Dell touts Windows XP to 2009 - and 'likely longer'

No deadline like the present

The official June 30 cut-off date for Windows XP is getting even fuzzier, with Dell vowing to sell PCs running the operating system until "at least 2009".

The company has told customers Windows XP Professional will be available for OEM installation on PCs "through at least 2009 and likely longer", Neowin reports.

All is not lost for Windows Vista, XP's replacement. Dell will supply a Windows Vista disk with XP Pro machines, so users can upgrade when ready.

Dell's XP move comes in the wake of Microsoft's own decision to extend the life of Windows XP for the sub-notebook and low-cost PC market to 2010.

In April 2007 Dell was the first PC maker to extend Windows XP's shelf-life, just three months after Microsoft's official Windows Vista consumer launch.

At the time, Dell committed to putting Windows Vista on its Dimension E520 and E521 desktops, and Inspiron 1501, E1405, E1505, and E1705 notebooks.®