XP OEM versions

[Chek]

It strikes me that a large number of people (especially those with new PC's)
have OEM
versions of Windows XP Home.
Personally, I am becoming more aware that far from having a truly workable
OS, it is in fact a working OS only until such time as XP goes belly-up (and
it will happen sooner or later judging from experience with previous MS
products). Most of the fixes for problems posted here involve the MS XP cd.
Must-have built in tools and utilities for recovery are unavailable (apart
from a lose-all-your-data type system restore disc) to OEM users.
Surely this is an intolerable system as it stands?
The Microsoft OS is used to sell the manufacturers' sytems to us the
customers, so how hard would it be to ensure a proper product and give us a
cd?
I know rather than shell out around GBP90 (local upgrade cd price) for
another OS when this one dies, I'll be seriously considering reinstalling
Win98.
Anyone else have any thoughts on this, and more pertinently (apart from
buying a voodoo doll with extra large spikes resembling Steve Ballmer)
what's to be done?
Ok ok, you Linux guys can stop laughing quite so hard now.

[Unknown]

So what's your problem?
"Chek" > wrote in message
...
> It strikes me that a large number of people (especially those with new
PC's)
> have OEM
> versions of Windows XP Home.
> Personally, I am becoming more aware that far from having a truly workable
> OS, it is in fact a working OS only until such time as XP goes belly-up
(and
> it will happen sooner or later judging from experience with previous MS
> products). Most of the fixes for problems posted here involve the MS XP
cd.
> Must-have built in tools and utilities for recovery are unavailable (apart
> from a lose-all-your-data type system restore disc) to OEM users.
> Surely this is an intolerable system as it stands?
> The Microsoft OS is used to sell the manufacturers' sytems to us the
> customers, so how hard would it be to ensure a proper product and give us
a
> cd?
> I know rather than shell out around GBP90 (local upgrade cd price) for
> another OS when this one dies, I'll be seriously considering reinstalling
> Win98.
> Anyone else have any thoughts on this, and more pertinently (apart from
> buying a voodoo doll with extra large spikes resembling Steve Ballmer)
> what's to be done?
> Ok ok, you Linux guys can stop laughing quite so hard now.
>
>

[Ken Blake]

"Chek" > wrote in message
...

> It strikes me that a large number of people (especially those
with new PC's)
> have OEM
> versions of Windows XP Home.
> Personally, I am becoming more aware that far from having a
truly workable
> OS, it is in fact a working OS only until such time as XP goes
belly-up (and
> it will happen sooner or later judging from experience with
previous MS
> products). Most of the fixes for problems posted here involve
the MS XP cd.
> Must-have built in tools and utilities for recovery are
unavailable (apart
> from a lose-all-your-data type system restore disc) to OEM
users.
> Surely this is an intolerable system as it stands?
> The Microsoft OS is used to sell the manufacturers' sytems to
us the
> customers, so how hard would it be to ensure a proper product
and give us a
> cd?
> I know rather than shell out around GBP90 (local upgrade cd
price) for
> another OS when this one dies, I'll be seriously considering
reinstalling
> Win98.
> Anyone else have any thoughts on this,


Yes, I have four thoughts on this:

1. I have run Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows
98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, each pretty much from the day
they were released until the next version came around. NOne of
them has ever gone "belly-up", and I have *never* needed to
reinstall any of them.

2. Do not assume that all OEM versions of Windows do not come
with complete installation CDs. Although most of those sold by
major vendors don't, there are exceptions. And systems built by
local companies usually come with OEM versions accompanied by
complete OEM installation CDs.

3. Despite the two points above, I agree that it would be to
everyone's advantage if all systems came with complete
installation CDs.

4. If I were in your shoes, and lost my entire system, and had a
choice bwteen buying another copy of XP or installing 98, I
wouldn't think twice about it--I'd buy another copy of XP.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

[Frank]

