My 2 Cents:  This is just a little heads up for those of ya that were thinking of getting a new machine anytime soon.  By the looks of the 7000 Beta build of Windows 7 that came out it seems that Microsoft has finally created an OS to the likes of Windows 2000…it might be good enough to finally compare with the stability of Linux…and the fluidity of Leopard…

Microsoft (MSFT) is making it easier and easier for customers to avoid the widely-panned Vista.

In a deal last month, Microsoft allowed PC makers to effectively keep selling Windows XP through the end of May. (That’s in response to a consumer aversion to Vista so strong that Dell (DELL) is charging customers an extra $150 to dump Vista for XP.)

Now Techarp.com says Microsoft will be working with PC makers to allow a free/cheap upgrade path to Windows 7 for users who buy Vista starting on July 1. Microsoft did the same thing with Windows XP in the days before the Vista release, so as to not discourage people from buying computers only a few months away from being outdated.

If the dates of both initiatives hold up, the only way you might get stuck with Vista as a consumer is if you buy a PC in June.

Overall, this is a good strategy for Microsoft. With Windows 7 coming hopefully later this year, there’s no point in still pushing the Vista train wreck.

Microsoft All But Abandons Vista: Upgrades To 7 To Be Offered In July (MSFT)