Microsoft has finally decided to allow PC manufacturers to offer their customers the option to exchange the Vista for the good ol' Windows XP SP2. Since Vista was launched, PC manufacturers were overrun with requests from customers who wanted to "downgrade" to XP. Some manufacturers, such as Sony, had to yield to their customers and provide drivers for Windows XP for their Vaio laptops, because apparently large numbers of people who bought preinstalled Vista systems wanted to rid of the new operating system and install the older, more familiar, OS from Microsoft.

In fact, most PC manufacturers have already in place programs to provide XP to buyers of new hardware systems, but some have only had this option for business customers. It’s exactly these business customers who were most reluctant of adopting the new operating system from Microsoft, for a variety of reasons, including more stringent hardware requirements and compatibility issues with software not designed for Vista.

The problem is that under current provisions, Microsoft is requiring large PC makers to stop selling XP-based systems as of January 31 2008. However, hardware manufacturers aren't going to yield without a fight and are lobbying the software giant for an extension. Legally, the option to downgrade to XP is only guaranteed to buyers of Vista Business and Vista Ultimate Edition, however most hardware manufacturers have found solutions to also please those who have received Vista Home.

"XP is a much better product than people think it is," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Ender le Group, told the vnunet.com website. "People are not screaming to get off of XP, and Vista is not providing a compelling reason to do so."

Microsoft, under pressure from manufacturers, allowed them to also include restore discs with Windows XP in a significant change in policy in June. Meanwhile, Microsoft is under fire for its strange practices regarding the Windows Vista Ultimate Extras, which are still waiting to be delivered to customers who paid substantially more for the "Ultimate" version. These "extras" should be "cutting-edge programs, innovative services, and unique publications". Those "extras" were so far more like a single extra, the beta of DreamScene, a video screensaver, in which was released in February. Microsoft’s Windows Ultimate group director Barry Goffe promised that they "intend to ship Windows DreamScene and the remaining 20 Language Packs by the end of the summer," which didn't happen.

Microsoft is planning to unveil its first major update for the latest operating system, Windows Vista, for early 2008. The first beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 will be shipped to the testers during next month and the Redmond company hopes to have a final version as early as the end of this year. Windows Vista SP1 will not add new features, but instead it will address key feedback received from its customers.