP systems around for 12 months, and that system builders and
resellers that cater to business customers will be able to offer Windows XP for
24 months. Boxed copies of Windows XP will be available through official
outlets for another 12 months, Microsoft said.

But PC companies said they are making a wholesale move to Windows Vista at
retail, and representatives for companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Gateway and
Acer said the only systems with Windows XP in retail stores are older models;
new ones are Vista systems. Many of those companies have also moved all the
consumer-focused systems on their Web sites to Vista without a configuration
option for Windows XP.

XP's disappearing act
At a large CompUSA in downtown San Francisco late last week, a smattering of
Windows XP desktops and laptops could be found nestled among more heavily
promoted Vista brethren. Nearly all the XP machines were marked down as
"manager's specials," with many available only as open box or demonstration
machines.

Boxed copies of XP were available, but not at the prominent Vista display that
greeted visitors as they entered the store. Rather, XP copies could be found at
two more distant outposts that also had additional copies of Vista.

Dell still offers Windows XP notebooks and desktops, but they can all be found
under Dell's Latitude business notebook brand, with the exception of the XPS
M1710 with the Blu-ray disc player.

Retailers and PC companies don't get any incentives to sell Windows XP systems,
so they simply don't, Bhavnani said. "It's like a car dealer. They're going to
blow out the '07s; they'd rather sell (customers) the
'08s."

The trouble is that most of the hype and promotion surrounding Vista have been
around the Aero graphical interface, which doesn't come on low-end PCs with
Vista Basic, Bhavnani said. If a potential shopper is just looking to spend
around $300 on a desktop or around $600 on a notebook, they're going to wind up
with Vista Basic and lose out on the fancy new graphics.

"I don't really know why somebody would buy a Vista Basic system, unless you're
a real basic user," he said. Installing Windows XP to replace Vista Basic isn't
too difficult, but those cost-conscious customers might balk at the additional
$100 needed for a licensed copy of Windows XP.

It could also be tricky for business customers who care more about application
compatibility than graphics, which is why analysts have expected them to hold
out until Vista can be tested extensively and has received an initial batch of
updates. Corporate PC users depend on dozens of critical applications like VPN
(virtual private network) software or 3G cellular cards for notebooks that
won't necessarily work quite yet on Vista machines.

An HP representative said the company will sell Windows XP PCs through its
resellers to small and medium businesses as long as Microsoft continues to
license that operating system. Lenovo, which caters more to the business crowd,
offers the choice of either XP or Vista on all of its Lenovo 3000 and ThinkPad
machines.

It might be hard for some to avoid Vista in the short term. But in the long
run--once all the application problems are worked out--most Windows users
probably won't want to avoid it, Bhavnani said.

"People are going to have to have a little patience until all the applications
work. It's a very short-term pain that will last people less than three
months."
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 /m

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