Dell offers XP again amidst Vista complaints
Users ask to party like its 2001
Dell is to once again offer Windows XP on new systems, responding to online customer complaints. The decision reverses a Vista-only policy the PC seller has moved to since the release of Microsoft's latest OS. The move is a reaction to online complaints at Dell's recently-launched Ideastorm website.
At Ideastorm, users can create or vote on suggestions to the company (in the courteous and thoughtful manner the internet is known for). Most of the complaints on the site regard a lack of OS options.
The most popular Vista-phobic post and the one that got the company's attention is "Dont [sic] eliminate XP just yet" which received 12,228 supporting "points." (The scoring process on the site is extremely convoluted. According to the site, each vote bumps the score by 10 points. This would mean either there's something else unsaid in the woodwork, or there's 1,222 and eight tenths of a person who wants XP. On an slightly unrelated note, a post asking for Linux support is the most popular with 125,126 votes.)
Dell manager Lionel Menchaca noted the complaint on his Dell blog and announced customers can now purchases XP Home or Pro on certain Dimension desktops and Inspiron notebooks.
The models are: Dimension E520 and E521 desktops, and Inspiron 1501, E1405, E1505, and E1705 notebooks
The XP option is available only to US customers.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is showing its poker face regarding the development.
"Dell is responding appropriately to a small minority of customers that had this specific request," Microsoft product manager Michael Burk said in a statement. "But, as they have said before, the vast majority of consumers want the latest and greatest technology, and that includes Windows Vista."
Manufacturers will only be able to pre-install XP on systems until Jan. 31, 2008 when Microsoft will force them to switch no matter what internet denizens ask for. ®
COMMENTS
Free money from Dell?
After hearing of Dell bringing back XP, I contacted them about the possibility of having an OEM sent out for the inspiron i purchased 2 months ago. (it came with Vista Premium). My argument being that Vista made my laptop run like a dog and I couldnt use many of my insurance related software.
I received 2 different answers from 2 different customer service reps:
1) "We sympathize with your situation sir and as a valued customer, we can offer you a $50 credit which you can then purchase an OEM version of XP from our sales department for the same amount of money". When i tried to contact the sales department, they had no idea what i was talking about and referred me onto another customer support person who said...
2) "Sorry sir, but we are not offering versions of XP for customers who previously purchased their laptops with Vista ". After arguing for 10 mins and emailing the previous conversation to the sales rep, they then offerred me a further $50 credit.
It seems like the $50 credit tactic is one that has been allowed by upper management and as long as you say you're hacked off with vista, they'll give you it!!!
Free money....got to love it!
DirectX 10
I currently have a machine set up with dual boot Vista and XP. I've only ever booted into Vista twice since I installed it and I don't intend to use it until I'm 'forced' to by Direct X 10 games.
I still recommend XP and Office 2003 at work too - transparent windows (woo), ribbon bar (woo), neither has provided me with performance/productivity benefits during testing them.
A couple of years ago, this wouldn't have happened.
Were MS as powerful as they were a few years ago, you would have had to eat your Fista and like it. Dell would have been brought to heel rather sharply. MS is losing it.
Why just XP?
"Dell is responding appropriately to a small minority of customers that had this specific request,"
What about the small minority of customers asking for linux, or no OS? Could Dell please respond appropriately to us as well? When you have to sell software that is over a half-decade old just to keep people buying Microsoft on a new machine, we really get a look at who has who by the balls.
Re: Get your facts straight
"I installed Windows Vista on my Dell D810 and spent an extra £12 on a 1GB readyboost drive and it works like a dream. The only non standard driver I installed was the latest ATI Driver for my screen card."
You just don't see how ludicrous that is, do you? Vista is such a memory hog that Microsoft had to invent a system whereby users could jerry-rig their systems to run with it via bloody USB drives!
If Vista doesn't use massive amounts of RAM, why is that needed? Why does the creator of vLite (who I will plug again) reckon he's saved 600MB of RAM usage with his tool?
Let's be honest here: if you need 1GB of RAM just to run your operating system, with nothing else on it, then that operating system is bloated. No two ways about it. It might be bloated with lots of shiny things that keep you happy and distracted while it runs off with your right to manage your own system, but it's still bloated. Does any other operating system use so much RAM to do so little?
Under the very heaviest loads, such as really powerful games and the like, my rig only just uses the same amount of RAM as Vista does just to sit there. That's bloated.
