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I don't know about M$ not making XP anymore but XP is available all over the place.  I see it in stores and online (even my computer guy has XP Home and XP Pro available).  Many pre-built computer systems have now gone back to offering XP as an option.  M$ intends to continue support of XP for five more years - that desparate huh?  And with MSDN, I don't have to see the inside of a Vista disc for quite a while.

Your point is taken and valid - but I would question as to how many unopened copies of XP 64 bit are still out there on the market - to take advantage of the extra ram you really need the 64 bit OS.

I'm thinking that at the time that XP 64 bit was produced not a lot of people were quick to adopt 64 bit technology - it's only just now it is starting to take hold and it is of no real benefit for anyone to put a 32 bit O/S on a 64 bit machine it won't perform to it's fullest.

Your local Computer guy may have XP still in stock - I would have to shop around and go for a hunt on ebay or at a swap meet to find an unopened copy of XP and then 64 bit are as rare as hens teeth.

Depends on where you live and the attitude of resellers what will be available - and remember I am stating unopened - I would hate to run the chance of buying a copy of XP only to find that it wouldn't activate......

So perhaps we should be careful what we say - as someone new to computers could stumble upon threads like this and get the impression that they can go out and buy a nice new 64 bit machine and pick up a 2nd hand copy of XP Pro and throw on it and it will be a whiz bang machine.

The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive.
Robert A. Heinlein

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