Office Pro 2007 Key Microsoft's 'new' XP policy fo

A Windows executive;s statement this week that Microsoft will proceed to supply netbook makers with XP if they want it for any year following Windows 7 ships isn;t a new policy. It can be a restatement of what enterprise officials said a year in the past.In 2008,Genuine Windows 7, Microsoft introduced officially its decision to enable vendors of low-cost laptops to continue on to bundle XP by way of 2010 or for the 12 months immediately after the next release of Windows (a k a Windows seven) shipped, whichever arrived final. At that time, Microsoft along with a quantity of other industry players were calling these PCs “ULPCs” (ultra-low-cost PCs), not netbooks.From an April 3, 2008, blog post I did:“As Microsoft officials introduced on April 3, makers of ULPCs will be allowed to continue on to preload XP on ULPC machines until June 30, 2010, or one 12 months immediately after general availability of the next version of Windows,Office Pro 2007 Key, whichever comes later.”If Microsoft launches Windows seven this fall, as many are expecting,Microsoft Office Pro Plus, netbook makers will be allowed to keep on to preload XP on new systems via fall 2010. Given that Windows seven has been shown to perform quite well on netbooks, there are only a couple of reasons I can see vendors wanting to preload XP once 7 is out:1. If Microsoft tries to gouge vendors on price with Windows 7. Appropriate now, Microsoft is believed to be charging PC makers $15 a copy for XP. Microsoft hasn;t yet told OEMs what it plans to charge them per copy of Windows seven Starter or Home Premium (or any other Win seven SKU for that matter). If Microsoft goes much above $15 per copy,Office Home And Business 2010, it will leave the door wide open for Linux/Android, etc.2. Users want to continue on to run XP apps which won;t work with Windows seven. The new XP Mode capability Microsoft is introducing with Windows 7 is designed to work on higher-end Windows 7 SKUs,Office Ultimate 2007 Key, not the low-end ones likely to be preloaded on netbooks.Anyone else see any reasons users and PC makers might want to keep offering XP after WIndows seven ships?Speaking of Microsoft and netbooks, Microsoft;s netbook “Jedi mind tricks” (gotta love those Reg headlines) are just one of the topics that Gavin Clarke and I cover in our latest “Microbite” podcast — which is now posted and available for your listening pleasure.