Microsoft pitches reversible Vista, XP options

Does anyone have more info on how to go about converting a Vista license to an XP one?

I don't know about converting an existing Vista license but we recently did something similar here at work with our Server licenses.

We purchased 15 Server 2008 licenses with downgrade rights to use 2003. That way we could upgrade all our Server 2000 machines to 2k3 and then, if needed, up to 2008 without having to purchase twice as many OS licenses. When the Volume License agreement came through it gave us the keys for Server 2008 and keys for the x86 and x64 versions of 2k3 as well.

Possibly Microsoft are going to start doing a similar thing with Vista? If you purchase a copy you'll get an XP key and a Vista key?

Man, while I think it's great they're accepting the reality of Vista - what does this mean for the future of MS? Can any OS really replace XP? Lots of folks say Vista flopped due to compatibility and speed, but I'm not sold on that being the only reason. What MS really needs to think about is what made XP great, and how to improve it without trying to push too many new bells and whistles on folks. In other words, stop fixing what isn't broke and add new things (or improve existing things) to make it better than it is now.

I use *Vista on my main rig since all my hardware & apps are compatable w/ Vista, very seldom do i use XP anymore.. why.. its old & I dont need it.

But I am looking forward to Windows 7 that is supposidly built on Vista.

Edit: *That is Vista w/ SP1 of course.

I am quite happy with Vista. I have Vista Ultimate 64 installed by itself on my main computer that I use all the time. Now my wifes computer dual boots Vista 32 and XP Pro since she works from home somtimes and needs XP to access network at employer.

hahahahahaha!

I've never tested this, but I *think* that you can use a newer Windows product key to install an older version of Windows.

At least, that was supposed to be how it worked originally, but they may have come up with some more complicated arrangement in the meantime.

Nevertheless, downgradeability is a *right* which is provided when you buy a Windows license.

It is possible that MS may require ownership of a copy of the previous edition.

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But the *real* can of worms as far as downgradeability is concerned, is that technically speaking, the OEMs are by reason of licensing required to pass on these downgradeability rights, so that a company selling a Vista PC that cannot easily be downgraded to XP are in violation of their contracts with both MS and the end customer :-)

MS takes the HIGH ROAD & doesn't run these type of belittling adds, IMHO.

Xstream wrote:

hahahahahaha!

Apple fans have made much of the fact that the newest figures from Net Applications show that Apple's share of the operating system market has jumped almost 32% in the past year. But they're ignoring a simple fact: Vista's market share during that same time leaped more than 355%. When you add in other Windows versions, Microsoft owns more than 90% of the market.

Net Applications reports that the Mac had 7.94% market share in June, up from 6.03% a year ago. Going from a little more than 6% to just under 8% may be a big gain when measured as a percentage of growth. But when seen in absolute numbers, it's not particularly impressive.

Vista, by way of contrast, showed far more explosive growth. In June, 2007, it had 4.54% market share. In June, 2008, it had reached 16.14% --- more than a 355% gain. Those numbers are substantial not just in percentage terms, but in raw terms as well. Apple would sell the first-born children of most of its employees if it could ever get to a 16% market share.

Net Applications says that in June, all versions of Windows were on 90.89% of computers, down from 93.34% a year ago. Both Windows XP and Windows 2000 market share shrunk, while Vista's skyrocked.

ComputerWorld