Are PC vendors obligated to put the newest OS in their systems?

[RambleOn]

I was wondering if major PC Vendors like Dell for example are obligated to put XP in their new systems by Microsoft? Or whatever the latest and greatest OS is..... Like today, it's next to impossible to find Win95 in stores, and it became tough to find Win98 after ME came out.

 

[BlueApple]

I really really doubt it. People usually just want the 'latest and greatest' as you put it. You can still find old OS's via PriceWatch.

 

[perry]

MS probably stops pressing the CD's...

 

[narzy]

no, they do it for marketing, "its new its shiney it must be good your computer dont have it? well you need a new puter! get me GET ME!"

 

[yakko]

<< MS probably stops pressing the CD's... >>

No they don't. I am sure Microsoft just stops giving a discount on purchases of old OSs and shifts it to the new one.

 

[Willoughbyva]

I think I heard that Microsoft has dropped 95 all together. Windows 98 will be dropped next year all together. Windows NT was dropped last year (or this year). I think MS ony supports its' operating systems for 5 years. There might be copies still floating around, but as far as MS is concerned they do not care about the OS any more (except where piriting is concerned). Kind of ironic as everytime a new OS is put out by them they say it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. they do make pretty good OS's, but they still get a bad rep for some of their business practices.

 

[wedi42]

old OSs dont go down in price
win 98 is still costs the same to license as it did when it came out
if dell could get win 98 for 1/2 the price of XP you might see it installed on a budget system
but they are very close in price

 

[JimboTheConquer]

nope!

-Jimbo

 

[kduncan5]

I just saw Win98se upgrade packages at Best Buy yesterday for $99, and 98se full version OS's for $199. Didn't see any Win95's though..... -kd5-

 

[Electrode]

My local computer shop has not one, not two, but three brand-new shrinkwrapped MS-DOS 6.22/Windows for Workgroups 3.11 bundles, as well as Windows 95C and Windows NT 4 Workstation.

I actually bought one of the Win95C packs. It works quite nicely in VMware.

So, to answer your question, no, M$ does NOT stop making the disks. They just don't support them anymore.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Just because they're still shrink-wrapped doesn't mean they were just made recently. You got any evidence on the package that they haven't just been sitting somewhere for years unsold? Why would MS waste money on a production line for an OS they no longer support and which can't possibly have enough sales to make up for the effort to produce it? (Granted, they've already made the money back for the development of the older OSes, and production costs are almost nil for that stuff, so it's essentially all profit, but I can't imagine they sell so many that it's worth it to them to make.) Beyond that, how many vendors would actually consider placing orders for new packages of DOS? The only possible market I can see for it is companies that have applications and systems that they just WILL NOT upgrade to newer systems and might be adding computers that need to have DOS installed and stuff. But that can't possibly be a very large market.

 

[guyver01]

Microsoft No Longer Supports Windows 95..

Windows Desktop Product Lifecycle

Desktop operating systems entering Non-Supported phase (effective date):
MS DOS x.xx (December 31, 2001)
Windows 3.xx (December 31, 2001)
Windows 95 (November 30, 2001) ***
Windows NT 3.5x (December 31, 2001)
Windows 98/98 SE (June 30, 2003)*
Windows NT 4.xx (June 30, 2003)

*** Windows 95 as produced for the OEM channel includes a version of Java technology that Microsoft has not been able to manufacture since March 31, 2001. Given that inventory supplies are limited, Microsoft notified OEMs in March 2001 that we would continue to license Windows 95 only through the end of November 2001.

 

[mattyrug]

<< My local computer shop has not one, not two, but three brand-new shrinkwrapped MS-DOS 6.22/Windows for Workgroups 3.11 bundles, as well as Windows 95C and Windows NT 4 Workstation.
Electrode >>




How Much?? I've been looking, I have 'em, but my 1st disk in the win3.11 setup is bad, and the 2nd in my DOS6.22 is bad as well.
BTW - don't ask why I'm dying to setup a DOS/3.11 Machine.