Microsoft says no more XP on netbooks

Microsoft has said that new netbooks will have to eschew the delights of the ageing Windows XP OS later this year, as it looks to push Windows 7 further on the small-time lappies.


Steve Ballmer and co have set a 22 October deadline for PC makers, saying that as of that date they’ll need to use Windows 7 Starter edition instead. The deadline falls a year to the day since Windows 7 was officially released.


The move is not a surprise, with reports Stateside claiming 81 per cent of new netbooks come packing Windows 7. If anything, it could mean a few decent bargains being up for grabs in the run up to the deadline, as long as you’re happy rocking XP instead of Windows 7.


Windows 7 is likely to face stiff competition in the netbook space this winter as Google primes Chrome OS and Nokia and Intel ready their MeeGo OS for release.


Source - Microsoft