back to article 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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  1. Jamie
    Linux

    Bet they are in cahoots with MS

    This sounds like a conspiracy setup wtih MS so they can help ride the current economic troubles.

  2. Kenny Millar
    Gates Horns

    Vista - The system for the 90's

    So it is.

  3. This post has been deleted by its author

  4. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

    It could be worse ...

    They do not even give a price for upgrading to Linux, so Linux must be worth much more that £44000.

  5. Sooty

    I can't help but notice

    that you're still buying vista, you just pay extra for a copy of XP as well.

  6. The BigYin
    Go

    Or (radical plan here)...

    ...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?

  7. Ash
    Joke

    For that money...

    ... I'd expect 1 Year on-site warranty replacement at least.

  8. Luke Wells
    Thumb Up

    Bargain

    I'd pay that to avoid having to use Vista

  9. Gis Bun
    Happy

    Errrr

    I guess you have to pay quite a bit to Microsoft to have your own tech support guy/gal waiting for you call 24/7. ;-)

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Seems fair...

    I'd pay it if the only other option was Vista.

  11. martin burns
    Gates Horns

    WinFree

    @BigYin: running Windows under a VM still needs a license, ya know.

  12. David Hendy
    Happy

    @ negative vista comments

    What's wrong with you people? As the Mohaveexperiment clearly shows, Vista is an amazing experience.

  13. Philip J.F. Quinlan

    @ BigYin

    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 ;)

  14. michael

    that is nothing

    "that you're still buying vista, you just pay extra for a copy of XP as well."

    that is nothing dell charge you to parttiion your hdd and charge the biso password before they ship it to you

  15. herman

    Remember the $8000 for Mandriva Linux?

    I was once charged $8000 for a copy of Mandriva Linux. I got a personal phoned apology from Francios Bancillion and a refund within days though.

    It makes me wonder how often this kind of thing happens and go unnoticed.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @The Big Yin

    FYI, you still need a valid windows license to run it in a VM.

    Come to think of it, I'd extend that argument to slagging off Vista as well.

  17. Ian North

    Re: Or (radical plan here)...

    "...avoid a new Windows license altogether, get a Linux box and run Windows as a virtual machine if you need to."

    Running Windows on a VM doesn't avoid needing to buy a Windows license...

  18. John Shepherd

    @The BigYin

    heard of MythTV?

    and how to convert DVR-MS to avi (haven't tried it):

    http://sunnytalkstech.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-convert-media-center-videos-dvr.html?showComment=1199961000000

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    @Ash

    For that money I'd expect 1year on-site ball tongueing let alone warranty replacement!

    Paris - well, who else!

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Cool

    So if you uncheck the option do you get 44K knocked of the price?

  21. b
    Happy

    still worth it!

    why not make us pay for XP-SP4 instead?

    M$ have about as much chance of making moolah with that option than persisting with the joke vista..

    XP works (tho it could be slimmer and simpler)..

    (need more icons, wanna wink one!)

  22. Alexis Vallance
    Gates Horns

    Bargain!

    It would be a bargain at twice the price!

  23. Michael Habel
    Linux

    @Or (radical plan here)...

    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!

  24. Law
    Flame

    i wonder

    how many iPhones you could buy for that sort of money... maybe 2, or even 3! :D

    Flames... because it's what I would do with the Vista license

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Linux

    Linux Media Center

    @ The Big Yin

    http://www.linuxmce.org/

    Haven't tried it myself, so can't speak for its functionality or ease of use.

  26. Michael

    virtual misinformation

    >>>avoid a new Windows license altogether, get a Linux box and run Windows as a virtual machine if you need to.

    You're supposed to have a license for a virtual os running windows too...

  27. James Pickett
    Gates Horns

    Recommended

    So, does Dell recommend Vista or XP? I think we should be told.

    My pet hate is the 'xxx recommends [insert current MS product here]' puff - are we really expected to believe that it means something?

  28. N

    44K to avoid Vista - Bargain...

    Its well worth it to avoid the shite youd get with Vista!

  29. Mike Row
    Thumb Up

    A Vista license by any other name still counts as a Vista license.

    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.

  30. Jon Nicholas

    You're too rich

    Had a big laugh about that here. In the IT dept. we all hate VIsta but would not pay that much for XP. Clearly someone thinks it's worth it though.

    We reckon that in the UK you just have too much money. And we are in Geneva, Switzerland.

  31. Michael James
    Jobs Horns

    Talk like a pirate day?

    You also have to be able to walk the walk ...

  32. Matthew
    Gates Horns

    Now we know why there called...

    M$!!!!

  33. Simon Painter
    Flame

    Flame on...

    Microsoft: 44 grand for a six year old operating system and people still love it.

    Linux: Can't even give it away for free!

  34. Don Gray
    Alien

    just another reason to steer clear of dell...

    Alienware was recently giving away XP for no price change compared to Vista, maybe someone should tell them they could up their profit margin by charging an obscene amount for XP and getting away with it

  35. AJF355
    Alert

    Hmm...I wonder

    Maybe Microsoft is encouraging Dell buyers to switch to Windows Vista but, is simply disguising it as a typo. I wonder....it could be true but, I very much doubt it (yes I just contradicted myself there).

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