Windows XP availability

[RJ43]

I currently have an 7 year old Windows 2000 pro system
that I use with Photoshop CS. Eventually I will upgrade
to Photoshop CS3 which will not run on Win2000. Because
of the limited ram capabilities and the age, Vista is
not an option?

How long will Microsoft XP Pro upgrade be available for
purchase?

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I currently have an 7 year old Windows 2000 pro system
that I use with Photoshop CS. Eventually I will upgrade
to Photoshop CS3 which will not run on Win2000. Because
of the limited ram capabilities and the age, Vista is
not an option?

How long will Microsoft XP Pro upgrade be available for
purchase?

So the system is older, with limited RAM and disk space, and a slower
processor. And you're considering upgrading image manipulation software,
and an OS upgrade to make it work. That OS upgrade can be a couple of
hundred dollars, the system won't really run any better or faster.

Why not just consider a whole new system, with much more RAM, drive space,
and faster speeds? This will come with an OS license - if you shop
carefully, the OS can be XP Pro on a new system.

Prices on systems are not as high as they were seven years ago.

I would suggest that you do at least investigate this as a viable option.

HTH
-pk

 

[RJ43]

So the system is older, with limited RAM and disk space, and a slower
processor. And you're considering upgrading image manipulation software,
and an OS upgrade to make it work. That OS upgrade can be a couple of
hundred dollars, the system won't really run any better or faster.

Why not just consider a whole new system, with much more RAM, drive space,
and faster speeds? This will come with an OS license - if you shop
carefully, the OS can be XP Pro on a new system.

Prices on systems are not as high as they were seven years ago.

I would suggest that you do at least investigate this as a viable option.

I am considering a new system. But if I do I want it to last for
a while. I spent $2,300 system on a new laptop earlier this year.
It's a question of spending at least $1,500 or $200 and
running slow.

So I'm trying to gather information and then decide which
direction I want to go.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I am considering a new system. But if I do I want it to last for
a while. I spent $2,300 system on a new laptop earlier this year.
It's a question of spending at least $1,500

or possibly rather less. You already have other hardware, such as a
monitor, keyboard, etc.

Looking at, just to pick a name, the HP site, there's a Vista system, with 2
gig ram and a 2gHz dual core processor, for US$679. No monitor.

or $200 and
running slow.

Don't discount the possibilites of used systems. I recently purchased a
number of 2.6 gHz P4 systems, 512 meg ram (expandable to 2 gig) , no monitor
or keyboard, for around CDN$230. And they came *with* valid XP Pro
licenses and recovery disks. All of them passed Windows Validation with
no problems at all. I bought them from a local shop that had a skid of
them, but now see lots of them on eBay and such places.

So, you could very possibly get a faster system with more RAM *and* a
legitimate XP license for less than the cost of a new XP license, even an
upgrade license. Just be sure that they do come with some sort of
reinstall media that isn't the hard disk. If you don't get some sort of
reinstall CD, don't accept the system. The COA sticker is not nearly
enough.

Then, reconfigure your W2K system to be a backup controller and print
server. Set it up, disconnect the monitor. Control it remotely.

To provide an example for informational purposes, have a look here, at a
number of systems that are in the price range of an XP upgrade license:
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=D530&category0=

Note that some of them list the OS as preinstalled, but don't mention that
critically necessary reinstall CD.


HTH
-pk

 

[RJ43]

Note that some of them list the OS as preinstalled, but don't mention that
critically necessary reinstall CD.


HTH

Patrick, I know you're trying to help, but I just would
like to know if there's a known/estimated date when
Win XP will no longer be for sale.

 

[baynole]

Patrick, I know you're trying to help, but I just would
like to know if there's a known/estimated date when
Win XP will no longer be for sale.

I have read that Microsoft will no longer supply XP to mfr.'s at the
start of 2008.
Hope this is of some use.

 

[HeyBub]

I am considering a new system. But if I do I want it to last for
a while. I spent $2,300 system on a new laptop earlier this year.
It's a question of spending at least $1,500 or $200 and
running slow.

So I'm trying to gather information and then decide which
direction I want to go.

How about a HP Slimline, AMD Athlon 4000 64-bit CPU (2.6MHz), 1GB RAM, 320G
hard drive, blah-blah-blah, with Vista Home Premium? For less than $450?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5982773#Specifications

You really should keep up. I got my last computer as a prize in the bottom
of a CrackerJack box.

 

[RJ43]

I have read that Microsoft will no longer supply XP to mfr.'s at the
start of 2008.
Hope this is of some use.

That gives me an idea... Thanks...

 

[baynole]

I have read that Microsoft will no longer supply XP to mfr.'s at the
start of 2008.
Hope this is of some use.

OK, just got the brand-new 'PC Magazine.' It says XP will be available
for sale til Jan. 2009.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I currently have an 7 year old Windows 2000 pro system
that I use with Photoshop CS. Eventually I will upgrade
to Photoshop CS3 which will not run on Win2000. Because
of the limited ram capabilities and the age, Vista is
not an option?

How long will Microsoft XP Pro upgrade be available for
purchase?

<snipped>
See entire conversation here:

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...26e74ee85f9?lnk=st&q=&rnum=4#c9e6526e74ee85f9

Patrick, I know you're trying to help, but I just would
like to know if there's a known/estimated date when
Win XP will no longer be for sale.

All you have to do is *forget* when XP will no longer be available -
purchase it now. Then you have it and the license just sitting and waiting
and no matter what (unless Microsoft decides all copies of Windows XP will
cease to activate again) - you are done.

However - your question could have been answered by a simple Google Search.
http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-6161250.html

Essentially - there is no hard/fast date that has been reported - but it is
likely that within 24 months of Vista's initial release (2 years from
January 2007) it will be VERY difficult to locate a brand-new copy of
Windows XP and almost impossible (other than buying from an independent
computer store and/ore assembling a system yourself) to get a copy *with* a
new computer.

Very difficult does not mean impossible. I bet you can still find Windows
95 for sale someplace - perhaps even 'sealed'.

If you are buying a new computer - I wouldn't get an 'upgrade' version
anyway. Even if you have software that qualifies - you'd be better off
getting a full retail version (non-oem please) and not having to worry about
keeping an old copy of Windows 9x/ME/2000 lying around for clean installs.
Less to keep up with.

I saw elsewhere in the thread that you recently purchase an inexpensive
laptop. You can do the same with a desktop and likely run circles around
that seven year old machine. Dual/quad core intels are practically the same
price. Video cards that do dual monitors are the standard and quad+ are not
too expensive. Memory has stayed fairly inexpensive - and for someone who
uses photoshop - you could likely benefit from a couple of GB of memory - or
if you go the 64-bit route - 4+GB of memory.

To be completely honest - you probably would be pretty well off considering
a Macintosh and getting the next release OS X (sometime after September this
year) and dual booting with your retail copy of Windows XP. You may find
you like the Adobe Products better on a macintosh OS than Windows. And if
you didn't - you could choose to boot into Windows XP the majority of the
time and just have the Windows versions. However - in the end, the hardware
is the same.