Geek news: Dell brings back XP

I recently wrote about how, since the release of Vista, there were no Windows XP based computers sold in retail stores and I had to buy an older model online to get a laptop with XP.

Apparently I'm not the only person who has been looking for an XP computer. Dell has announced that it's bringing back XP to its home systems.

I hope someone at Microsoft is getting the message.

Comments

[Alex]

What is so bad about Vista? Does it really slow down small laptops?

[The Engineer]

I've been looking into Ubuntu. I installed slackware on my machine waaaay back in 1996 or so, but I quickly abandoned it when I found that I couldn't DO anything with it. But these days, with Google docs and whatnot, there's not much that you can't do with Linux. And, supposedly, Ubuntu is wicked easy to install (or you can even run it from a CD).

"Back in my day, we had to install Linux by hand, writing our own text files and whatnot. You whippersnappers with your "Distro" and your "unpackers". You're all soft, I tells ya?"

Seriously, when XP fails me, I'm going with Ubuntu or some other "Linux for Dummies".

[superdestroyer]

Remember,

Bill Gates is the anti-Christ and 666 is his log-in.

[David Alexander]

I installed slackware on my machine waaaay back in 1996 or so

Nerd! There's no way that you could been interested in Slackware, yet manage to attract women. Either installing Slackware is a lie or you live in a van down by the river...

But these days, with Google docs and whatnot, there's not much that you can't do with Linux. And, supposedly, Ubuntu is wicked easy to install (or you can even run it from a CD)

I tried Ubuntu and its KDE flavoured version as Kubuntu for a while and while I liked Kubuntu for being remotely similar to windows, I didn't switch because even though it was easy to use, it just wasn't compelling enough to force me to switch over. I've managed to get Windows XP to work for me without much work and only minimum anti-virus and trojan protection software and a good router.

If I were to buy a new desktop computer today, I'd blow my money on an iMac or Mac Pro and get bootcamp to run XP.

[Don Marsh]

I am afraid I have just not been nerd enough to install Linux. I guess I am waiting for the harmonic convergence, when Linux is easier to use and XP is harder to get. Those of us who are just computer consumers, people who want something that works but don't care how, think of Bill Gates in the same way that we think of our first lover. We appreciate that she showed us the way, but we are glad we didn't marry her.

[GOP Lurker]

A major issue for my personal reluctance to switch to Linux full time has been the lack of a price difference on new machines with or without Windows. If I can get the same or better machine cheaper with Windows, I'll take it. If a modern, "naked" PC dropped out of the sky and into my lap, I would definitely install Linux (Debian or Ubuntu) rather than buy a Windows license.

Linux usability is better than it has ever been, provided one can sort out driver issues, particularly WiFi drivers. On windows I use Firefox, OpenOffice, and GAIM (soon to be Pidgin) about 95% of the time. All of these programs are well-supported on Linux, and with OOo even better than on Mac.

There are rumors Michael Dell runs an Ubuntu laptop.