Ken Blake wrote:
| "Chek" > wrote in message
| ...
|
|| It strikes me that a large number of people (especially those with
|| new PC's) have OEM
|| versions of Windows XP Home.
|| Personally, I am becoming more aware that far from having a truly
|| workable OS, it is in fact a working OS only until such time as XP
|| goes belly-up (and it will happen sooner or later judging from
|| experience with previous MS products). Most of the fixes for
|| problems posted here involve the MS XP cd. Must-have built in tools
|| and utilities for recovery are unavailable (apart from a
|| lose-all-your-data type system restore disc) to OEM users. Surely
|| this is an intolerable system as it stands?
|| The Microsoft OS is used to sell the manufacturers' sytems to us the
|| customers, so how hard would it be to ensure a proper product and
|| give us a cd?
|| I know rather than shell out around GBP90 (local upgrade cd price)
|| for another OS when this one dies, I'll be seriously considering
|| reinstalling Win98.
|| Anyone else have any thoughts on this,
|
|
| Yes, I have four thoughts on this:
|
| 1. I have run Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows
| 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, each pretty much from the day
| they were released until the next version came around. NOne of
| them has ever gone "belly-up", and I have *never* needed to
| reinstall any of them.

I used to have a lot of problems with windows going _belly-up_
until I started using a _quality UPS_.

| 2. Do not assume that all OEM versions of Windows do not come
| with complete installation CDs. Although most of those sold by
| major vendors don't, there are exceptions. And systems built by
| local companies usually come with OEM versions accompanied by
| complete OEM installation CDs.

I would not purchase a PC without a doc box. CD's for whatever
software, driver, etc., and the documentation.

| 3. Despite the two points above, I agree that it would be to
| everyone's advantage if all systems came with complete
| installation CDs.

People by that junk anyway. I have one sitting here that a gal
paid over $2000 for that nothing can be done about it except
putting what can be salvaged into another case. Virii ate up
both partitions. Couldn't be restored.

| 4. If I were in your shoes, and lost my entire system, and had a
| choice bwteen buying another copy of XP or installing 98, I
| wouldn't think twice about it--I'd buy another copy of XP.

Me too......

--
Tampa Bay

[Curt]

> People by that junk anyway. I have one sitting here that a gal
> paid over $2000 for that nothing can be done about it except
> putting what can be salvaged into another case. Virii ate up
> both partitions. Couldn't be restored.
>
> | 4. If I were in your shoes, and lost my entire system, and had a
> | choice bwteen buying another copy of XP or installing 98, I
> | wouldn't think twice about it--I'd buy another copy of XP.
>
> Me too......
>
> --
> Tampa Bay
--------------------------------------------------------------------
If the system cannot be restored to factory condition, why not use a 98 or
Me bootdisk to wipe and reformat? After that, the field is open again. And,
I too would buy XP again.
--
Curt.

[Gregor Schmeltz]

HI ,

A E I L N O S U Z 1 5 0

This are the numbers and Letter that definitly not are on
a Produkt Key...

Greetz
Greg

>-----Original Message-----
>"Chek" > wrote in message
...
>
>> It strikes me that a large number of people (especially
those
>with new PC's)
>> have OEM
>> versions of Windows XP Home.
>> Personally, I am becoming more aware that far from
having a
>truly workable
>> OS, it is in fact a working OS only until such time as
XP goes
>belly-up (and
>> it will happen sooner or later judging from experience
with
>previous MS
>> products). Most of the fixes for problems posted here
involve
>the MS XP cd.
>> Must-have built in tools and utilities for recovery are
>unavailable (apart
>> from a lose-all-your-data type system restore disc) to
OEM
>users.
>> Surely this is an intolerable system as it stands?
>> The Microsoft OS is used to sell the manufacturers'
sytems to
>us the
>> customers, so how hard would it be to ensure a proper
product
>and give us a
>> cd?
>> I know rather than shell out around GBP90 (local
upgrade cd
>price) for
>> another OS when this one dies, I'll be seriously
considering
>reinstalling
>> Win98.
>> Anyone else have any thoughts on this,
>
>
>Yes, I have four thoughts on this:
>
>1. I have run Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95,
Windows
>98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, each pretty much from
the day
>they were released until the next version came around.
NOne of
>them has ever gone "belly-up", and I have *never* needed
to
>reinstall any of them.
>
>2. Do not assume that all OEM versions of Windows do not
come
>with complete installation CDs. Although most of those
sold by
>major vendors don't, there are exceptions. And systems
built by
>local companies usually come with OEM versions
accompanied by
>complete OEM installation CDs.
>
>3. Despite the two points above, I agree that it would be
to
>everyone's advantage if all systems came with complete
>installation CDs.
>
>4. If I were in your shoes, and lost my entire system,
and had a
>choice bwteen buying another copy of XP or installing 98,
I
>wouldn't think twice about it--I'd buy another copy of XP.
>
>--
>Ken Blake
>Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>.
>