Microsoft Confirms XP Sales Extension

As first reported by CRN, Microsoft has extended the deadline for sales of new direct OEM PCs with Windows XP installed from January 31, 2008 to June 30, 2008, in response to partner and customer feedback. Microsoft's January 31, 2009 deadline for system builders to sell machines with Windows XP remains unchanged.

Although the OEM deadline extension was hailed by many VARs and system builders as a reflection of lukewarm market interest in Vista, Bunty Lalchandani, president of Micro World, a Torrance, Calif.-based solution provider, believes it's just a matter of time before Vista overcomes its growing pains.

"Vista is a fantastic operating system, and is especially strong in terms of the ease of configuring device drivers, and it also works seamlessly with newer Microsoft products such as Office 2007," he said.

In a Q&A on Microsoft's Website, Mike Nash, corporate vice president of the Windows Product Management team, said Vista adoption is still on track, with 60 million licenses sold as of this summer.

"While we've been pleased with the positive response we've seen and heard from customers using Windows Vista, there are some customers who need a little more time to make the switch to Windows Vista," Nash said.

Microsoft will also continue to offer Windows XP Starter Edition in emerging markets where it is currently available for the rapidly growing class of hardware-constrained ultra-low cost PCs until June 30, 2010, said Nash.