HP "Branded" Windows Server 2008 software - $133 shipped from Buy.com

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: j0j081

Originally posted by: Crusty

Originally posted by: RallyMaster
Server 08 is a very very nice operating system. I can do just about anything I can do with a consumer level OS in it. Games, movies, music. Has just about the same compatibility as Vista with a few small exceptions.

Vista SP1 = Server 2008

yeah right. obviously you have no clue.

Their kernels are identical. The differences are the default software, applications, and settings. They are the same exact operating system under the hood.

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: jalaram

Originally posted by: UnderTheHood
Sorry guys, this is just a 5-cal pack, that's why it's so cheap.

Please elaborate what that means and why a home user needs more than 5 cal?

A CAL is for client access to the server. Different versions of Windows Server have different licensing, but in general you need to have 1 CAL for each computer or user(depending on the license) connecting to the network. There are versions that are unlimited out of the box as well.

 

[dynemd]

UnderTheHood, how come the description says:

License Quantity 1 Server
5 Device CAL

 

[imported_motodude]

Originally posted by: dynemd
UnderTheHood, how come the description says:

License Quantity 1 Server
5 Device CAL

I agree, if you go to their ebay store it also lists "Software Name Microsoft Windows Server 2008 " under features.

Question is can it be used on any machine.

edit: lol, just noticed it says license and media in the title too

 

[UnderTheHood]

It says "1 Server" because it can be used on only one server. I don't have any agenda here; I'm just trying be a nice guy help you guys out and I'll leave it up to you to decide whether the ads are deceptive.

Here's a little more info from MS:

http://www.microsoft.com/windo...008/en/us/pricing.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windo.../client-licensing.aspx

Look at the pricing for yourself. You're not going to get a $999 server for $133 but if you don't believe me then go ahead and order it.

 

[mugs]

I think UnderTheHood is right

 

[jalaram]

Originally posted by: UnderTheHood
It says "1 Server" because it can be used on only one server. I don't have any agenda here; I'm just trying be a nice guy help you guys out and I'll leave it up to you to decide whether the ads are deceptive.

Here's a little more info from MS:

http://www.microsoft.com/windo...008/en/us/pricing.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windo.../client-licensing.aspx

Look at the pricing for yourself. You're not going to get a $999 server for $133 but if you don't believe me then go ahead and order it.

I didn't say that you had an agenda, but I didn't understand at first what you were saying. Based on your links, I now think I got it. You're saying that this is just the 5 cal pack to add onto an existing server and isn't the actual server software. That actually makes a big difference.

Edit: I'm not a networking person, so the term "cal pack" didn't register immediately for me.

 

[syadnom]

I understand the logic behind the statement that this is just for 5 CALS, BUT......

Microsoft does not offer a CAL that is good for just 1 server. A Windows server 2008 cal is good for either 1 Device or 1 User to connected all windows servers on a network. You can get 5 servers and 5 server licenses and 10 users can access any resource on any of the 5 servers with just 1 CAL (except terminal services, exchange, sql server etc).

By the description, this is for both 1 Server license, and 5 CALS.

This part{
HP Microsoft Windows Server 2008 - 468730-B21
License and Media - Standard - 1 Server, 5 Device CAL - PC
}

where is it says 1 Server, 5 Device CAL my be stated incorrectly, but the words definitely say 1 Server and there is no CAL that is good for just one server..

I dont think that your logic is flawed, I think that the BUY.com site is likely in error...

as a counterpoint, microsoft select licensing gives you roughly this price on the CALs alone.. (~$25 per CAL) so the price certainly implies that this is only for CALS

###########

Has anyone ordered this and received it? or has anyone called buy.com and asked?

 

[dynemd]

Provantage has the same ambiguous description Link

 

[Staples]

So tempting.

Maybe I will just do the trial for now. I have an X2 (BE2400) system that I think supports virtualization. I have it on 24/7 running Vista Premium and I have it on 24/7 because I use Media Center and an Xbox as a DVR. I would love to upgrade to Home Server or better yet this but the lack of Media Center in these other versions of Windows is keeping me from moving to another OS. If I understand hyper v correctly, I should be able to run both this and Vista Premium. Is anyone currently doing this? And I assume hyper v only works for Windows OSes but that is ok.

 

[freshspace]

Originally posted by: Liberator21
Freshspace, I was going to PM you but there's not an option?

Anyhow, here is what I used: http://www.win2008workstation.com/wordpress/

And here is if you need ReadyBoost: http://www.win2008workstation....topic.php?p=2114#p2114

Liberator, thanks a lot!

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: UnderTheHood
Sorry guys, this is just a 5-cal pack, that's why it's so cheap.

I agree. Something's wrong here. The descriptions are horrible. Either these are just CALS, or somebody has made a huge pricing mistake.

HP's web site describes this product as a five Device CAL pack.

The price is appropriate. CALS are about $30 apiece. There is no reason why anybody would be dumping full Server 2008 packages at this price.

There are two requirements for a properly licensed Windows Server:
1) A Server license. About $700 for this product. Server licenses usually include five or twenty-five CALS.
2) Appropriate CALS (Client Access Licenses). About $150 for five.

CALS are typically sold in five-packs, ten-packs, and 25-packs. I won't go into a Windows Server licensing lecture, but I believe that's what these are.

Finally, HP and Dell don't sell OEM versions of Windows software separately. It's either included with the PC or you buy the Retail or Volume Licensed version. But they DO sell CALS separately.