[QUOTE]The move is a blow to Microsoft, which has faced - as it has with upgrades to Windows 98 and Windows XP - hard scrutiny by the consumer and corporate marketplace over the need to upgrade…
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http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2116076,00.asp
another link to add to orangecrate’s thread
the xp os isn’t dead yet 
http://tech.cybernetnews.com/2007/04/19/by-popular-request-dell-brings-back-windows-xp/
At first I though it was just Dell trying to off-load old systems not able to run Vista Home Premium or above because vista basic is a dog. But, the specs of most of those listed should be OK, good for Dell giving customers choice, I never though I would say that ;D
Now they will use AMD CPUs and I believe I read something about them also selling systems with Linux installed.
I fear that M$ can kill this dead if they really want to, 1) stop making XP CD/DVD OEM copies, stop issuing OEM license keys for XP (for those that don’t supply a XP CD just a recovery partition, etc.), without which, XP effectively can’t be installed/activated.
That’s correct. No details yet, but soon…
^,
And based on the information I just posted in the “Michael Dell” thread, my guess is that it’ll be Ubuntu, but there’s hundreds of distros, and no common core. It would be a bit of a crap shoot for Dell to guess which one to go with.
I posted this interview with Michael Dell on the other thread, but it’s appropriate here too. He discusses Dell’s Linux philosophy:
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS3822185143.html
Personally, I wouldn’t hold my breath on an installed distro for a while. If you need a new computer, and want Linux only, and not a dual boot, my strategy would be to buy the box, and not to “crack the wrapper” on the Windows installation.
On various Linux forums, there have been reports, that you can get a refund on the Windows install, as long as you don’t use it. Then wipe the hard drive and install any distro you want.
As of today anyway, it would be cheaper to do that than buy an empty computer from Dell. But, that may change, and in fact, that may be Dell’s future strategy - Competitively priced empty machines, with full peripheral support for Linux drivers, etc., rather than offer a distro or two preloaded.
In that he is basically saying you can go with the nSeries systems I haven’t looked at the nSeries to see what distro options there are as I doubt they will offer 1 of any of the 100s of different distros.
I didn’t think it was going to be an over night, just had a peek at the nSeries and it seems to be small business only and the OS is Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS v4, no choice.
I have an option to buy Dell inspirion with preinstalled FreeDos OS, anybody, what is that FreeDos anyway??? :o
A related story from the Register today…
“Microsoft admits Vista failure”
[QUOTE]WITH TWO OVERLAPPING events, Microsoft admitted what we have been saying all along, Vista, aka Windows Me Two (Me II), is a joke that no one wants.
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http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=39087