I will pay the extra $10 and get a real CD for XP Home Upgrade. Maybe this time the CD won't be all scratched up like my first one was. I was surprise it installed at all. That package idea they had was a real winner?!!?! I advise anyone buying a copy to shake their box to make sure the CD is seated on the rubber mount.
This is of course a ridiculous program in the face of all the various bundling deals going on these days (hmm, spend the extra $10 for a boxed upgrade copy of PRO and get another 256MB RAM, another USB Scanner, another licensed copy of Norton Antivirus for free, etc).
Not to mention that OEM copies are ABUNDANT in the $130-$150 range, tack on $20 for shipping and a cheesy mouse (OEM copies can only be sold with a new system or certain hardware) to make it legal and you still save $20-40 over this doscounted license.
Certain people are going to pirate this OS no matter what MS comes up with, that inevitable, but if MS would only get real and price these along much more respectable lines they might actually convert some of the borderline pirates into legitimate users and make a couple of dollars in the process.
Something along the lines of $179 & $79 for PRO/PRO Upgrade and $109/$49 for HOME/HOME Upgrade is a much more reasonable scheme.
If you think about it, since there's no packaging, no media, no distributor markup and no retailer markup, MS is making SIGNIFICANTLY more money on each of these "additional licenses" than they will on any boxed copies if you buy them from shop.microsoft.com
I have no issue with MS's right to make a buck and no issue with WPA... but this licensing methodology is insulting. Good job MS, stick it to the guys who actually want to do the right thing. Top notch!
This is of course a ridiculous program in the face of all the various bundling deals going on these days (hmm, spend the extra $10 for a boxed upgrade copy of PRO and get another 256MB RAM, another USB Scanner, another licensed copy of Norton Antivirus for free, etc).
Not to mention that OEM copies are ABUNDANT in the $130-$150 range, tack on $20 for shipping and a cheesy mouse (OEM copies can only be sold with a new system or certain hardware) to make it legal and you still save $20-40 over this doscounted license.
Certain people are going to pirate this OS no matter what MS comes up with, that inevitable, but if MS would only get real and price these along much more respectable lines they might actually convert some of the borderline pirates into legitimate users and make a couple of dollars in the process.
Something along the lines of $179 & $79 for PRO/PRO Upgrade and $109/$49 for HOME/HOME Upgrade is a much more reasonable scheme.
If you think about it, since there's no packaging, no media, no distributor markup and no retailer markup, MS is making SIGNIFICANTLY more money on each of these "additional licenses" than they will on any boxed copies if you buy them from shop.microsoft.com
I have no issue with MS's right to make a buck and no issue with WPA... but this licensing methodology is insulting. Good job MS, stick it to the guys who actually want to do the right thing. Top notch!
Not to mention that OEM copies are ABUNDANT in the $130-$150 range, tack on $20 for shipping and a cheesy mouse (OEM copies can only be sold with a new system or certain hardware) to make it legal and you still save $20-40 over this doscounted license.
Certain people are going to pirate this OS no matter what MS comes up with, that inevitable, but if MS would only get real and price these along much more respectable lines they might actually convert some of the borderline pirates into legitimate users and make a couple of dollars in the process.
Something along the lines of $179 & $79 for PRO/PRO Upgrade and $109/$49 for HOME/HOME Upgrade is a much more reasonable scheme.
If you think about it, since there's no packaging, no media, no distributor markup and no retailer markup, MS is making SIGNIFICANTLY more money on each of these "additional licenses" than they will on any boxed copies if you buy them from shop.microsoft.com
I have no issue with MS's right to make a buck and no issue with WPA... but this licensing methodology is insulting. Good job MS, stick it to the guys who actually want to do the right thing. Top notch!
Not to mention that OEM copies are ABUNDANT in the $130-$150 range, tack on $20 for shipping and a cheesy mouse (OEM copies can only be sold with a new system or certain hardware) to make it legal and you still save $20-40 over this doscounted license.
Certain people are going to pirate this OS no matter what MS comes up with, that inevitable, but if MS would only get real and price these along much more respectable lines they might actually convert some of the borderline pirates into legitimate users and make a couple of dollars in the process.
Something along the lines of $179 & $79 for PRO/PRO Upgrade and $109/$49 for HOME/HOME Upgrade is a much more reasonable scheme.
If you think about it, since there's no packaging, no media, no distributor markup and no retailer markup, MS is making SIGNIFICANTLY more money on each of these "additional licenses" than they will on any boxed copies if you buy them from shop.microsoft.com
I have no issue with MS's right to make a buck and no issue with WPA... but this licensing methodology is insulting. Good job MS, stick it to the guys who actually want to do the right thing. Top notch!