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Dell revives Windows XP option amid strong demand

"This is really odd. On new PCs, consumers usually do want the latest and greatest."

Michael Silver, research vice president at Gartner

Back by popular demand: Windows XP.

PC maker Dell Inc said on its Web site on Thursday it would once again let home PC buyers choose between Microsoft Corp's older operating system and Windows Vista when they purchase certain new machines.

Dell, like many computer makers, stopped offering XP on most home desktops and laptops soon after Vista was launched at the end of January. By late last month, the company said only two models aimed at home users could be configured with XP (the option still existed on many models for business users).

But on Dell's IdeaStorm Web site, where visitors can post suggestions for the company and vote on the ones they think are important, a plea titled "Don't eliminate XP just yet" racked up more than 10,700 votes.

"We heard you loud and clear on bringing the Windows XP option back to our Dell consumer PC offerings," Dell responded in a Web posting on Thursday.

Dell said it would immediately offer XP again as an option for four models of its Inspiron notebooks and two models of its Dimension desktop PCs.

This came just weeks after Dell said it was also planning to offer PCs with Linux, a free OS that competes with Windows.

"This is really odd," said Michael Silver, research vice president at Gartner. "On new PCs, consumers usually do want the latest and greatest."

Microsoft countered that Dell's move was in response to a "small minority of customers" with a "specific request."

Michael Burk, a product manager for Microsoft's Windows Client group, said in an e-mailed statement: "The vast majority of consumers want the latest and greatest technology, and that includes Windows Vista."

Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director of JupiterResearch, said many consumers continue to buy XP because it is familiar, it works with their existing hardware and programs and is overall "good enough," even though Vista boasts a prettier user interface and stronger security.
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