Dell offers XP option for £44k Readers who'd rather chop off their arms with a hacksaw than touch Windows Vista with a very long pointed stick can still avail themselves of XP down at Dell - albeit at a price: Dell website offers Windows XP option for £44,414 Crikey. Mercifully, you can pay for your OS of choice at a mere £1,510 a month, which should help …
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...avoid a new Windows license altogether, get a Linux box and run Windows as a virtual machine if you need to. But for most things, there doesn't seem to be a compelling reason to use Windows any more. At least not that I can see (for the average user, that is).
Now if I can just get VPN working on, I'll be a happy man....
Oh, and before the Wintards start moaning; I run XPsp3 and Ubuntu on the home network. I like Media Centre on XP (it does everything I want), but if I find an equivalent on Linux (and a way to convert DVR-MS) I will probably switch.
Hmm...perhpas I should suggest an Ubuntu Media project?
I you are connecting to a cisco VPN, you simply download their client, compile for your kernel, copy over your pcf file and thereafter, as root, vpnclient $PROFILENAME.
As to media centre, have you tried the Mythbuntu distribution, or just install myth from the repositories, with a compliant video card it knocks seven shades out of media centre.
There you go, something to do this weekend ;)
The answer is ~simple~, the answer is, VDR!!
You say that XPMCE (I'm guessing then ~MCE2005~), does everything you need.
So that would be for what FreeView over DVB-T then?
Sadly I wouldn't touch the German DVB-T with a Vista (...let alone a very, very long pointy Stick), so since I can not install an external Dish as it's not permitted where I live. That all but rules out DVB-S, So that leaves One with the Option of DVB-C....
.... Oh yeah hang on a Second that's right Microsoft only (...and then officially), support the 'Merikan and South Korean ATSC and the DVB-T Standard. Yeah you could feign DVB-S though a DVB-T proxy but, that's an even bigger resource drain.
And since this is FreeView that we're taking 'bout, what of the HD Channels (BBC and or iTV), granted those are still beeing broadcast in DVB-S, but are roumerd to go to DVB-S2 in short order. I think only VMCE will have support for DVB-S2 or even for h.264 for that matter.
In fact VDR was the BIG Piece of the Puzzle that is getting mo off of Windows to begin with.
The only saving grace for a Micorsoft OS is either Office or for Gameing. And allthough I like MS Office better (well Office 2003 in anycase), then Open Office, I do tend to like Open Office better the Office 2007. As for Internet there's only Firefox, and that trasends all modern OS's...
Learning to love the Penguin!
This is not a new option from Dell. It has been available for a while. It is offered on their BUSINESS desktops to business customers who do not want to (most of them) or cannot (proprietary application does not work) to switch to Vista.
The licesne is VIsta Business Edition. This covers the actual license for installing Windows XP Professional. The surcharge pays for having WXPP PRE-INSTALLED at the factory and incluides BOTH Vista and XPP restore media.
Yes, It is a bargain. Especially if it keeps the customer or client happy.
I do not know if this is affected by the January 2009 deadline for the discontinuation of sales of Windows XP.
What this really does is explain the so called numbers of how many customers have "SWITCHED" to Vista. Not as many as the sales numbers indicate.
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