Low income users (pensioners) - how do you cope with cost of XP?

[ferrymanr]

When my old system (P III with Windows 2000 pro) failed after several years
of good service I was given a refurbished AMD Duron based motherboard. This
runs much faster and my old Windows 2000 installed OK. I run mostly public
domain software and Open Office to keep the costs down. However I am now
finding that I am getting applications that only run on XP. Because of the
way I network to other machines I am advised that I should upgrade to
Windows XP professional. Now this is where Microsoft just prices me and
many others out of the market. As a pensioner I receive a pension which,
after paying rent and bills leaves just enough for minor essentials like
food. To purchase a standard copy of XP Professional would take about a
year of saving by which time the price will have increased anyway. Even the
educational version costs as much as I spend on food in a month. Now this is
in England. So how do low income earners, particularly in 3rd world
countries, manage to use modern software. Illegal copies are out of the
question. You can't even buy second hand copies on eBay as they are locked
into the original hardware.
Although I realise that the cost of software development and support is high
it amazes me that, for example, corporate users who earn money by the
software, can get massive bulk discounts on multi user licences whereas Joe
Public, and particularly low income earners, should have to pay full price
for what is a hobby and a lifeline to the outside world.
Richard C. Ferryman

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Why not Home Edition?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Windows-Hom...6-2473855-4331636?ie=UTF8&n=300435&s=software
if link broken try:
http://snipurl.com/15nmm

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Alias]

When my old system (P III with Windows 2000 pro) failed after several years
of good service I was given a refurbished AMD Duron based motherboard. This
runs much faster and my old Windows 2000 installed OK. I run mostly public
domain software and Open Office to keep the costs down. However I am now
finding that I am getting applications that only run on XP. Because of the
way I network to other machines I am advised that I should upgrade to
Windows XP professional. Now this is where Microsoft just prices me and
many others out of the market. As a pensioner I receive a pension which,
after paying rent and bills leaves just enough for minor essentials like
food. To purchase a standard copy of XP Professional would take about a
year of saving by which time the price will have increased anyway. Even the
educational version costs as much as I spend on food in a month. Now this is
in England. So how do low income earners, particularly in 3rd world
countries, manage to use modern software. Illegal copies are out of the
question. You can't even buy second hand copies on eBay as they are locked
into the original hardware.
Although I realise that the cost of software development and support is high
it amazes me that, for example, corporate users who earn money by the
software, can get massive bulk discounts on multi user licences whereas Joe
Public, and particularly low income earners, should have to pay full price
for what is a hobby and a lifeline to the outside world.
Richard C. Ferryman

Check out http://www.ubuntu.com/ Order the free CD. It will be sent to
you for free and they will pay the postage. To install it, just slip the
CD in the CDROM and click on install. It will push Windows to one side
and then you will be able to choose between Windows and Ubuntu when you
boot up. Ubuntu has hundreds of programs.

Alias

 

[Edwin vMierlo]

Dear Richard,

I understand and feel your frustration, unfortunately there is not much we
can do on current prices.

First of all, why don't you let us know what problems you are experiencing
and with what applications.
Basically, what are your reasons that you think you must upgrade to XP-Pro ?

There might be solutions for you without upgrading.

Let us know your experiences, your conclusions, apps, and any other details
which might be important, and we can look for low-cost or even free
solutions if possible

Merry Xmas,
Rgds,
Edwin.

 

[Frankster]

It is very rare for any application to require XP in lieu of Win2000. Can
you elaborate on why you believe you must upgrade? Personally, I still
believe Win2000 is probably the best MS OS out-of-the-gate.

-Frank

 

[Alias]

It is very rare for any application to require XP in lieu of Win2000. Can
you elaborate on why you believe you must upgrade? Personally, I still
believe Win2000 is probably the best MS OS out-of-the-gate.

-Frank

The fax is better in XP. XP recognizes more hardware. XP has MSCONFIG
while W2K does not, although it can use XP's.

Out of the gate, W2K doesn't have Auto Update.

