Windows XP Pro OEM

[Zucarita9000]

So my uncle asked me to build him a new system. He was particulary concerned about legitimacy of the operating system, as many local computer stores sell computers with pirated copies of XP or when they do legit OS copies, they don't give you the disc.

So I checked Newegg and came across an OEM version of XP Pro w/SP2, wich goes for about $147. Is this normal or is it expensive? Also, it says that it "Must be purchased with hardware". Does that mean that I have to get some qualifying hardware in order to buy it? If so, what kind of hardware does qualify?

Can I get a legit copy somewhere else for less?

 

[n0cmonkey]

That sounds about right. You might be able to find it cheaper, but newegg is fairly reliable. The qualifying hardware differs a bit, but generally mice or floppy cables work just fine.

 

[Zucarita9000]

I see. I have another question though, this time regarding these two items:

1. Microsoft Windows XP Professional w/SP2 Upgrade License, License Only - $189

2. Microsoft Windows XP Professional With Service Pack 2 -OEM - $147

If I understood correclty, Nº1 is only the license number (and probably the sticker too), wich can be used with any XP CD (such as my own) to activate/register it. Right?

Nº2 is the same one I have, same packaging and everything.

My question is, why the heck is Nº1 more expensive than Nº2???

 

[mechBgon]

My question is, why the heck is Nº1 more expensive than Nº2???

N°1 is the retail-boxed product, not OEM. That means you get phone support from Microsoft. It should come with a full WinXP CD that will either upgrade an in-place installation of a qualifying older OS, or else ask to see the CD-ROM for the qualifying older OS if you decide to do a clean install.

Obviously #2 is the better value if you don't need phone support from Microsoft. I don't think you'll find it (legit) for a whole lot less, but shop ZipZoomFly and MWave.com and you might save a few bucks. If you do buy from MWave, they have what looks like an excellent buy on OEM Works Suite 2005, which includes full-version Word as well as the Works spreadsheet/database/calendar stuff, Encarta encyclopedia, a version of MS Money, Streets & Trips and a basic image editor. $45 on DVD, not bad considering what Word would cost by itself

 

[Zucarita9000]

Isn't this one the full retail package for $285?

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: Zucarita9000
Isn't this one the full retail package for $285?

Exactly correct The differences:

• OEM Full Version: can do clean installs. cannot upgrade an existing older OS. no phone support from Microsoft. cheap.
  
• Retail Full Version: can do clean installs. CAN upgrade an existing older OS (provided it's one that qualifies). Microsoft gives phone support. double the price.
  
• Retail Upgrade Version: can do clean installs or upgrades but you must have either a qualifying older OS installed, or a qualifying older OS's CD (and license, to be legit), in order to do so. Microsoft gives phone support. higher price than OEM Full, lower than Retail Full.

Looking at the WinXP Pro Upgrade License Only kit that you mentioned, I think you're right, they assume you have a WinXP media and only need a license there.

 

[Zucarita9000]

Ok thanks. So I guess that $147 is as low as it gets. ZipZoomFly has it for a few bucks less, but it seems it's the original WinXP with no SPs integrated.

 

[TheGreenGoblin]

Have they increased the price for the SP2 version ? The SP1 OEM versions were that price in CANADIAN dollars about a year ago.

 

[LikeLinus]

Originally posted by: Zucarita9000
Ok thanks. So I guess that $147 is as low as it gets. ZipZoomFly has it for a few bucks less, but it seems it's the original WinXP with no SPs integrated.

You realize you can take an WinXP disc and slipstream the SP's onto a burned disc. This is also smart because it keeps your original disc in a safe place and you can use a burned disc for installs!

 

[Zucarita9000]

Originally posted by: LikeLinus

Originally posted by: Zucarita9000
Ok thanks. So I guess that $147 is as low as it gets. ZipZoomFly has it for a few bucks less, but it seems it's the original WinXP with no SPs integrated.

You realize you can take an WinXP disc and slipstream the SP's onto a burned disc. This is also smart because it keeps your original disc in a safe place and you can use a burned disc for installs!

Yes, I kknow about slipstreaming. But some OEM CD's cannot be slipstreamed.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: Zucarita9000

Originally posted by: LikeLinus

Originally posted by: Zucarita9000
Ok thanks. So I guess that $147 is as low as it gets. ZipZoomFly has it for a few bucks less, but it seems it's the original WinXP with no SPs integrated.

