[Scgeeks] Re: Opinion wanted on new PC

[Porpoise]

"Mike Easter" <MikeE at ster.invalid> wrote in message 
news:fjsljc$ca4$1 at news.spamcop.net...
> indigo wrote:
>> Mike Easter wrote:
>
>>> I wanted a legal version of XP to help my
>>> friends with their problems.
>
>> difficult...but it's cheap ($304 wo/monitor) and has the flat form
>> factor I'm looking for. I can also get it with XP, not Vista, like
>> I'd get stuck with if I buy the 1Q775.
>
> Naturally I would rather have XP than Vista -- the problem is that you
> don't really get a 'copy' of XP.  Instead you get an installed v. of XP
> which also has a lot of other junk installed -- presuming that HP
> handles that the same way as their Compaq division did for mine.
>
> Those people who have 'portable' corporate versions of XP on disk, or
> those people who have pirated portable corporate versions as an ISO are
> in better shape than the people who just have a legal bloatware
> installed version and no XP disk.
>

Only for as long as they work for the company holding the licence(s)

> Naturally it isn't that hard to get one's hands on such an ISO and a
> keygenerator, so that is also a possible solution to the problem.

Easy to get hold of - not so easy to actually use (unless you don't need to 
connect it to the internet, so don't need to keep it fully patched with 
security updates). The first time you need to run windows update, you're 
stuffed by WGA.

They're even getting a lot more stringent viz-a-viz OEM discs I had to jump 
through hoops to prove
I purchased it with relevant hardware to get my last one activated! This 
after my "corporate" version became "unlicenced" (through WGA) and I had to 
bite the bullet and actually buy an installation disc with my new MB & 
Processor!