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From today onwards, computer users will be forced to operate on Window Vista as Window XP will not be available in the market. Microsoft Corporation is scheduled to stop selling its Windows XP operating system to retailers and major computer makers from Monday.

A slice of PC users although protest this decision who don’t want to be forced into using XP’s successor, Vista. A group of vocal computer users who rallied around a “Save XP” petition posted on the industry news site InfoWorld had been yelling for Microsoft to keep selling XP until its next operating system, Windows 7, is available.

The software maker has said it expects to release Windows 7 sometime in 2009.  Last week, Microsoft said it would provide full technical support for six-year-old Windows XP through 2009, and limited support through 2014.

Once computers loaded with XP have been cleared from the inventory of PC makers such as Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co., consumers who can’t live without the old operating system on their new machine will have to buy Vista Ultimate or Vista Business and then legally “downgrade” to XP.

Microsoft will still allow smaller mom-and-pop PC builder shops to buy XP for resale through the end of January. A version of XP will also remain available for ultra-low-cost PCs such as the Asus Eee PC.

Tags: Microsoft, PC, Windows XP, XP

Microsoft is surprisingly took a decision on planning to cut down the rates of Windows Vista. Microsoft said on Thursday that it is planning to lower the retail prices for several version of Vista.

Only for the higher-end versions of Vista and the upgrade version used to move from XP or another copy of Vista, rates will be degraded for those in U.S. The suggested price for Vista Ultimate drops to $219 from $299, while Home Premium falls to $129, from $159.

Other developed markets will also see price cuts, while in emerging markets; Microsoft is eliminating the distinction between full and upgrade versions of Home Basic and Home Premium. It attempts to convince more users there to use genuine software.

Microsoft completed Windows Vista in 2006 end and its retail launch started from January 2007. More than 100 million copies of it are sold but retail sales have significantly trailed those of XP in its early days and Vista has received a number of critical reviews.

Windows consumer marketing vice president Brad Brooks said, “Microsoft had been testing lower prices over the past few months and was surprised to find that the amount of revenue lost was more than made up for by an increase in the number of PC buyers willing to shell out for an upgrade”.

Tags: Microsoft, Vista, Vista Ultimate, Window Vista, Windows, Windows XP