Are new PC's only going to allow you to use one OS (Vista) and be unable to install XP?

Question

I heard a rumor is it true?

Answer 1

The rumor is not necessarily false there is SOME truth to hardware being 'locked in' to running a specific OS.

For example while XP/Vista CAN run on an Intel Mac Intel OSX will NOT run on a PC without some hacking.

There ARE computers that are just unable (not powerful or compatible) to run an OS.

A hardware manufacturer COULD design a computer that will only boot a specific OS.

There is a couple of new linux based machines being sold at places like Walmart for $200 that won't run windows only a flavor of Linux.

Some embedded devices (such as your Tivo or XBox) won't run anything else besides the original OS without some MAJOR modifications.

Finally there IS a rumor that MS will be releasing a MS branded PC (I THINK they've done this already in India) which would in theory could only run MS sanctioned software.

But this won't be the ONLY PC or computer you will be able to buy so I'm not worried..

Answer 2

Bad rumor. A hard drive can always be scrubbed and formatted. Then anything can be loaded to it.

If you mean, are new computers only going to offer Vista as their operating system, then the answer is yes. Sooner or later, and I think it will be sooner, Microsoft will no longer offer XP to computer manufactures in an OEM format. After that the availability of XP will drop off rapidly. Second, I imagine that Microsoft will only support XP for another couple of years of so. It will then become full of security holes just like what has happened to Win98.

Answer 3

Wrong!