Product key question

  • Thread starter Thread starter ek@nm
  • Start date Start date
E

ek@nm

The product key tag that came with my copy of windows XP
says, "Windows XP PRofessional 1-2CPU". What does that
mean? I can install it in a system with 2 CPUs? I can
install it on 2 CPUs not on the same system? Or what?
 
Jupiter said:
One computer.
The one computer may use one or two CPUs.
Click to expand...


I think this should be retermed '1 or 2 *PROCESSORS*' because there appear
to be quite a few people who refer to the entire system as 'the CPU',
therefore they would assume that '1 or 2 CPUs' means '1 or 2 SYSTEMS'. -
you only have to Google to see how often that assumption is made.
 
it says "Windows XP Professional 1-2 CPU"

Which if you do not use the acronym says "Windows XP Professional 1-2
Central Processing Units".

Abbreviation of central processing unit, and pronounced as separate letters.
The CPU is the brains of the computer. Sometimes referred to simply as the
processor or central processor, the CPU is where most calculations take
place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of
a computer system.

<rant>
I see no reason to change the wording to read what it already does more
explicitly. At no point does it say "Windows XP Professional for use on 1-2
Computers"

In many cases I'll side with the fact that users don't need to know techie
talk, but if they don't understand the term CPU they should not assume it
means "whole darn computer" if you don't understand a technical term the
proper solution is to use the World Wide Web to find an answer.

</rant>

Diane


Jupiter said:
One computer.
The one computer may use one or two CPUs.
Click to expand...


I think this should be retermed '1 or 2 *PROCESSORS*' because there appear
to be quite a few people who refer to the entire system as 'the CPU',
therefore they would assume that '1 or 2 CPUs' means '1 or 2 SYSTEMS'. -
you only have to Google to see how often that assumption is made.
 
<rant>
In many cases I'll side with the fact that users don't need to
know techie talk, but if they don't understand the term CPU they
should not assume it means "whole darn computer" if you don't
understand a technical term the proper solution is to use the
World Wide Web to find an answer.
</rant>
Click to expand...

From the Free Online Dictionary of Computing:
(http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/index.html)

<quote>
system unit
[hardware] The main body of a computer, consisting of a plastic or
metal enclosure, the motherboard, and (typically) internal disk
drives, a power supply, cooling fans, and whatever circuit boards
plugged into the mother board, such as a video card.

The system unit is occasionally referred to as the CPU, though this
really means central processing unit.
</quote>

If the usage of CPU to mean "whole darn computer" is common enough to
be included in a computing lexicon, I think it's reasonable to assume
that it might cause confusion among even fairly savy users.

Languanges evolve. Sometimes you have to run to keep up.
 
Diane said:
it says "Windows XP Professional 1-2 CPU"

Which if you do not use the acronym says "Windows XP Professional 1-2
Central Processing Units".

Abbreviation of central processing unit, and pronounced as separate
letters. The CPU is the brains of the computer. Sometimes referred to
simply as the processor or central processor, the CPU is where most
calculations take place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the
most important element of a computer system.

<rant>
I see no reason to change the wording to read what it already does
more explicitly. At no point does it say "Windows XP Professional for
use on 1-2 Computers"

In many cases I'll side with the fact that users don't need to know
techie talk, but if they don't understand the term CPU they should
not assume it means "whole darn computer" if you don't understand a
technical term the proper solution is to use the World Wide Web to
find an answer.

</rant>

Diane
Click to expand...


Diane - you're missing the point. I've read enough posts along the lines of
"I've just installed Windows (Pro) on my CPU and it says I can install it on
two CPUs, but I can't register (i.e. activate, but people don't appear to
know the difference) the second one. How do I do that?"

What I am saying is that some people think that CPU = computer and vice
versa.

Capiche?
 
Back
Top