Windows XP netbooks are officially an endangered species... again

Windows XP netbooks are officially an endangered species… again

Microsoft had planned to stop selling Windows XP ages ago. But netbooks have been largely responsible for keeping the operating system going long past its original expiration date. But that will all change in a few months. Microsoft is reminding us that Windows XP Home will no longer be available for pre-installation on netbooks come October 22, 2010.

Of course, Windows XP is a 10 year old operating system at this point, and it’s been mostly replaced by Windows Vista and then Windows 7. But Microsoft extended the life of Windows XP when netbooks started flooding the market in 2008, because Windows Vista wasn’t really designed to run on machines with slow processors and limited amounts of memory.

Windows 7, on the other hand, works just fine on most netbooks — even if the lower cost Windows 7 Starter Edition that ships with most netbooks includes some limitations such as the inability to change desktop backgrounds or use the Aero Glass visual effects.

Most netbooks available for purchase today do ship with Windows 7 Starter instead of Windows XP, but a handful of netbook makers are still shipping models with Windows XP. And if you want a netbook that doesn’t come with arbitrary restrictions imposed, you might want to grab one sooner rather than later. Or you know, you could just upgrade from Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium or install an alternate operating system on your netbook.

Posted on Friday, June 11th, 2010, 7:01 am by Brad Linder | 14 Comments

Scottg52

This is why I can't stand Microsoft,selling a restrictive operating system and wanting more money for the full featured one. I would NOT buy any netbook with starter no matter how many features it has. I dual boot xp and Ubuntu on mine and the xp is for the 2 things that are not supported in Linux, netflix is one and an old game is the other.
A while back Microsoft decided some netbooks would not support more than 1 gb ram, like the hardware I want is any of there business. If they stop selling xp and just have starte it will be a good reason to install Linux anyway.Most people who understand the security and speed of Linux would prefer it anyway unless there big gamers.And since netbooks are not gaming machines (they can play some games) Linux is the safer alternative and does not require an anti virus program to run in the background.
Scottg52

This is why I can't stand Microsoft,selling a restrictive operating system and wanting more money for the full featured one. I would NOT buy any netbook with starter no matter how many features it has. I dual boot xp and Ubuntu on mine and the xp is for the 2 things that are not supported in Linux, netflix is one and an old game is the other.
A while back Microsoft decided some netbooks would not support more than 1 gb ram, like the hardware I want is any of there business. If they stop selling xp and just have starte it will be a good reason to install Linux anyway.Most people who understand the security and speed of Linux would prefer it anyway unless there big gamers.And since netbooks are not gaming machines (they can play some games) Linux is the safer alternative and does not require an anti virus program to run in the background.
Furball1232

Anyone still choosing to use Winblows is an idiot, or works for one ! Get Ubuntu and be virus-free !
Scottg52

While I don't care for Windows, insulting people WILL NOT make them switch to Linux. And some people that use windows may not have a choice so try to be a little more understanding.
animatio

tja, the major case with win7 starter is not aero or fix desktop background – it is limited networking capabilities! wheras winxp home has full capabilities. it is a shame to sell a limping (in regrad to connectivity) os with new machines. in fact it's ridiculous.
Solaricus

No matter what type of person you are, we're all just people. In the same way, no matter what kind of tech person you are, we're all just tech people and have more in common than we do that differentiates us. Even though I'm a massive Open Source Software guy and a regular proponent of those products because of their philosophical, technical, and practical merits/advantages, I'm ultimately just a guy with a lot of skills and experience when it comes to computing. It is as this tech guy that I can openly declare Windows XP as one of the best and most successful operating systems ever. It would be nice to see Microsoft do something more valuable with such a product that still has something more to offer than retire it into oblivion (release the source, Microsoft), but then again this exactly reinforces the point why proprietary software is ridiculous. Ironically, when Windows XP was released the more annoying Linux zealots were still marching around in “Microsoft is the enemy” mode. Nowadays, most of those people have come to realize that Microsoft just wants to take a little bit of your money so that they can help you make a little bit of money whereas Apple and Google are now the chief threats to freedom. Oh, Windows XP… how you're witnessed the world change.
MonkeyKing1969

Having used Win 7 Pro for a few months I have to say like it. Then again I had become acclimatized to Vista Pro and MS Office 2007 so the switch was fairly seamless for me.

