Windows XP Home Upgrade

someguy

This is the cheapest I've seen it. Probably because Vista is due out shortly (late 2006 / early 2007). Anyway, here're the details:

Item: Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade with Service Pack 2
Was: £94.99
Now: £54.97
Retailer: Amazon UK
Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00061H57Y

(Windows XP Professional Upgrade is also reduced from £193.99 to £129.97 by the way...).

rdwarr

The worst thing on that page is the collection of nerdy anti-Windows reviews along the lines of "we're cleverer than you and have installed Linux".
Other than that it's the cheapest I've ever seen. Hard to think of a reason why anybody would need XP Pro for home use; XP Home can even run IIS now.

Sui_Generis

One thing to note is that MS is discontinuing support for XP Home from end December 2006 from what I've read on another forum ie. there will be no security patches etc.

XP Pro will be supported though.

Whirly

Sui_Generis wrote:

One thing to note is that MS is discontinuing support for XP Home from end December 2006 from what I've read on another forum ie. there will be no security patches etc.

XP Pro will be supported though.

*coughs* I seriuosly doubt that is true.

Vista isn't even out until 2007 so they would be selling new PCs with an unsupported OS?

Chances are XP home will be supported as long as XP Pro as they are the same code base - hence no extra work.

MS can be bad, but they're not that bad.

(LOL - best thing I've read all day - I wonder if the discussion was started on the 1st?)

Whirly

Oh, quick note: No offence meant to Sui_Generis who was obviosly only tring to help everyone here.

rdwarr

...good follow-up. I'm pretty sure it was a hoax as well but the post here was done with good intent.

Sui_Generis

Whirly wrote:

Oh, quick note: No offence meant to Sui_Generis who was obviosly only tring to help everyone here.

None taken. I was certainly not trying a hoax - what would be the benefit?? I have both Home and Pro PC's so I'd lose also.

I can't remember the forum but I'll look through my regulars and see if I can find it. If it's wrong fair enough.

Sui_Generis

Found it here http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060112-5970.html See the last paragraph.


Microsoft's policy ("due an update early 2006"?) here http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/default.mspx see the table half way down.


And finally a report saying it's a false alarm http://news.com.com/False+alarm+over+Windows+support+deadline/2100-1016_3-6026576.html


Maybe with Vista dates slipping there's a reprieve?


Seems the original source was Microsoft anyway?

Until Tuesday night, a posting on Microsoft's Web site stated that support for Windows XP Home and Windows XP Media Center Edition would end on Dec. 31, 2006. That would mean no more security fixes or any other support items, such as warranty claims, for users of those operating system products.

Whirly

An interesting story.

The Microsoft lifcycle page currently shows that Windows XP (MCE, Home & Pro) will end it's DIRECT licence availabilty "Through the launch of Windows Vista". I suspect that means the usual "We'll sell it directly as long as there are new PCs that can't actually run Vista".

However, the same page also states:

Under the Support Lifecycle policy Windows desktop licenses are available for four years after general availability in all standard product distribution channels

which would suggest that you could still buy Windows XP officially (although not directly from MS) until 2011.

This contradicts the statement in the news item (and indeed, on parts of the MS site) - specifically the XP Home & MCE parts of the support lifecycle pages:

Mainstream support will end two years after the next version of this product is released.

Which is also kinda odd because MS's own lifecycle support policy states:

Product Lifecycle Details
Length of Support:

Microsoft will offer a minimum of 10 years support (5 years of Mainstream support and 5 years of Extended) for Business and Developer products.

Microsoft will offer a minimum of 5 years of Mainstream support for Consumer, Hardware, Multimedia products, and the Microsoft Business Solutions products.

Microsoft will offer a minimum of 3 years of Mainstream support for products that are released annually, for example, Money, Encarta, Picture It!, and Streets & Trips.

As neither XP Home or MCE can (in any way) be defined as being "released annually" then they must fall within the catch-all "multimedia products" (which the OS's have been touted as - particularly MCE) AND "Consumer [products]" and so have a minumum of 5 years mainstream support.

TBH it sounds as though MS itself doesn't know and various departments have got their knickers in a twist over it.

We all know MS are apt to do the minimum they have to and could easily try to stick to the 2 years BUT they have put themselves in a difficult legal position with their various statements and that, along with user-base pressure will almost certainly ensure 5 years of mainstream support.

Final quote (from the news story):

Microsoft has faced criticism on support expiration in the past. The company extended partial support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Millennium Edition until June 30, 2006, after complaints from users of the operating system software.

Win98 got 8 years!

cheapskate58

Even at that price it may pay people to get a new pc with windows pre-loaded. Some of the Dell offers have been great!

XP is memory hungry and for many it won't be worth the trouble.

biglugs

XP is memory hungry and for many it won't be worth the trouble.

Agreed - you need at least 256MB just to start Windows if you have any kind of AV software running. Throw in a game like Half-Life 2 and your memory usage leaps up to about 650MB!
Having said that £55 for the upgrade version is a bargain - I bought a 2nd hand copy on ebay in January for £40+delivery and thought 'd got a good deal.
This is a handy version if you:
a. Are rebuilding machines from bits
b. have a copy of Windows 98 or later
c. Want to upgrade to XP
d. Want to mess with hardware occasionally
Because it isn't the OEM version it isn't locked to your motherboard and the XP activation is wiped clean every 140 days, so you can upgrade your kit with this version.