Windows XP deadline to drive used PC market, low costs PCs

Don't give away your old PC just yet if it has a valid copy of XP. While Microsoft has largely put a hard time cap on XP sales, low-cost PCs and netbooks seem to be exempt until June 30, 2010. It's been no secret that Vista has not been well-received by either business or consumer. And it's successor, Windows 7, is not reported to be ready until late 2009 or 2010.

If the thesis is correct that this pent up demand will seek computers with XP, then certainly purchasers will chase exempt low-cost PCs and netbooks. But that's a trend that's largely been ongoing, along with the attendant rise in Linux as an offered operating system.

What's interesting is that the same pent up demand, will also largely boost the whole used PC sales and service ecosystem. The computer repair firm Rescuecom, for example, is a company which has resold XP-based PCs. Those genuine Windows XP certificates of authenticity (COA) could become a new form of currency. It's worth having a look at opportunities in this space. Microsoft has indirectly created an interesting "grey market" for some time to come.

Disclosure: no positions