Windows XP licensing

[VirtualLarry]

Serious question here. I have a friend who claims to have spoken to someone at Microsoft, and that the Windows XP license allows the OS to be (legally) installed and used on two machines at the same time.

This goes against everything that I know about Windows licensing. I feel that the person on the other end of the phone made a mistake, and confused the OS licensing with the application licensing, such as MS Office, that does allow installation on two machines at once, either a home machine and a work machine, or a desktop and a laptop, AFAIK.

So, who here can give me some heavyweight answers, pro or con, on whether or not Windows XP allows legal use on multiple machines at once.

Bsobel, are you out there?

PS. Please link to supporting documentation if possible.

PPS. I thought that the whole point behind product activation was to elimate "casual copying" and multiple-machine usage.

Thanks.

 

[spherrod]

I think you are right

http://download.microsoft.com/documents...8a2f82-c320-4301-869f-839a853868a1.pdf

 

[jadinolf]

It says 2 processors. I'm curious to see what the local experts say.

 

[RebateMonger]

The EULA, according to Microsoft, is the final word on licensing. The EULA given in the link above says

"You may install, use, access, display and run one copy of the Product on a single computer..."

"......you must acquire and dedicate an additional license for each separate Workstation Computer on or from which the Product is installed, used, accessed, displayed or run. A license for the Product may not be shared or used concurrently on different Workstation Computers."

What other "evidence" is needed?

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: jadinolf
It says 2 processors. I'm curious to see what the local experts say.

I've met people who sincerely thought the "1-2 CPU" on the COA sticker meant 1-2 computers, because they use the term "CPU" to refer to the entire computer tower.

The people at Microsoft must've met those people too because the Vista EULA clarifies it:

You may install one copy of the software on the licensed device. You may use the software on up to two processors on that device at one time.

 

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Serious question here. I have a friend who claims to have spoken to someone at Microsoft, and that the Windows XP license allows the OS to be (legally) installed and used on two machines at the same time.

Each XP license can be installed only on a single "machine", "workstation", or "computer", which can have up to two physical processors or CPUs (as of SP2 for Home Edition).

I think its your friend who is confused and misunderstood this 'someone at Microsoft'.

 

[gwag]

sometimes the people at microsoft are confused too.......

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: jadinolf
It says 2 processors. I'm curious to see what the local experts say.

I've met people who sincerely thought the "1-2 CPU" on the COA sticker meant 1-2 computers, because they use the term "CPU" to refer to the entire computer tower.

The people at Microsoft must've met those people too because the Vista EULA clarifies it:

You may install one copy of the software on the licensed device. You may use the software on up to two processors on that device at one time.

That certainly was my understanding. Thanks.

 

[Shawn]

I remember reading somewhere that you can install Windows on 1 desktop and 1 laptop. Or maybe that was just MS Office?

 

[spherrod]

Originally posted by: Shawn
I remember reading somewhere that you can install Windows on 1 desktop and 1 laptop. Or maybe that was just MS Office?

think that was Office