[Macworld]

Post your comments for XP's window is about to close here

[cseeman]

I've heard that Microsoft will be offering a free "downgrade" to XP for Vista purchasers so there may be no worry/rush. Buy Vista, get free XP "downgrade" and install Vista if/when Microsoft fixes the issues.

[NE1956]

And THIS is the primary reason that I took my income tax rebate this year and bought an iMac. I bought my first Mac (a Mac Plus) when I worked for Digital Equipment Corporation. DEC and Apple were business partners way back 20 years ago.

Then I got into the PC world because I became an IT support / trainer / tech writer / developer.

As of May 14th 2008, I am back, soundly and gladly, in the world of Apple.

[spim]

you mention Parallels and Fusion
why on earth wouldn't you also include the built-in, Apple-provided Bootcamp?
I'm pretty sure that works with Windows too.

[JakeB]

I've been using Windows XP Pro updated to Service Pack 3 with my new MacBook Pro under both BootCamp and Parallels. While it doesn't hold a candle to OS X Leopard, it's not horrendous either -- it just looks and feels like the old OS it is.
Still, it allows me to run Office 2007 effortlessly, as well as many PC games. Nice to have your cake and eat it too.
Jake

[stevecarse]

You obviously have limited knowledge of the entire subject if you only 'think' Boot Camp supports Windows XP. People would like to run Windows via Fusion or Parallels for the ease of use and the fact that they do not have to reboot their Mac.

[jgstyle]

This is good to know. I haven't ponied up for my Intel Mac yet, but I'm definitely going to grab a copy of XP so I can have it ready.
Anyone know of any good deals on XP?

[ndelc]

cseeman said:

I've heard that Microsoft will be offering a free "downgrade" to XP for Vista purchasers so there may be no worry/rush. Buy Vista, get free XP "downgrade" and install Vista if/when Microsoft fixes the issues.

I read this too but can't find much in the way of details regarding whether it's possible to take advantage of this if you've purchased Vista for use with a program like Parallels. Microsoft is so Nazi-like with their licensing, it wouldn't surprise me. What little I have found about it says that you need to actually have an XP disc to do it, they won't supply one to you. But that info was almost a year old, so I'm not sure. What really burns me up is that I bought XP once already as part of Virtual PC, but the OS wasn't on a separate disc, and there doesn't appear to be any way to use the VPC disc only to install Windows.

Anybody deal with this yet? I guess I'll have to call them. Ugh. I hardly ever use Windows anyway, but so far I haven't found a way to test websites in any version of IE except 7, and 6 and below are the big troublemakers. Typical Microsoft - make everything as difficult as possible.

[tmedia1]

I wonder if MS will stop their draconian activation policy for Windows XP after June 30? Since it will be no longer be officially sold by them.

[solitario]

I have worked for a software reseller in the Netherlands for 7 years, and I can guarantee that you will be able to find places to buy Windows XP for the next couple of years. In fact, I just checked and the company I worked for can even still deliver Windows 95. Do not worry about this cut off date by Microsoft, buy it if you need it, when you need it, and remember to shop around for a good price.

[griffman]

"you mention Parallels and Fusion. why on earth wouldn't you also include the built-in, Apple-provided Bootcamp? I'm pretty sure that works with Windows too."

Simple oversight, no harm intended :).

-rob.

[Martian]

Many of us who use Windows only as a secondary system will take forever to climb the Vista learning curve to reach the level we already have attained for XP. So even if/when Vista is ?fixed?, any theoretical advantages it will have over XP will be overshadowed by our lower level of mastery of Vista.

This is another reason for many Mac users to snag XP before the supply dries up.

[k88dad]

You left out:

4. XP is a lot less annoying than Vista.

[griffman]

Well, I did mention UAC in Vista! :)

-rob.