Looking for Inexpensive (but legal) XP Pro

[TJ]

I need to get a * LEGAL *, Full version of Windows XP Professional, as
inexpensively as possible. Does anyone know of a good source?

I've seen some of the OEM discounters selling things like "Dell OEM"
versions, such as this:

http://www.agsolutionspc.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=8&dc=236663

But I'm wondering how that works. If I install it on a custom non-Dell PC,
can I re-activate it later if I change hardware mobo/cpu, etc? I want
inexpensive, but I also need the full version to be fully useable without
restrictions, just as if I bought the retail box. I don't really need MS
technical support, that's not important to me.

But fully legal is a must. Please don't respond with anything remotely
illegal.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Guest]

Ones that say DEll are OEM versions, they work on any computer with "made for
WinXP" parts in them, the cheapest I have seen is $75 from the classifieds
section of pricewatch.com
Rho_1r(VIP) not MVP
I hope longhorn is not a bum steer,,lol

 

[D.Currie]

The only way you're going to get a full retail version cheap is if the
seller is willing to take a loss on it for some reason. There's not a huge
markup on that software, so there aren't going to be deep discounts from
legitimate sources. If some retail store is having a sale on XP to get
people in the door, that might do it, but otherwise I think you'll find that
just about everyone sells it at about the same price.

Those Dell OEM cds are illegal for sure. Either they're forged, or they were
stolen at some point. Dell certainly isn't selling them out the back door,
and if they were, they'd be battling with MS about it pretty quickly.

You could by a generic OEM cd, if you can live with the limitations of OEM,
but beware of ridiculously low prices, as those are probably also from
less-than-legal sellers. There are websites that are selling OEM cds that
are allegedly coming from eastern Europe somewhere. Sure, and they somehow
got shipped a whole warehouse full of North American English CDs by mistake,
right?

Another option for less expensive is to buy an upgrade, if you have a
previous version available to use for verification.

Or you might find somebody who bought a retail version that they don't need
or want any more -- they might be willing to sell it to you for
significantly under their cost. Just make sure you trust the seller.

 

[Tim Slattery]

I need to get a * LEGAL *, Full version of Windows XP Professional, as
inexpensively as possible. Does anyone know of a good source?

I've seen some of the OEM discounters selling things like "Dell OEM"
versions, such as this:

http://www.agsolutionspc.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=8&dc=236663

But I'm wondering how that works. If I install it on a custom non-Dell PC,
can I re-activate it later if I change hardware mobo/cpu, etc?

Probably not. OEM versions are licensed only to the first machine they
are installed on. Swapping or adding a disk or swapping the CPU
wouldn't disqualify you, but does changing the motherboard constitute
switching to another machine? I don't know.

I want
inexpensive, but I also need the full version to be fully useable without
restrictions, just as if I bought the retail box.

If you want to get rid of all the restrictions, you need to buy the
retail version. Period. OEM systems have restrictions.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I need to get a * LEGAL *, Full version of Windows XP Professional, as
inexpensively as possible. Does anyone know of a good source?

I've seen some of the OEM discounters selling things like "Dell OEM"
versions, such as this:

http://www.agsolutionspc.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=8&dc=236663

But I'm wondering how that works.

That is one explicitly intended for supply with Dell machines, and is
not legitimate sold with anything else, even if it is a generic 'OEM'
disk. You can get 'OEM' versions, sold with modest hardware, but you do
need to be very careful of the credentials of the supplier - there are a
*lot* of spurious/pirated copies around. If you are needing to be sure
of legality I would go get a regular copy from one of the reputable
discount stores: I have *heard* of proper OEM copies being sold at
WalMart, but have no confirmation

 

[\old\ devildog]

Yes you can buy Win Xp Pro at Wally World ... was just looking at it in my
small town store yesterday ... they have a better computer department here
than most Wally Worlds ... mybe because we are 45 minutes from the next
"big" town .... and an hour and a half from Tulsa ......well living in the
sticks still has advantages ......
--
****************
"old" devildog
Semper Fi
****************
****************
|I need to get a * LEGAL *, Full version of Windows XP Professional, as
| inexpensively as possible. Does anyone know of a good source?
|
| I've seen some of the OEM discounters selling things like "Dell OEM"
| versions, such as this:
|
|
http://www.agsolutionspc.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=8&dc=236663
|
| But I'm wondering how that works. If I install it on a custom non-Dell PC,
| can I re-activate it later if I change hardware mobo/cpu, etc? I want
| inexpensive, but I also need the full version to be fully useable without
| restrictions, just as if I bought the retail box. I don't really need MS
| technical support, that's not important to me.
|
| But fully legal is a must. Please don't respond with anything remotely
| illegal.
|
| Thanks for any suggestions.
|
|

 

[Jim Macklin]

You can buy a Microsoft OEM which is a full version from
several authorized sources, I bought mine from
www.newegg.com Do not buy on eBay and do not buy any that
are branded by Dell, Compaq, HP or any other computer maker,
those are legal only on computers they supply.
If you are a high school or college student you might
qualify for an academic product through your school.

A retail upgrade will get you a full install IF you have a
prior version of Windows (genuine full install) on a CD,
such as W95,98 or ME/ You might find a CD at a flea-market
or on-line and that would qualify for the upgrade.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


""old" devildog" <teymayATcable*nospam*one.net> wrote in
message | Yes you can buy Win Xp Pro at Wally World ... was just
looking at it in my
| small town store yesterday ... they have a better computer
department here
| than most Wally Worlds ... mybe because we are 45 minutes
from the next
| "big" town .... and an hour and a half from Tulsa
.......well living in the
| sticks still has advantages ......
| --
| ****************
| "old" devildog
| Semper Fi
| ****************
| ****************
| ||I need to get a * LEGAL *, Full version of Windows XP
Professional, as
|| inexpensively as possible. Does anyone know of a good
source?
||
|| I've seen some of the OEM discounters selling things like
"Dell OEM"
|| versions, such as this:
||
||
|
http://www.agsolutionspc.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=8&dc=236663
||
|| But I'm wondering how that works. If I install it on a
custom non-Dell PC,
|| can I re-activate it later if I change hardware mobo/cpu,
etc? I want
|| inexpensive, but I also need the full version to be fully
useable without
|| restrictions, just as if I bought the retail box. I don't
really need MS
|| technical support, that's not important to me.
||
|| But fully legal is a must. Please don't respond with
anything remotely
|| illegal.
||
|| Thanks for any suggestions.
||
||
|
|