You realize you can take an WinXP disc and slipstream the SP's onto a burned disc. This is also smart because it keeps your original disc in a safe place and you can use a burned disc for installs!

Yes, I kknow about slipstreaming. But some OEM CD's cannot be slipstreamed.

Yes they can. I've done it many times.

EDIT: Nevermind, I just re-read your post. Some OEM's provide RESTORE CDs, which cannot be slipstreamed. Most OEM XP install CDs can be slipstreamed, however.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: Zucarita9000

Originally posted by: LikeLinus

Originally posted by: Zucarita9000
Ok thanks. So I guess that $147 is as low as it gets. ZipZoomFly has it for a few bucks less, but it seems it's the original WinXP with no SPs integrated.

You realize you can take an WinXP disc and slipstream the SP's onto a burned disc. This is also smart because it keeps your original disc in a safe place and you can use a burned disc for installs!

Yes, I kknow about slipstreaming. But some OEM CD's cannot be slipstreamed.

It shouldn't be a big deal whether it has SP2 pre-integrated or slipstreamed, since you can install SP2 yourself after initial installation of Windows. I would rather see newbies with SP2 so they have firewall protection and the other benefits right from the start, but it's not a make-or-break thing if they know to take precautions.

 

[intogamer]

Windows XP sp2 is just a little more than sp1. You can take sp1 cd and slipstream to sp2.

 

[funggorgor]

oem is cheaper than retail-boxed windows
oem can only come with pc, you can't buy it alone or sell it alone
If someone sell you oem verion of windows its not legit except he sell you a pc together with it

 

[aloser]

Originally posted by: Zucarita9000
Ok thanks. So I guess that $147 is as low as it gets. ZipZoomFly has it for a few bucks less, but it seems it's the original WinXP with no SPs integrated.

I got mine from Zip and it had SP2 included... (sorta rendered my SP2 cd useless)

 

[morkys]

Are there any drawbacks from using the XP Pro upgrade version? How do I know if it has SP2 and if it doesn't do I just get in from MS online? I own my own personal copy of 98SE

 

[sfgtwsac]

One thing is missing above, the full retail version (upgrade or initial license) can be installed on more than one machine (not at the same time). Whereas the OEM version license it tied to the machine you bought it for, hence the hardware purchase requirement.

 

[Zucarita9000]

Originally posted by: sfgtwsac
One thing is missing above, the full retail version (upgrade or initial license) can be installed on more than one machine (not at the same time). Whereas the OEM version license it tied to the machine you bought it for, hence the hardware purchase requirement.

Wouldn't you need an extra license to do that? I mean, if you install that same Windows on another PC, it will asked to be activated. It'll let you do it three times, and the fourth time it will tell you that you must call MS and asked them for a new key.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: Zucarita9000

Originally posted by: sfgtwsac
One thing is missing above, the full retail version (upgrade or initial license) can be installed on more than one machine (not at the same time). Whereas the OEM version license it tied to the machine you bought it for, hence the hardware purchase requirement.

Wouldn't you need an extra license to do that? I mean, if you install that same Windows on another PC, it will asked to be activated. It'll let you do it three times, and the fourth time it will tell you that you must call MS and asked them for a new key.

Not if you UNINSTALL the OS from the original machine prior to installing it on the new machine. And yes, you may need to call Microsoft to reactivate in that situation, but they should be forthcoming with a valid activation key.

 

[Zucarita9000]

In that case, you're rigth.

Wouldn't you all agree that Windows is still to expensive? I mean, say that you have three computers at home. You'll have to pay $290 for the first "XP Pro Full Retail version" and then an extra $180 for each additional license.

I really think that MS should offer something like "Family Packs", where the first copy should go around $120 and then $50-70 for each additional installation license or something along those lines.

Here where I live (Argentina) pretty much everyone uses pirated versions of XP because retailers and computer stores sell original Windows XP copies at US$ 260+ (sometimes, even OEM copies cost that much) and U.S. dollar is rather expensive here (to get an idea, imagine that you would have to pay $750 for copy of Windows).

I believe that if original copies would costs less, a lot more people would buy it. It's just too expensive here.

Regardless for the price, I did get original copies for both of my computers. I spent around $150 on each, but I'm lucky that my cousin travels to Miami every once in a while and I can buy them online and send them to her P.O. Box. Most people here don't have that option, and they're left with two choices: Spend $800 Pesos (around $260, wich in most cases is full month pay) or get a $5 copy.

