Buying Win XP Pro Questions

HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
edited December 2004 in Science & Tech
I'm looking into buying the full win xp pro package. I'm building 4 pcs for my home network. I also build and maintain my inlaws pc-1, and my brothers pc-1, which they only use for basic pc stuff. Going online, card games, etc. the reason I want all to have win xp pro is that it's much easier to work on them, having the same OS that I'm running on my pcs and I don't have to remember win98, millenium, xp home setup, etc. I was reading the $300 win xp pro package at the store and it states that you can only put it on 1 machine! How do I leagally get it on the 6 pcs so I can update them, etc.? I'm surely not going to buy a separate copie for every pc! Tried looking at Windows XP site to figure it out and it's so confusing I can't get anything from it. Can anyone point me in the right direction for licensing and cost?

Comments

  • ChemicalChildChemicalChild Canada
    edited November 2004
    your local retailer will sell Win XP Pro licsences I would not know American prices however.
  • PCmaster0405PCmaster0405 Ohio
    edited December 2004
    Ok, The previous reply is correct, they will sell them to you. Also you can contact Microsoft Directly and ask about Licenseing. Sometimes if you do it right you can can a little bit of money off. Also, if all of the computers have been reformatted and then installed with the full version of Windows XP Pro or Home, then they should be almost identical with a few differences here and there, because of Windows XP when installed directly and not upgraded, you are based on the new file system of NTFS, but if you upgrade then you will most likely be based on the old FAT32 file system. which is different. I have Windows XP Pro on both my Primary and Secondary system and also my Notebook, but my mothers pc has Windows XP Home on it and it is basically the same setup. I would look into just using Home for the general use pcs and PRO for the more worked pc's in your life. Thats just my opinion though.

    You decide, and your money either way. Sorry but thats Microsoft for ya. they control the market and still cost you alot of money.
  • kanezfankanezfan sunny south florida Icrontian
    edited December 2004
    Hey Hawk, long time no see! Anyways, yes you're have to buy one copy for each computer, that's the way it works legally. It's the same for 99.9% of software out there, games, OSs, apps, etc... However, you don't have to spend $300 per copy. Most online retailers will sell you an OEM copy, which is perfectly legal, for like $90. The catch is that you only get the CD with the serial. No box or manual. They're only supposed to sell you OEM copys with hardware though, so they get around it by selling you a $2 mouse or something along those lines. But now you can see the reason why so many people pirate software. That and it's just too damn easy to do.
  • HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
    edited December 2004
    Thnx for the replys guys. Got the OEM copy for $140. I needed some hardware anyway, so I got it with the hardware.
    Hey Kanez, Good to see you too bud. I'm here @ icrontic and over @ shortmedia lurkin around behind the scenes. Hehe. I post in the threads from time to time, to help others if I can, and to chat it up a little.
    PCmaster, I format all my HD's NTFS, so there's no problem there.
    Thnx again guys. I appreciate the input.
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