Dell 'Windows Vista Bonus' is a PC with Windows XP instead

By Davey Winder
Tuesday, 01 July 2008 18:01

Strategy

According to Microsoft, Windows XP died on June 30th when it stopped sending it to the likes of Dell and HP, as well as ceasing shrink-wrapped distribution. According to Dell, new buyers can have a Windows Vista Bonus: a machine with a copy of Windows XP pre-installed instead...

In what has to go down as one of the most bizarre bits of sales and marketing involving the Microsoft Windows OS in recent years, Dell has announced the availability of a special offer for those business customers who are not quite ready to say goodbye to XP just yet.

Microsoft has been quite clear that June 30th was the official 'end of sales' as far as Windows XP is concerned. It does admit, however, that "Windows XP isn't going to disappear overnight. You may still see copies of the software or computers pre-loaded with it for months as stores and PC makers work through their inventory."

Dell, meanwhile, has a slightly different take on the whole XP is dead business. Indeed, according to an official Dell Channel Blog posting entitled 'XP, down for the count?' XP is far from dead.

XP has certainly had a good run, better than most Operating Systems considering it has been shipping since 2001 to date. Dell seems to think that it still has plenty of life in it yet, no matter what Microsoft is saying.

"Is there an option for those business users who aren’t quite ready to say goodbye to XP?" asks Dell Channel Liaison, Michael Bukowski. He quickly answers his own question with a yes. Well, two actually.

The first is that for channel customers using the Custom Factory Integration process, XP remains available as an image to roll out on new systems.

The second option is far more intriguing: the Windows Vista Bonus that comes with a sting in the tail. Read on to find out what it is...

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