06/18/2008, 2:25pm, EDT
Wednesday, June 18thDell charging $50 for Vista-to-XP downgrade
Dell is charging some customers as much as $50 to switch from Windows Vista to XP on their systems, according to the company. Buyers picking a system from the company's Vostro business line can choose to install XP Professional instead of Vista Business but must pay an additional $50 beyond the price it takes to upgrade to Vista Business itself. Users face a reduced fee for the downgrade if moving from Vista Ultimate but still pay more than for the upgrade to a higher Vista edition than what comes preloaded on the system.
The PC maker notably doesn't charge for the downgrade for higher-end computers, including Latitude portables and Optiplex workstations. It also allows buyers to keep the existing copy of Vista but requires that the newer operating system be purchased alongside the downgrade. A handful of Dell's XPS gaming systems, including the XPS 630/720 H2C towers and the M1730 desktop replacement notebook, also have the downgrade option for an extra fee.
Dell's move raises questions about the costs of licensing for Windows XP. The company is shutting down most regular XP sales after today to ensure that it has shipped all of its XP-only systems by Microsoft's June 30th cut-off date for the software, but until now has not publicly revealed what if any premium it would charge to continue using the 2001-era operating system; common observations had suggested Dell would charge a relatively minimal fee preserving the old OS.
The Texas-based system builder is believed to have complicated Microsoft's attempts to move the PC industry more quickly to Vista. Dell was one of the first companies to restore an XP option for its systems in April of last year amid a backlash by businesses as well as home users, both of whom resisted the OS after claims of sluggish performance on some configurations as well as peripheral driver problems created both by Microsoft and by third-party hardware. Workplaces have also raised concerns over compatibility with some of their necessary programs.
Company representatives have said that the downgrade option will exist until the start of 2009, when Microsoft pulls system reseller rights to continue offering XP for downgrades and will limit the OS to very low-cost, low-performance systems such as ASUS' Eee PC. [via Computerworld]
Filed under: industry, software
Other story tags: Dell, Vista, XPS, Vostro
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Really?
What i really want to know is how much Dell charge to install Mac OS X :-)
Next stats:
We'll soon be seeing how many people prefer to "downgrade" their machine to a slightly better OS.
Sucks for businesses
because I am choosing to keep my work network on XP for the time being and this adds to the cost of the computer...
Good
This will be good for Dell, maybe it will prevent them from going into the red!
Premium price for OLD OS
Now that's really funny! Let's charge a premium price for the OLD OS! This proves how really bad Vista really is. A five year joke that's worth $50 to get rid of it.
Buy a Mac and forget paying $50 for an OLD OS. Get one that really works for you, not against you.
Too Rich
Pretty much sums up Vista. MS's old OS is preferred. Considering XP is about the equivalent of OS9, I'd say this just makes OSX look better and better.
This is all due to the MS corporate culture headed by a certain S. Ballmer, who, due to incompetence and lack of technological foresight has become--inadvertently--Apple's biggest sales promoter. If he keeps this up, Jobs is going to thank him officially at a future Macworld.
tipping point
Hahaha. How M$ stays on top is really a good illustration of the danger of a monopoly. People are between a rock and a hard place if they depend on windows, as a lot of corporate applications run only on windows. As that changes, there will be a mighty big crack in the wall. Our business runs Medent records software for example. Short of canning the whole network, there really is no other option but to stick with microshaft. As Apple marketshare continues to grow however, I think there will be a tipping point. Moves like this only grind salt into a wound and generate more pressure for an alternative.
PERFECT CRIME!
Charge 50% more for WindowsXP and I am sure people would pay that much more to avoid Windows Vista.
PERFECT CRIME!
Charge 50% more for WindowsXP and I am sure people would pay that much more to avoid Windows Vista.
[Smile]
Can't wait for the Mac-PC commercial to come out of this....
It is good to note, though, before testudo does, that Apple forces upgrades at times too. These upgrade have always been for the better though ... okay leaving OS9 was painful at times ... so what is the difference? MS is run by engineers and MBA's, while Apple is run by philosophers and artists ... at heart anyway.