I have Windows 2000 professional on my laptop and Windows 98 on my 2
desktops.
I would like to buy Windows XP for all 3. Where is the best place
(Internet or store) to buy Windows XP and for the lowest price????

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Request for Question Clarification by mathtalk-ga on 07 Jul 2003 08:27 PDT

The pricing established by Microsoft involves a distinction between a
"home" and a "professional" version of XP, and the "upgrade"
policy/pricing is different depending on the existing operating
system.

Your Windows 2000 Professional laptop would not "upgrade" to the
Windows XP Home edition, but the Windows 98 desktops would.  (I
recently dealt with this for a nephew's laptop.)

So please clarify if you want the "home" or "professional" versions of
XP (and if the discounted "upgrade" pricing is preferred).

regards, mathtalk-ga

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Clarification of Question by pendleton-ga on 07 Jul 2003 13:50 PDT

yes, I would want the ones for upgrading Windows 98.

I guess since I use it at home, it would be home use.

Would I have to delete my Windows Professional 2000 and 
then install Windows xp on my laptop.

John

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Request for Question Clarification by mathtalk-ga on 08 Jul 2003 18:33 PDT

Hi, pendleton-ga:

I would base the decision to install "Home Edition" or "Professional"
on whether you will use the computer for software development or not. 
The "Professional" version is claimed to do everything that the "Home"
version does, and a few things more.  Here's a partial list of
"extras" in the Pro version:

- Remote Desktop (a single-user version of Terminal Services)

- dual processor support (more than 2 CPUs requires XP Server)

- Automated System Recovery (an advanced feature of Backup utility)

- IIS 5.1 (the native Web server)

- security features (file encryption/permissions, ADS, "C2" cert.)

and more features that involve networking and adminstrative tasks. 
See here for some details:

[Paul Thurrott: Win XP Home Edition vs. Professional]
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp

I'm a software developer, so for me it comes down to some basic things
like Visual SourceSafe (a version management program) which will not
install under Home Edition.  I'm sure you've checked the list prices
for XP, so you must have an idea of the cost differential... something
like $100 more for Professional.  Obviously the gap will be smaller
when we look at best pricing, but you shouldn't stint on getting Home
Edition if Professional is what you will need.

regards, mathtalk-ga

If you know someone who works at a school or college, they can get
Professional  for $60 or so (sometimes less). Otherwise, it'll cost
about the same everywhere you look ($100-$300, depending on your
version).

Keep in mind that each Windows XP license includes an installation on
one desktop AND one laptop.  Therefore, you could purchase one copy of
Windows XP for one of your Windows 98 desktops and your laptop.  You
would then need to purchase a second copy for your remaining Windows
98 desktop.

ebay
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&krd=1&from=R8&MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=1&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&query=%22XP+Home%22

Hi, ibizwhiz_uchi-ga:

I think you may have confused the operating system (Windows XP)
license agreement (which only allows for installation on a single
computer) with the license agreement for the retail version (not the
academic version) of MS Office XP.  The Office EULA has allowed for
installation on a desktop and a laptop, provided both are used
primarily by the same person.

This arrangement has never extended to MS operating systems as far as
I know, although Scott McCollum made the same claim as you have in
late 2001 when writing an editorial guest column (flaming the
proponents and developers of Linux):

[World Tribune.com: Scott McCollum guest commentary]
http://216.26.163.62/2001/mc11_27.html

Note that this was quite early in the release cycle for WinXP.  Surely
the claim would be better established by now if it were true.

For a slightly more recent account of Microsoft's activation policy
and its licensing implications, see this article for AARP by Sandy
Berger:

[Microsoft's Activation Process Stops Piracy]
http://www.aarp.org/computers-features/Articles/a2002-07-02-computers_feature_activation.html

"When you upgraded to Windows 98, did you use the same disk to install
the new operating system on both your laptop and your desktop
computer? ... If so, you are pirating software...

"Just to give your license agreement knowledge a little boost — One
copy of an operating system like Windows 95, 98, and XP, can be
legally used on only one computer. Microsoft Office can be legally
installed on one desktop computer and one laptop computer as long as
these computers will be primarily used by only one person."

regards, mathtalk-ga