 

[PingSpike]

I would agree that windows is still to expensive. I think $99 for the full retail is a fair price. $50-60 for oem. I usually buy oem licenses only, and have gotten them with COAs for around $70-80. It seemed a bit to good to be true, but the website garentued legal software, the COAs looked legit and they had excellent reseller ratings and a long history on the market. http://www.salesintl.com/store.asp was where I got them. The OEM licenses come with nothing but the COA mind you. No manuals, no tech support from MS, no CD even. Its just the license and thats it.

 

[morkys]

Does this look legit or not? Prices are USD.

http://www.popularsoft.biz/

Certainly looks inexpensive but there must be some catch or perhaps its not legit? Looks weird. OEM versions shipped from Europe that are considered "backup" software. Mentions that you can update it even though you can't register it? Whatever it is, its probably not worth the savings?

Anyone used this company?

Also saw this in my Opera Browser ad window:

http://www.salesintl.com/subca...8&1=235&2=1075

Is any of this worth looking at? The second one has Compaq OEM CD's. Surely thats not 100% legit sinc I'm not buying a Compaq PC..lol..

EDIT (I just saw the previous poster after I posted).

 

[Zucarita9000]

Originally posted by: morkys
Does this look legit or not? Prices are USD.

http://www.popularsoft.biz/

Certainly looks inexpensive but there must be some catch or perhaps its not legit? Looks weird. OEM versions shipped from Europe that are considered "backup" software. Mentions that you can update it even though you can't register it? Whatever it is, its probably not worth the savings?

Anyone used this company?

Also saw this in my Opera Browser ad window:

http://www.salesintl.com/subca...8&1=235&2=1075

Is any of this worth looking at? The second one has Compaq OEM CD's. Surely thats not 100% legit sinc I'm not buying a Compaq PC..lol..

EDIT (I just saw the previous poster after I posted).

That looks like pirated software to me.

 

[Zucarita9000]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I would agree that windows is still to expensive. I think $99 for the full retail is a fair price. $50-60 for oem. I usually buy oem licenses only, and have gotten them with COAs for around $70-80. It seemed a bit to good to be true, but the website garentued legal software, the COAs looked legit and they had excellent reseller ratings and a long history on the market. http://www.salesintl.com/store.asp was where I got them. The OEM licenses come with nothing but the COA mind you. No manuals, no tech support from MS, no CD even. Its just the license and thats it.

Yeah, MS should sell Windows the way Apple sell their OS X. I don't mean they shoudl charge $99 for every upgrade (or SP), simply that they offer much simpler packages, such as:

"The Family Pack is an easy and inexpensive way of using a single copy of Mac OS X Panther v10.3 to install the operating system on up to 5 Macintosh computers"

And that's $199. A single license goes for $129.

Of you want to do the same with Windows, you'll have to buy the full retail for $285 (or an OEM for $147) and then around $180 for each additional license. (Although with the prices of the individual license being so high, you would probably buy 5 OEM copies...)

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: Zucarita9000

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I would agree that windows is still to expensive. I think $99 for the full retail is a fair price. $50-60 for oem. I usually buy oem licenses only, and have gotten them with COAs for around $70-80. It seemed a bit to good to be true, but the website garentued legal software, the COAs looked legit and they had excellent reseller ratings and a long history on the market. http://www.salesintl.com/store.asp was where I got them. The OEM licenses come with nothing but the COA mind you. No manuals, no tech support from MS, no CD even. Its just the license and thats it.

Yeah, MS should sell Windows the way Apple sell their OS X. I don't mean they shoudl charge $99 for every upgrade (or SP), simply that they offer much simpler packages, such as:

"The Family Pack is an easy and inexpensive way of using a single copy of Mac OS X Panther v10.3 to install the operating system on up to 5 Macintosh computers"

And that's $199. A single license goes for $129.

Of you want to do the same with Windows, you'll have to buy the full retail for $285 (or an OEM for $147) and then around $180 for each additional license. (Although with the prices of the individual license being so high, you would probably buy 5 OEM copies...)

A family pack is a good idea, especially since multiple home computers are so much more common nowadays.

However, a full retail version of XP Home costs $199, with upgrade and OEM versions at $99. There's no need to purchase XP Professional for the home (except for that small subset of home users who require Pro's features). While $99 is pricey, it's still not unreasonable for the most critical piece of software on your PC. There should be less expensive options for multiple home licenses, however.