Alias

 

[Kerry Brown]

I want a Ferrari but I can't afford it so I make do with my ten year old
Jeep. Life is sometimes not fair and there's not much we can do about it.
Their are alternatives. Linux is one good alternative. Keeping your existing
Windows 2000 and living with the limitations is another. Your question is
more of a philosophical one than a technical one. What problems are you
experiencing that need XP Pro to solve?

 

[Frankster]

The fax is better in XP. XP recognizes more hardware. XP has MSCONFIG

while W2K does not, although it can use XP's.

Ho hum... don't matter much. There are ways...

Out of the gate, W2K doesn't have Auto Update.

Thank god. Auto Update causes more trouble than it solves.

-Frank

 

[Leythos]

When my old system (P III with Windows 2000 pro) failed after several years
of good service I was given a refurbished AMD Duron based motherboard. This
runs much faster and my old Windows 2000 installed OK. I run mostly public
domain software and Open Office to keep the costs down. However I am now
finding that I am getting applications that only run on XP. Because of the
way I network to other machines I am advised that I should upgrade to
Windows XP professional. Now this is where Microsoft just prices me and
many others out of the market. As a pensioner I receive a pension which,
after paying rent and bills leaves just enough for minor essentials like
food. To purchase a standard copy of XP Professional would take about a
year of saving by which time the price will have increased anyway.

Very few people actually NEED a computer, it's a nice to have item.

In your case, you need better hardware/OS, to run applications that you
use to "network" with other machines - so it sounds like you don't just
have 1 machine.

Now, as to your pension - well, you're old enough to not lecture about
planning, but, why can't you get part-time work or some other work that
would give you a couple hundred bucks and then you could afford what you
want.

Oh, and don't think that Corporate users get that BIG discount -
actually, your OEM copy of Windows XP Prof is $149 most places, when I
order XP Prof + SA + OL, it's a lot more than $149 per copy (under 1000
units).

So, if you're in good enough shape to have several computers to "Network
with" and have a real need, then get a part-time job so that you can
afford what you want.

 

[V Green]

Very few people actually NEED a computer, it's a nice to have item.

In your case, you need better hardware/OS, to run applications that you
use to "network" with other machines - so it sounds like you don't just
have 1 machine.

Now, as to your pension - well, you're old enough to not lecture about
planning, but, why can't you get part-time work or some other work that
would give you a couple hundred bucks and then you could afford what you
want.

Oh, and don't think that Corporate users get that BIG discount -
actually, your OEM copy of Windows XP Prof is $149 most places, when I
order XP Prof + SA + OL, it's a lot more than $149 per copy (under 1000
units).

So, if you're in good enough shape to have several computers to "Network
with" and have a real need, then get a part-time job so that you can
afford what you want.

\sarcasm on

Nice.

Merry Christmas to you too, Leythos.

\sarcasm off

 

[Leythos]

\sarcasm on

Nice.

Merry Christmas to you too, Leythos.

\sarcasm off

It's got nothing to do with being PC or Christmas - if someone has
retired there is nothing keeping them from getting a part time job to
afford something they "want" vs something they need to survive.

 

[Alias]

It's got nothing to do with being PC or Christmas - if someone has
retired there is nothing keeping them from getting a part time job to
afford something they "want" vs something they need to survive.

You're assuming the OP is capable of working. You're also assuming that
there are part time jobs availabe for the OP. You're also assuming the
OP paid for the computers he or she has. You assume a lot.

Alias

 

[Gerry Cornell]

You're 3,000 miles off the map on this one Leythos <G>.
Better buy yourself a satnav for Xmas.


--

Kindest Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[ferrymanr]

So, if you're in good enough shape to have several computers to "Network
with" and have a real need, then get a part-time job so that you can
afford what you want.

Actually I don't have 'several computers' but I do have access via an
amateur radio link to one network and via internet to another. I spend some
of my time editing video footage for the local museum - voluntary work - and
the software downloads to my machine from their network to do the editing.
Now that they are using the latest software to handle HDV I find it only
runs under Windows XP. Reading the literature it seems that XP is becoming
mandatory for many/most HDV editing tools.

