Carey
Thank you kindly for the information. I'm wondering why, after sifting through the support website for a solid 20 minutes and inputting "licensing costs" into the search application, that I couldn't find anything definitive on my own. The information you have provided is helpful, yet Microsoft is typically cryptic with regard to "cut-and-dry" explanations. There are several licensing "plans" to choose from. Why don't they just say, very simply, look - this is what it will cost to outfit your business with 1 server - this is what it will cost to outfit with one workstation using WinXP. Then, any third-grader with marginal mathematical insight (like myself) could precisely figure out the costs for their business environment. Why is it always a friggin' guessing game
In addition, the notion of licensing is a complete rip-off to the consumer. I can understand making the consumer purchase one piece of software per each workstation or server. Let's face it - it's not fair to the developers and distributors to copy software in an attempt to avoid rightful purchasing. But we're not talking about piracy here. We're talking about consumers who have already purchased the software and now have to get raked over the coals with outrageous fees every year or two - just to have the "right" to use the product
Why can't the paper industry do the same thing. Let's say that 3M or Hammermill decides, "Ya know, you can buy our paper - but you're also going to have to pay a fee to use the paper for business purposes." I mean, heck - we certainly can't have people profiting off of OUR intellectual property. Christ, a lot of ingenuity went into the design and production of the 8 1/2" x 11" kindling that your marketing plan is printed on. What about the furniture industry? I mean, jeez - we gotta give those boys who design and produce the office chairs, desks and partitions some extra money for sitting our fat asses down on their furniture in the process of typing reports and answering phones
Anyway, since I already know that you can't create a post like this without someone outside of the original thread flaming you, I'll await the immature comments about me personally instead of comments about the content of the post. It'll be entertaining reading nonetheless
Carey, thanks again for the information -- I still have to figure out what it's going to cost me EXACTLY
Bill
