Microsoft says it will provide Windows XP Home for low-cost computers for at least two more years, but it's sticking to its June 30 cutoff date for sales of the older operating system for mainstream PCs -- rebuffing calls to keep offering Windows XP as a Windows Vista alternative.

That means XP soon won't be available on store shelves or pre-installed on PCs, unless they're part of a category that Microsoft is defining as "ultra low-cost" machines, such as the Asus Eee PC and Intel Classmate PC, which generally lack the hardware needed to run Windows Vista adequately.

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Microsoft, Windows XP, Home, ULPC