Buying XP Pro - Need help on changes since product started sold

  • Thread starter Thread starter young
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Y

young

I want to buy Microsoft XP Pro Full Retail Professional Version.

I see plenty available on EBay, Priceline, etc, but I want to be sure
that the copy I buy is CURRENT so that I do not have to
download/install service packs and whatevere else.

So I guess I am asking what do I need to know to be clear on what
constitutes 'CURRENT', and if and where I can buy such an animal.

Maybe even some advice on what to avoid?

These might be stupid questions - I hope not.

Thanks
 
Greetings --

There really isn't any such thing as a "current" installation CD.
Operating System installation CDs are not constantly redesigned and
remanufactured to add each and every service pack and/or hot fix.
Those CDs pressed since the public release of Service Pack 1 are
likely to contain that the service pack, but certainly won't have the
dozens of subsequent hot fixes. And even these CDs were identified
only on the CD itself, not on the external packaging.

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
In (e-mail address removed), (e-mail address removed)
wrote:
I want to buy Microsoft XP Pro Full Retail Professional Version.

I see plenty available on EBay, Priceline, etc, but I want to be sure
that the copy I buy is CURRENT so that I do not have to
download/install service packs and whatevere else.

So I guess I am asking what do I need to know to be clear on what
constitutes 'CURRENT', and if and where I can buy such an animal.

Maybe even some advice on what to avoid?

These might be stupid questions - I hope not.
Click to expand...


Probably the best you could do would be to buy one with SP1
already on it. Later hotfixes wouldn't be on the CD, and would
have to be downloaded. And although it's likely by now that most
CDs will come with SP1, it's almost impossible to know for sure.

Also realize that even if you could find a CD with *all* known
hotfixes on it when you ordered it (which doesn't exist), by the
time you got it there could well be new hotfixes available.
 
Probably the best you could do would be to buy one with SP1
already on it. Later hotfixes wouldn't be on the CD, and would
have to be downloaded. And although it's likely by now that most
CDs will come with SP1, it's almost impossible to know for sure.

Also realize that even if you could find a CD with *all* known
hotfixes on it when you ordered it (which doesn't exist), by the
time you got it there could well be new hotfixes available.
Click to expand...


Well now - ain't this a nice can of worms. I guess this is why I
couldn't find a Microsoft phone # to ask the same questions.
Is MS just punching these things out, leaving fixes and corrections
to others? Nice way to make money I would say. As time goes on
fixes etc could get horrendous if I believe all that i read.

Thanks for your helps. NIce to know I have to spend $300 on a hope.

young
 
In (e-mail address removed), (e-mail address removed)
wrote:
Well now - ain't this a nice can of worms. I guess this is why I
couldn't find a Microsoft phone # to ask the same questions.
Is MS just punching these things out, leaving fixes and corrections
to others? Nice way to make money I would say. As time goes on
fixes etc could get horrendous if I believe all that i read.
Click to expand...



*Everybody* who sells software on CDs necessarily does the same
thing. You press CDs today, they arrive at the retailers next
week, and by the time somebody buys them, there may be new fixes
available.

I don't what anyone could do that's any better, short of making
the software absolutely perfect in the first place, so it never
needs fixes. And that's simply not realistic.
 
Greetings --

Please let us know when you've developed an operating system that
never requires patches, or have found a way to add patches to the
hundreds of thousands of CDs already sitting on thousands of store
shelves. You really don't have a very strong grip on reality, do you?

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
I agree - but why doesn't MS simply stop making the original CDs and
replace them with ones with the fixes maybe once a year or whatever?
You know - release 1, release2, and so on. I know this leave MS stuck
with the 'obsolete' CDs, but then that's what they are aren't they?

Y
Click to expand...

they do.
 
they do.
Click to expand...


Okay - I'll table this line of discussion.

I see a few Windows XPs for sale on EBay that are supposed to be FULL
RETAIL PROFESSIONAL.EVEN UNOPENED for some $100 cheaper than what it
sells for at dealers. Is it worth taking a chance in order to save
the bucks? Can they pull a fast one?

Thanks

Young
 
Greetings --

Check the ratings and reviews of the sellers very carefully.
There are a lot of people selling pirated OEM versions and other crap
via eBay. Software is one of the things I won't buy on there.

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
In (e-mail address removed), (e-mail address removed)
wrote:

I see a few Windows XPs for sale on EBay that are supposed to be FULL
RETAIL PROFESSIONAL.EVEN UNOPENED for some $100 cheaper than what it
sells for at dealers. Is it worth taking a chance in order to save
the bucks? Can they pull a fast one?
Click to expand...


Any time you see that big a price discrepancy, something has to
be wrong. My guess is that they are either OEM copies (despite
what it says) or pirated copies.

I wouldn't take the chance.
 
Does this sound like a really good deal - legitimate?

Microsoft Windows XP Pro , Full Version - Retail Box. In Stock ! Same
as E85-00086

(Part - E85-01011)

at:

http://store.yahoo.com/geminicomputersinc/winxpprof.html

Gemini Computers, Inc.
Info...

888-9-GEMINI

It says it is is full retail version, professional version. What is
the difference between Part - E85-01011 and E85-00086. I seee both
all over the place.

young
 
Again the person that replied to your first post was right! "You really do
not have a strong grip on reality".
 
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