PC World has an article that explains ways to get ahold of Microsoft's operating system after June 30. The idea itself seems weird: why would it be a problem to obtain a piece of software you need to pay for anyway? It's not like a new model of a car is replacing an old one, the changes in technology and production process making it nearly impossible for the manufacturer to keep producing the old model. We're talking about a CD - and this CD you can't legally get anymore, unless you take advantage of one of the many loopholes in Microsoft's licensing/support system.
I'm not suggesting that you should go and pirate any software. But I cannot fail to notice that again, the software industry actually helps piracy, forcing their customers to choose between doing something they don't want to do (upgrade to Vista; and trust me, many users scorn the idea) or simply get a pirated version of Windows XP. Thus, whenever you see those assertions that piracy is the root of all evil and the demise of civilization, just remember that a portion of users had no real choice but to pirate software.