OEM VERSIONS ???

[David Jones]

It's considered extremely rude to post roughly 15 copies
of the same message to multiple newsgroups with different
subject lines. Please stop.

>-----Original Message-----
>I will be getting another computer shortly, (w/ NO O.S.)
>and want to install XP PRO. I have many questions.
>
>1)What to buy?...I see OEM, full oem, full retail. What
>is the pro and cons for using or buying each? Which is
>better?
>
>2)Is a "full oem" version the same software as a full
>retail?
>
>3)Can I put XP on my new comp and then again on a third
>one that I plan to buy a month later?
>
>4)What is all the hype about registering. Can I install
>and use the full software without registering
w/Microsoft?
>
>5)Can you still do live update without registering?
>
>6)If I'm not allowed to use it on more than one
computer,
>that's fine, but how will they know? I ask this not so
>much to use one copy for a million computers but in
>curiosity on HOW Microsoft would KNOW...are they allowed
>or have ways where they look into your computer (snoop)
>and "verify" things??
>
>7)If I buy a copy from EBAY or somewhere, what happens
if
>they lied about it not being registered. A friend told
me
>that it wouldn't matter as long as I just use it without
>registering it. Is that true. How can I know if I have
a
>legal copy without necessarily letting Microsoft know
>which copy I have?
>
>8)If I want to also install Office pro 2003 do I need to
>buy 3 copies for 3 home computers? That would be $1500
>and seems a bit much (to put it nicely) for one poor
soul
>to put it on all his personal computers.
>.
>