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03-04-2005, 05:04 PM
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#1 |
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Techphile.
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay
Posts: 5,962
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XP Pro, OEM or regular version?
I was looking on Pricegrabber for the full version of Windows XP Professional. There is a huge price difference between the OEM version and the non-OEM versions.
I understand when you buyOEM computer parts there is usually something missing and/or the warranty is only good for a few months at best. When you buy an OEM version of Microsoft XP Pro, what is missing other than packaging? All you really need is the CD and the code...right? What potential problems are there with buying the OEM version of XP Pro? Thanks, David
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Asus P8P67 WS Revolution | Intel 2600K @ 4.7 GHz | Win 7 Pro 64 |8 gigs Corsair 1600 | Two Diamond 6990's in Crossfire| Corsair AX1200 | Thermalright Silver Arrow | Western Digital Black 2TB 64 meg cache | Lian-Li PC-A71B | Logitec Z-5500 | Three Asus 26" VW266H monitors running under Eyefinity | Last edited by David M; 03-04-2005 at 05:21 PM. Reason: big, ugly, embarrasing, grammatical error. |
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03-04-2005, 05:30 PM
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#2 |
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Member (10 bit)
Premium Member
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Burb of Detroit, Mi
Posts: 874
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Here's my .02 cents.
I would buy the OEM Version of Windows XP Pro, it just as good as the Retail Version and you save money. I could be wrong, but I think the only real big difference in the two is that you won't get tech support from Micro$oft unless you pay for it with the OEM Version, but to me that isn't that big of a loss.
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Life is a Fig Newton of Your Imagination! |
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03-04-2005, 05:42 PM
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#3 |
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HOT ROD
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: On the Edge
Posts: 4,565
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For me I go OEM over retail, I don't depend on MS support. It's the same package cept for the support & pretty box.
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Fast enough 2 get by.....old enough 2 know what not 2 try -You know it was me 
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03-04-2005, 08:07 PM
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#4 |
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Member (12 bit)
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 2,437
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There is a difference in the product; but it's in the licensing and warranty of the product, not the functioning. Unless you move your OS around to different computers all the time, OEM is just fine.
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03-04-2005, 09:54 PM
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#5 |
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Member (11 bit)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Shakopee MN
Posts: 1,293
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OEM - Warranty is from the people who sold you the pc- but since you bought the OEM version yourself this means you are the warranter (if that is the word). IN the normal case if you bought say a Dell with XP pro- you would go to them with XP problems not Microsoft.
Packaging - OEM comes without the really nice cardboard box, the really helpful 30 page manual and without a nifty CD holder that has the license sticker on it made out of cardboard. So.... Box- tossed in garbage - Book - read only so far to relaize it is not going to be any use - Nifty CD holder you have to either keep or cut up so you can get the install key into/onto a regular jewel case. Warranty - does it install? Product Support - as mentioned above you can not go to Microsoft for support unless you want to pay - but you have PCMech for free. Cost - about 100 dollars still in your pocket - unless you use it to upgrade something else :-) make the call....
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03-05-2005, 12:10 AM
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#6 |
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Red-eyed Moderator
Staff
Premium Member
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Posts: 17,576
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Don't bother with retail... all you really get is free phone tech support. Rarely will you ever need it as the majority of answers are in the MS Knowledge base anyway... for everything else, there is Google and PCM.
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03-05-2005, 12:13 AM
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#7 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 11
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XP-pro
May be wrong but does the pro version not have some code in the O.S. to allow it to be a better server platform compared to XP-Home edition
That would only matter anyway if you were hosting a network drive. |
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03-05-2005, 02:03 AM
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#8 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: New York NY
Posts: 334
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Retail version can also do an upgrade of an existing qualified OS, whereas OEM should only be capable of doing clean installs.
At this point I assume your new CD & license will come with Service Pack 2.
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03-05-2005, 10:11 AM
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#9 |
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Techphile.
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay
Posts: 5,962
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Thanks for all of your excellent input. I have decided to go with the OEM version in my new build. Funny thing, I always thought Microsoft charged for customer support so I never called them for help anyway..
 David Last edited by David M; 03-05-2005 at 10:17 AM. |
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