Microsoft has struggled to convince users of Vista’s superiority to XP. And there continues to be a demand for the old OS. As of 1st July Windows XP is officially no longer being shipped by PC suppliers, but Dell have announced on their small business blog an ingenious way of downgrading to XP Pro after buying Vista. Gamers can also access the “bonus downgrade” for a fee of between $20 and $50. [Story from Internet News] As Will Smith remarks on the blog: shouldn’t Dell offer consumers what they are asking for, the ability to keep using what they perceive as a “superior product” - XP? Both Dell and Microsoft are playing a dangerous game by ignoring this level of consumer dissatisfaction.

XP - that stable, reliable operating system we have pretty much gotten used to - is going to be killed off in 73 days time, on 30th June. Windows users will then only have the choice of “upgrading” to Vista, an OS which has proved troublesome for pretty much all its users. You can sign the online petition to ask Microsoft to keep XP alive here. There are 153,000 so far.

[Update 25th April] Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has announced that if customers want XP Microsoft will keep offering it. According to CNet Ballmer added that no customers were asking for the OS to be reprieved “so far”.

Dell’s users have been thronging their new feedback site IdeaStorm demanding that Dell retain Windows XP as an option on new computers. They feel that Vista is a “young operating system with its own problems”. The post that requests XP be retained has received 13,328 endorsements. Dell offered to retain XP for business users earlier in the month. As of last week, Dell have agreed to reintroduce the XP option for home users as well.

This is a great endorsement of Dell’s social media strategy. Dell gets to hear from its customers directly what they want. Dell gives it to them. It’s as simple as that. It sounds obvious, but … listening to your customers is very good for your business.