It seems that people are going to pay extra $$ just to get XP and avoid
having vista...
People hate vista and for good reason, so they might prefer to bite the
extra $$ tab, than get vista-crapista
http://www.cnet.com/8301-13554_1-992....html?tag=bnpr
One option is to buy a computer with a business version of Vista rather than
a home/consumer version. Microsoft allows computer manufacturers to include
a copy of XP on a CD with computers running the business editions of Vista.
Some, such as Fujitsu, Lenovo and HP do this, but check with your preferred
vendor. Even those that offer it, may not offer it on every computer.
The included XP CD is an "image" of XP, rather than the Windows disc that
comes in shrink-wrapped boxes. This means that installing XP over Vista
should be a simple process, something anyone can handle. For example, the
necessary drivers are already there.
However, you pay a big premium for this. Not only is there the price premium
for a business version of Vista, you may also may have to pay for the XP
image CD. Each hardware manufacturer sets their own pricing. When I last
checked, Fujitsu was the only company to include Windows XP for free with
business editions of Vista.