I don’t not ranting against any one OS, because as a librarian I have another devil to skin. I rant against these Generation X sons and daughters dumping a computer on Mommy's & Daddy’s lap and expecting them to cope. It is my job when these Baby Boomers show up on my library front steps with a new computer they have been ASSURED by their child “…is so simple a dumb baby can use it,” to tell this boomer how the computer works. It is me that has to do the handholding and use the soft words of encouragement to tell them, “You can do this, let me show you and explain why it works that way.” Because they kids sure don’t give a flying fig when Mom and Dad call! I hear the same thing every day, “I would call my son/daughter be he/she gets for frustrated with me when I ask a simple question”

You want to know why…the damn kids don’t know how-the-frig the OS works either. (And sorry to burst your bubbles more then 2/3 of the problems are with OS-X). And that’s what I tell these parents when the kids have made them feel like idiots, I say, “Your son’s crabby because he doesn’t know how the OS works either” and that helps the parent because the ‘boomer’ can reaffirm their role in the relationship as the parent. They can proudly say, “Yup, my child is still a whiney dumb@ss with an over inflated self image.”
http://home.comcast.net/~tomleem/ BigGoofyGuy

I am watching ReactOS. http://www.reactos.org It is an open soure Win clone that does not require alot of resources. It seems like an ideal netbook os.

I want to try eComStation 2.0 on my notebook and netbook. It just recently been released. I just recently ordered it.
http://www.ecomstation.com

There are alternatives to Windows. One just has to look. There are even some using Apples MAC OS X on a netbook.
http://www.netbookfiles.com/ Netbookfiles.com

There is no point in insulting people. Ubuntu is good but Windows XP, 7 are good products as well. So you cannot blame someone because their choice is just different than yours.

I personally still love my windows XP that I installed on my Eee PC 701. The original OS that was given with the product is good but I just preferred using Windows.
Indian_Art

Great time to move to Ubuntu…
…if you haven't already…
Pingback: Windows XP to be no longer pre-installed on netbooks | Eee PC - Blog
Lisaderuiter

I made the move to Ubuntu (it was Xubuntu), but after 3 days I removed it because it was slower than XP and it felt less user friendly than XP (mostly because I am used to windows). I had high expectations from Xubuntu but it was very disappointing to me as an average user.

I then put tinyXP on my old machine and my new machine had Windows 7. I turned of all the useless eyecandy options of Windows 7. Both OS made me very happy.
Pingback: Microsoft: No más XP para netbooks desde el 22 de Octubre « marrufo9
http://www.jimboland.com/ jimbolandjots

I like Apple's OS X for its aesthetics, great UI, and the fact that everything works: software and hardware. Sounds great, except Apple has resisted the widely shared idea of open source/free software. I have checked out Jolicloud (pre-1.0: solid, smooth, & limited features, mostly social web); a beta version of the Chrome OS (badly buggy, unimpressive at that state); Windows XP (clunky and “where the HELL is my Snow Leopard install disk and a thumbdrive?!?” kept running through my head…); and Ubuntu (solid, smooth, slick, fun, huge-ass community of users and supporters and developers: a great crowd). I like Ubuntu on my Lenovo S10 (2 Gb memory, 160 Gb HD, 2 USB 2.0 ports, video port [mini-VGA?]). However, since it is quite easy to format the HD and install Apple's OS X Snow Leopard, this is also a popular option, and one which I use every day. Snow Leopard 10.6.4 recognizes the Lenovo S10 as a Macbook Air and disables the Ethernet port, leaving Airport not only intact, but working quite well – along with literally everything else: printing, webcam, Bluetooth, wi-fi. Bang for bang, this OS optimally uses the lighter hardware footprint and delivers a more efficient and expedited user experience of speed and functionality. Apple decides what new data device emerges and non-Apple PC manufacturers have gotten wise to making them as good as Apple's for a lot less money.

Windows XP netbooks are officially an endangered species… again

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