I bought a Microsoft Windows XP Pro (OEM) from New Egg. I
also bought a motherboard and CPU...I am my own tech
support. The OEM XP Pro was $128, the mobo and CPU was
about $200.
My XP CD says Microsoft on it and it is legal. Unless you
have a Dell, installing a Dell branded OEM CD on another
computer is not legal.

The information is available, but people don't want to read.


"D.Currie" wrote in message
...
| The problem may also be that not everyone who sells OEM
software has an OEM
| agreement with MS. Somewhere I have a document that says
what I'm supposed
| to do for the end user, and that includes providing
support. Among other
| things.
|
| OTOH if a person buys OEM software independent of a
system, he is probably
| considered the system builder, and the seller is acting as
a distributor
| (albeit not one of MSs authorized distributors; another
problem). As an OEM
| with an agreement with MS, I get support from MS, but that
individual who
| buys one copy on the 'net doesn't get support as he's not
in the program.
|
| Another thing is that some people don't know where the
line is between
| technical support and training. And they aren't clear
where they should go
| for support, so they look in all the wrong places and get
frustrated. Many
| people think the system builder should be responsible for
everything that
| goes into the computer, and are quite surprised when Dell
or whoever won't
| troubleshoot their printers or games or obscure software.
|
| "Jupiter Jones [MVP]" wrote
in message
| ...
| But is there "the rule that OEMs have to support the
software" or is
| that support if any comes from the OEM and not
Microsoft.
| The real fault may be that the customer is not informed
why the OEM is
| cheaper and what all the customer does and does not get.
| Of course the idea "You get what you pay for" escapes
many consumers
| when they think they see a bargain and a not so
informative
| salesperson.
| Microsoft may have a part in this as the packaging could
be modified
| to show it, however the package is not always seen by
the consumer.
|
| --
| Jupiter Jones [MVP]
| An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
|
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/p...oups/setup.asp
| Please respond to newsgroup only for everyone's benefit.
|
|
| "D.Currie" wrote in message
| ...
| Personally, I'd like to see some way to enforce the
rule that OEMs
| have to
| support the software. Or maybe lose the ability to
sell OEM. As a
| small
| system builder, my customers can come in and ask me
questions
| face-to-face,
| and that's fine. Or they'll call. But I also get
plenty of calls
| from people
| who have bought from the big guys, and they can't get
an answer.
|
| Then there are the people who sell the oem software
with trinkets,
| and have
| no intention or ability to answer questions.
|
| I don't mind answering customer's questions, and even
the not-yet
| customers -- I figure some day I will get their
business.
|
| But it does irritate me that others shirk the
responsibility to give
| the
| technical support they're supposed to. They aren't
footing the cost
| for
| proper support, so they sell their stuff cheap, which
is fine for
| the
| customer until they need help. And in the meantime,
I'm providing
| free tech
| support in the hopes that I'll get work from that
person in the
| meantime.
|
|
|
|