OT- Computer upgrades, no WinXp OEM?

[BillH]

Well, managed to find some retailers, but they are very far and few between, whats goin on? Microsoft trying to rip the doityourselfers?

[This message has been edited by BillH (edited 04-02-2005).]

[hammerhead74000]

I'm afraid that's the cost of keeping up your Microsoft habit. OEM versions are only available to qualified companies building new PCs - this special pricing is to keep these companies buying and reselling the latest Microsoft OS, and is not available to anybody else.

[hammerhead74000]

>> Well, managed to find some retailers

Yeah... they are not supposed to do that - if Microsoft catches them, they can be cut off from getting any more copies.

[KENZ]

There are reputable places online that sell the OEM versions of XP. But you have to buy a piece of hardware( ususally a motherboard) at the time of purchase. That makes the software purchase a legal sale.

[lklb]

People actually PAY for XP???
wow!

[plm]

BillH,

Here's a place I've bought a couple of copies of XP from in the past year:

http://www.mbx.com/views/thumbview.cfm?CategoryID=37

But, as KENZ says, you have to buy some hardware with the purchase.

plm

[Smtty58]

In my area I get stuff like that at computer shows. They're usually somewhere in driving distance a couple times a month. BTW, I recently read MS is planning on shutting off Windows Update unless you legally own the OS. Now where did I put those Fedora discs?

[lklb]

[QUOTE][ BTW, I recently read MS is planning on shutting off Windows Update unless you legally own the OS. /QUOTE]

As always ,just the consumer editions.Corporate editions don't seem to be bothered by such nonsense,updates being distributed by the local administrator.You don't want to rock that corporate boat too much or they will jump ship.

I.E....keep the honest people honest, and out $100 per computer ,Put on a show that your gettin' tuff ,go home and count your $500 million/week profit. It's a beautiful thing!

[BillH]

Thanks guys, I retried the search function from the place I was ordering the rest of the computer parts from and lo and behold, xp oem versions popped up.
One of the computers is going to get swiped and have linux placed on it for a file server.
I actually had Fedora core on my laptop for a few months before I got so sick of it. My favorite OS is still DOS. Long live dos!
Linux is cool and the price is right, but it does NOT cut it for a desktop. NOT when you want to install and try many different programs only to have to intall GIGS upon GIGS of file libraries so you can compile programs just to use them. IF linux people settled with a universal library, things would improve. Been playing around with Java lately, think I may try some Java in linux just for fun.

[.RC.]

Nearly any PC store worth it's salt will sell you Win XP however they must sell it with another component....A PS/2 keyboard being the cheapest component able to be sold with a copy....At the moment here in Oz Win XP Home will set you back around $140