Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft to Simplify Downgrades From Vista to XP
castrox writes "Microsoft has noted that many corporate users want to run XP instead of Vista. They are now simplifying the downgrade process for top OEMs. Currently, all OEMs must call Microsoft whenever a downgrade is done. After the new procedure is put into place, OEMs may submit batches of keys to Microsoft online. According to the Microsoft blog on ZDNet, the 'downgrade software' will still need to be supplied by the end user. The deal is rather perplexing — it does not seem like you can convert the license since the only eligible versions for downgrading is Ultimate and Business. The company has more details available in a pdf document online."
Because I'd bet that you'll still have the great benefit of paying the hugely inflated prices for Windows Vista (especially the ultimate version) rather than what the XP license used to cost.
Oh, the joys of working with Microsoft software.
Every expression is true, for a given value of 'true'
Is a huge reason we dread getting Vista here. Compatibility isn't too much of an issue, we have been doing preliminary testing and found a reasonable expectation with it to work with our software.
However, having to set up an activation server, have users log back in every 180 days... is just idiotic.
If we get audited, we get screwed anyway. So why make it so difficult?
The price is always right if someone else is paying.
OK, here is my guess: by 2008 DX10 shaders run on WinXP. One way or the other.
> responsive to their customers.
Vista is entirely responsive to their customers. Microsoft's customers are Dell, Gateway, HP, and other OEMs. Vista increases the hardware requirement pushing computer prices up and making MS's percentage of the revenue slightly less. This is what MS's customers asked for: more revenue with a cut in MS's take.
Unfortunately, Dell's, Gateway's, HP's customers do not want this at all. They want more powerful systems that leave more power for the applications, not a system that leaves less available because the OS sucks it all up. They want to benefit from the cost of components dropping, not having to pay more to get less usable machines.
I was bored and actually READ the licensing information (well, most of it) when I first booted my new Toshiba laptop that came with Vista Home Premium.
A section in that document specifically stated that THIS license may also be used to run a previous version of Windows, and I think it specifically stated Windows XP and Windows 2000.
I remember thinking "Well, that's nice to know," but so far have not run into any major Vista problems to worry about.
An AC says:
Corperations that have a volume license and buy a dell witha license sticker on it are incredibly stupid. They are intentionally paying Microsoft twice on every laptop and PC they buy. The director of IT should be fired for such wasteful purchasing practices.
It's not stupid if you don't have a choice because the vendor won't sell without the M$ tax. Companies will sell discarded boxes to their employees at "cost" and the price is around $200. It includes no software, but that does not mean that $40 of that $200 cost was not originally M$ tax - a fee paid per each computer sold regardless of OS installed. Nor does it mean the Vendor did anything more than pull the computer out of inventory, complete with home use software and a license sticker on it. Each computer that big dumb companies buy have to be wiped and loaded with the corporate licensed software.
You are right about how wasteful this is, but it's not always the fault of the person making the purchases and it's never the fault of the poor person who gets to do all the actual work.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
I'll add my story to that guy's, however mine involves 2000.
.NET 3.0 apps (MS has locked out XP SP1 & below for its new VB language).
My four-year-old R40 was dying or so I thought, USB ports falling out & so I figured it was finally time to dive headfirst into the brave new world of WGA Activation and DRM. Also wanted to try out some sexy new
I *scored* a new R60 Core 2 Duo T5500 for less than $500, had XP Pro and Office 2003 preinstalled.
Well to make a long story short, XP Pro broke half our legacy apps. More broke after Windows Update. The finale straw was that XP Pro on a core 2 Duo is no faster than 2000 on a Centrino. What's the point of upgrading, except to shovel money at the manufacturers & software upgraders.
In the end I returned the R60, spent $250 to get the USB ports soldered back on & decided I'm getting off this upgrade train at the next stop. If I have to write / buy new apps might as well be for Ubuntu, which we have set up an old laptop and are experimenting on already.
This funny thing happened to me the other day: one of my custumers had bought her new PC in the US, as she came back here, she realised she doesn't speak english good enough, and wanted to use an spanish tranlation (she used Windows Vista Home Basic). So, I called MS support: you cannot change your Vista english license for a new one in spanish, you need to upgrade to Windows Vista Ultimate (which has international support). Since in my country, upgrading for the "full" Ultimate version is more expensive than just buying a new Hombe Basic license, and since by installing a new Home Basic spanish version would destroy all of her settings, she instead installed her own copy of Win XP. I can't tell if it's a legal copy thought, or maybe an OEM version. Anyways, kiss my ass M$, you deserve to be peed upon.
How about this? When you buy a PC with either Vista Home version, call the manufacturer and say you cannot accept the terms of the EULA and want to return Vista for a refund. Use the refund to buy XP home.
That would work great, except you will have to spend $100 to get XP, which won't have drivers for your shiny new laptop. With M$, your options are, deal with a buggy Vista install or use preinstalled 7 year old software or don't buy a new computer.
The only way to know for sure if your hardware is going to work though Bill Gates' sabotage, is to find a GNU/Linux vendor or try it out yourself. Bring a live CD to a local computer store and boot it. If it works, buy the laptop. If not, keep looking.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
The interesting fact is that in some (many?) companies where OpenOffice.org was tried as an alternative to MS Office, the experiment was terminated because employees complained that they were not familiar with the program, they knew everything about MS Office, and the time required to learn the new program would be worth more than the price difference.
So, it would be cheaper to buy MS Office than to use OpenOffice.org for free, just because of the training issues.
I wonder what those folks are going to do when Office 2007 becomes widely deployed. Something tells me that they are just going to adapt to it, book their time on some random project activities, without ever raising the same issues they did with OpenOffice learning curves.