I tried using Open Suse linux 10.1 for personal work. It is a great system
and takes me back to my working days when I used HPUX and AIX but will not
run applications that only run under Windows. Of course I could use VMWare
and have a virual machine but that would still need XP installed as a guest
system.

I am also getting good results with an old WiFi router and home made high
gain antenna to link into a friends PC (quad 2 duo and XP Pro) and I am able
to run several applications remotely. If successful this will ultimately
replace my internet link to the museum.

Richard

 

[ferrymanr]

So, if you're in good enough shape to have several computers to "Network
with" and have a real need, then get a part-time job so that you can
afford what you want.

Actually I don't have 'several computers' but I do have access via an
amateur radio link to one network and via internet to another. I spend some
of my time editing video footage for the local museum - voluntary work - and
the software downloads to my machine from their network to do the editing.
Now that they are using the latest software to handle HDV I find it only
runs under Windows XP. Reading the literature it seems that XP is becoming
mandatory for many/most HDV editing tools.

I tried using Open Suse linux 10.1 for personal work. It is a great system
and takes me back to my working days when I used HPUX and AIX but will not
run applications that only run under Windows. Of course I could use VMWare
and have a virual machine but that would still need XP installed as a guest
system.

I am also getting good results with an old WiFi router and home made high
gain antenna to link into a friends PC (quad 2 duo and XP Pro) and I am able
to run several applications remotely. If successful this will ultimately
replace my internet link to the museum.

Richard

 

[Cymbal Man Freq.]

I've seen some computer being sold at Best Buy for $200 after a $200 rebate. I
wouldn't buy it, but....

Yeah, M$ needs to allow for low-income subsidies in the purchase price. A lot of
stuff is becoming computer-only these days. Can't even get catalogs from stores
anymore unless online.

I look forward to buying my last computer ever in 2007.

 

[Rock]

I've seen some computer being sold at Best Buy for $200 after a $200
rebate. I
wouldn't buy it, but....

Yeah, M$ needs to allow for low-income subsidies in the purchase price. A
lot of
stuff is becoming computer-only these days. Can't even get catalogs from
stores
anymore unless online.

I look forward to buying my last computer ever in 2007.

Why are you using the M$ designation? That's juvenile and takes away from
any credibility you might have.

 

[Daave]

Because of the way I network to other machines I am advised that
I should upgrade to Windows XP professional.

Chances are you received faulty advice.

What are your *specific* networking needs? More often than not, XP Home
is adequate for most people's networking needs.

 

[GSV Three Minds in a Can]

Why are you using the M$ designation? That's juvenile and takes away
from any credibility you might have.

Change the record, it's stuck in the groove. YOU might find it juvenile,
fine, everyone else has no problem.

For the OP, I'm surprised that Win2k is believed to be inadequate, since
there really isn't all that much that XP Pro can do which Win2k can't be
persuaded to do with a bit of a shove.

(Yep, there are a few things .. the only ones that caused me to actually
upgrade was Cleartype and a much better help/support facility). In some
instances XP is demonstrably more broken than 2k (search springs to
mind).

 

[V Green]

Why are you using the M$ designation? That's juvenile and takes away from
any credibility you might have.

In your opinion only, O Almighty Judge Of Everything That Goes
On On This Newsgroup ("juvenile" response intentional).

It has been my observation that posters who have had
"issues" with a MS product, and now are pissed off at
them, often offer workable solutions to said problems
that the rest of us can use.

Those who worship at the MS altar tend to only respond with
missives such as:

"Doesn't happen here. Must be YOUR fault."

"Doesn't belong on this newsgroup. Take your
problem elsewhere."

"This isn't a chat room. Do you have an XP OS question?"

etc.

etc.

and, lest we forget this helpful response:

"Why are you using the M$ designation? That's juvenile and
takes away from any credibility you might have."