Let me get this right. Microsoft have given you a Windows 8 trial that
will at some point expire. At this point you either have to pay for
the release version or your PC will be useless because there is no
facility for returning to XP. Nice.

I can't say that's wrong but I saw it rather as MS giving me a free
trial of Windows 8 which I have installed on an old, spare hard drive to
see what I think of it, while I continue to be able to use my XP system
as before. And, as I and Brian indicated, they do make it pretty clear
that if anyone just installs over their current OS there'll be no going
back.

--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid