It seems that Michael Dell is breathing new life into his company.
A year ago, Dell was brave enough to backtrack on its Vista-only policy for consumer machines (Dell brings back XP on home systems). It also showed some independence from Microsoft by offering Linux to consumers. And again, Dell is innovating.
Fact 1: As of June 30, large computer manufacturers such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard can no longer offer Windows XP preinstalled on new computers, though Microsoft has said it would consider re-evaluating the deadline if there's enough customer demand.
Fact 2: Anyone who buys a copy of either the Business or Ultimate versions of Vista is entitled to also get Windows XP Professional.* Each computer manufacturer decides whether, or how, to implement this.
Until now, consumers who exercised their right to get XP Professional when they purchased Vista got a computer with Vista preinstalled and an XP image CD in the box (an image CD is very different from a retail Windows CD).
Dell's innovation? It will do the XP image installation for you. It may not sound like much, but the net result is that the computer leaves the factory with Windows XP Professional on it, rather than Vista.
Deadline? We don't need no stinkin' deadline.
Microsoft can't be happy about this, though a cynic would note that even though Dell computers leave the factory with XP on them, Microsoft can tally it as a sale for Vista.
It's an interesting power play between the two companies. Will other companies follow Dell or toe the Microsoft line?
According to Randy Copeland, president and CEO of Velocity Micro, after the June 30 deadline, all of its computers will ship with Vista preinstalled. The company will offer the XP Professional "downgrade" in the traditional way, by including an XP image CD in the box. Interestingly, each XP image CD will be mated to one, and only one, computer.
Dell has a Web page devoted to its new policy, Windows XP Availability, which notes that the last day to buy a computer with Windows XP preinstalled under the current rules is June 18. Afterward:
When selecting your operating system, you will see an option called "Genuine Windows® Vista Business BONUS" and "Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate BONUS." With these options, you may...have Dell factory install Windows XP Professional. You will also receive a backup media disc for Windows XP Professional, as well as the media for Windows Vista.
In other words, Dell provides optical discs for both XP and Vista, so you can change over at any time. This is not like Apple's Boot Camp, however; the computer can have only one operating installed on the hard disk at a time. But Dell provides technical support for both XP and Vista. Whether its tech support is worthwhile is another matter.
According to Infoworld, Dell will offer this new "buy Vista, get XP Pro preinstalled" service on some Latitude, OptiPlex, and Precision systems for free. It will also offer it on some Vostro and XPS systems for a small fee.
For more about getting Windows XP after the June 30 deadline, see my previous posting, Who's selling Windows XP in July?
*NOTE: Microsoft allows a "downgrade" only to XP Professional, not to the Home or Media Center editions. According to InfoWorld, large organizations with site licenses can "downgrade" from any version of Vista.
See a summary of all my Defensive Computing postings.
Ah, Vista. It has forced many to return to the waiting arms of Windows XP, while sending others fleeing to the other camp. There are those who still remain in a holding pattern, waiting for Vista SP1 to be rolled out before plunking down for a new PC. If you're among this last group, Velocity Micro has a computer to sell you. It says it is the first system builder to begin selling systems preloaded with Vista SP1. A quick scan of its competitors' sites today--including those of Dell and HP--revealed nothing to contradict Velocity's claim. It's only a matter of time until every vendor has updated its lines with the latest version of Vista--Microsoft has previously stated that volume license customers would have the code by tomorrow--but we have to give Velocity credit for its hustle. At the very least, it could save you from a very looooooong download.
Velocity says it will begin shipping systems with SP1 on February 18. Celebrate Presidents' Day with a service pack!
Alienware's Area-51 7500 CF has Intel's new quad core chips.
(Credit: Alienware)Our review of Intel's new Core 2 Extreme quad-core chip went up last week, and our findings, along with the general consensus around the Web, were that the Core 2 Extreme QX9650 is the new king of the CPU hill. Today you'll find these new chips available from various system vendors in their high-end gaming rigs, although it's interesting to see who has the chips and who doesn't. Here's a rundown of the big names:
- The haves:
- Alienware's Area-51 ALX CF
- Falcon Northwest's Mach V
- Maingear's F131 SLI
- Velocity Micro's Gamer's Edge PCX
- The have-nots:
- Dell's XPS 720 H2C
- HP's Blackbird 002
- Voodoo PC's Omen
As of now, HP's Blackbird 002 only offers Intel's older quad core CPUs.
(Credit: CNET)We expect the have-nots will get onboard sooner or later, likely by January at the latest in time for a CES announcement. Dell has a history of latching onto one chipset per model, in its XPS 700-series systems, so it might require a line refresh before we see an Intel X38-based system. As HP and Voodoo, we're surprised that neither has the new chips yet. As a smaller vendor, Voodoo can usually be more nimble with its parts offerings. We were also told by HP that the Blackbird would be similarly quick to adopt new technologies (and ironically, the Blackbird's configurator went live this afternoon, already out of date compared with the rest of the high-end gaming PC market).
All of these vendors could certainly update their sites soon, and we've sent them e-mails asking for time tables. We'll let you know if we hear anything concrete. Just be sure to look at each vendor's offerings carefully if you're shopping for a high-end gaming rig this holiday season. Otherwise, you could end up plunking down more than $5,000 for a gaming rig that's a generation behind.
At least from the left, Velocity Micro's new Home Server product looks sharp.
(Credit: Velocity Micro)We don't know its name, what it will cost, or even what its right side looks like, but you can add Velocity Micro's new mystery product to the list of others coming out this fall with Microsoft's newly finished Windows Home Server software. According to Velocity Micro, its Home Server will come in several different configurations, but across all of them it will feature a Conroe-based CPU and a high-end chipset. The idea is to limit bandwidth bottlenecks and account for future third-party software add-ons that may demand more than the basic system requirements of Windows Home Server itself. It will also be selling an expansion module with the goal of making it easy to add extra hard drives.
Velocity also told us that the feet come off, which will let you orient its new product either vertically or horizontally. That looks like a more flexible approach than HP's boxier MediaSmart server, although aesthetics probably matter less with these systems. They don't need a mouse or a keyboard, or even a monitor, so you might as well store it in a closet.
We don't have pricing yet from any of the Home Server hardware makers, Velocity's Chris Morley informed us that his product will likely be less than $1,000, and probably by a fair amount. He also answered with a noncommittal "no comment" when we asked whether it would be selling in Best Buy or Circuit City in addition to its Web site. He also wouldn't tell us exactly when the product is coming out, only that it will be available in time for Windows Home Server's official launch, expected roughly this fall.
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