Help!! Win 2000 license for customers?

[stinger25]

A group of friends and I are going to be selling about a hundred machines soon with windows 2000 installed on most of them. Can we just install windows 2k and sell them, or do we need to purchase separate licenses for each system?:|

 

[spyordie007]

Each system needs to have a license.

One option would be to install it on the machines and than run sysprep and package it up, the first time someone tries to use the machine it would require them to enter their windows licence version and than getting a license wouldnt be your responsibility.

Either way you are going to need about a hundred licenses.

-Spy

 

[stinger25]

Can't we just sell the systems with a disclaimer that tells the customer they are responsible for the license (not that they care, they are just buying the PCs for home use)? What our goal is, is to keep the cost down for the clients.

On the flipside, how much does a windows 2000 standard license cost and where do we go for it? Do we need licenses for office as well? And does a win 98 install require a license?

 

[TMPadmin]

Anything MS requires a license. I would suggest calling MS to get some licenses and keep this legit. You don't want the user doing something that will get back to you. Cover your butt! You can offer with OS or without. Prices will be different. Let the customer decide to install an unlicensed version of Windows or Office...

If you do this the wrong way EXPECT it to come back to you. The the amount of money you will be making off 100 PC's it worth the not spending the extra cash to get a licensed version on there or you take the chance of MS coming down on your hard! My biggest fear is one of the buyers does something like call MS and it gets back to you "the Manufacturer".

 

[Nothinman]

Yes, if you sell them an illegal machine and MS confronts them they'll point the finger at you. Then once they find out you sold ~100 illegal machines I doubt they'll be very happy.

 

[spyordie007]

Can't we just sell the systems with a disclaimer that tells the customer they are responsible for the license (not that they care, they are just buying the PCs for home use)? What our goal is, is to keep the cost down for the clients.

Whatever way you do it they are going to have to spend the money for the license (if they want to run Windows). Since these are home machines and your users probably wouldnt notice the differance anyways I would consider finding a retailer that will get you OEM licences of Windows XP Home (it's cheaper and in their minds will be "better" than 2000 anyways).

DO NOT SELL THIS TO THEM WITHOUT A VALID LICENSE! If you cannot get the licenses yourself than do what I suggested above and use sysprep to package them up, that way you arent distributing licences.

-Spy

 

[MrChad]

On the flipside, how much does a windows 2000 standard license cost and where do we go for it? Do we need licenses for office as well? And does a win 98 install require a license?

ALL software that you install requires a valid license. And yes, you need a valid license for your office installations as well.

 

[Bleep]

Not knowing what the person buying these machines are going to do with the machine I would put a linux version on it. they are all free except Lindows which sucks. I have sold some machines with Red Hat and the owners have been very happy with it. I might add that, how are you going to make any money building machines anymore, the support is going to kill you believe me. If you put a unlicienced OS on and the customer is unable to get you to fix it right away they will blame it on the OS and call MS and raise hell, big trouble for you.

Bleep