I'm looking to buy a proper OS for this machine: XP Home or Pro. I've been looking for it on student licence but without any luck and theres no way I'm paying £200+ for it. 1) Is there enough of a difference to pay the extra for Pro? 2)I've always heard its a bad idea to use an upgrade version instead of a new installation. Is this still true? 3) Where can I get a copy cheap (legally ) ?
1) Depends - will you ever need SMP support (for dual cpus?) or a lot of the more advanced networking tools XP pro apparently has? 2) Upgrade of XP allows you to do a fresh install onto a blank drive, so you don't need to bother with all the hassle of installing 98, then putting XP over the top. To do the clean install HDD you will need a Windows 98SE cd to hand though (I think 2k or maybe 98 first edition will be accepted too - it just reads the cd for about two seconds to check you are actually upgrading). 3) Errrm.....well I got a Educational (not student) License Upgrade of XP Pro from www.action.com for £56 which is acceptable as my dad (who is a headteacher) uses the student license on his laptop and I use the XP pro Upgrade he bought himself for his lappy, so in that way its ok (since the educational license is used in an educational institution) but if you bought the same then you would probably be breaking the EULA....the same applies with OEM copies (EULA specifies 'only usable on a new PC' etc) but its up to you.
Re: Re: Windows XP Thats exactly what I'm looking for really. The Microsoft website is basically useless in telling me whether this licence applies to me or my mum (teacher who does a lot of work on my pc ). All it talks about is the Office XP Student Licence (which I already have ). You don't happen to know anywhere I can find out the licence info, do you? EDIT: As a home tutor, she can teach people at home... Sounds like a good plan to me EDIT 2: I assume this is the same as others and you send a form back before you recieve the software?
Re: Re: Re: Windows XP Well it seems you are sorted With regards to edit 2, my software came in the box and that was it, the guy at Action.com said to me 'do you work for an educational establishment?' and I explained how I was ordering it for my dads laptop and how I'd use his copy....that was all that he said and my order went through fine. Basically as far as most resellers are concerned I imagine, they're not all that bothered about MS's licensing rules over student/educational/OEM and will sell you whatever providing you say 'yes' when they ask 'are you a student?'. If you lie, then how are they to know, and once the OS is sold whether the EULA is broken or not its down to the person owning it rather than the reseller. Thats just my view, I'm sure most retailers would rather sell you something than not get a sale because of what some regard as MS's arcane rules and license agreements, but thats just my cynical view of how retailers are in their preference for a sale and ignoring potential EULA violations that MS will almost definitely never know about! Whether they've changed it thought and they now ask for NUS numbers (if you are going for a student license of any MS software) or the adress of the educational establishment you will be using the license in conjunction with I don't know tbh... Basically, as far as I understand: Student license = for schoolkid/students use Educational license = Used by schools/school staff/school PCs If your mum is a teacher and uses your PC for educational purposes, then I imagine you'd be fine with the educational license if you register the OS in her name. Now I am no expert, and have never fully read the EULA for the Ed. license of my dads copy of XP, which is at his school atm otherwise I'd find out for you, as to whether it states it is only for use in educational establishments or on PCs owned by educational institutions, obviously this becomes a minefield too when its a laptop (as it can be used anywhere).......but basically I think whilst MS will care, if you register it as your mums machine and its used for educational purposes related to a school/college or whatever, then they won't be anal about it, and I've already mentioned how I think the retailers will see it (which MS would frown at no doubt, but still....).
Re: Re: Windows XP How do they define 'new'? New from scratch? A new CPU/Mobo/HDD/IDE cable/pack of thumbscrews? ^_^ *n
Re: Re: Re: Windows XP Exactly therein is the issue...some companies will only sell you OEM if you buy a complete system, some with an MS hardware product, some with absolutely anything (a pack of thumbscrews or a cheapo mouse or something)....they're not supposed to, granted, but how will MS know what the software will be sold with? Its not like they ask to see the invoices for all the licenses resellers sell...which makes buying OEM easy and cheaper if somewhat dodgy with regards to the EULA.....
Re: Re: Re: Windows XP As far as I understood it new was any pc that didn't already have a licence. so you can't buy it cos your've upgraded your dell (or similar) cos it's already got an oem licence on it from the manufacturer. but other than that any upgrade that requires you reinstall the O/S. (ie. hard disk, motherboard) But then using that reasoning and the fact that an OEM licences is non transferable (I.e your only supposed to install it on 1 machine and hen you stop using that machine the licence just dissappears) if you do upgrade your hardware do you have to buy another one??? But at the end of the day is Bill going to come round and check???
