I notice that the Windows TM software is jolly expensive. Whats the deal here?
icrosoft (MS) operate more or less as a monopoly so can peg prices at whatever they think they can get, without regard to what their competitors are doing (because there aren’t any). So a full copy of Windows XP would cost you in the region of 150 retail, or about 80 if you opt for the “cheaper” version that system builders like myself are allowed to supply. The “cheaper” version is only for use on the system it is supplied with. Never, ever will Microsoft let you use it on another machine even if your current machine is scrapped. That’s the deal and there is little anyone can do about it. When you first use Windows XP, you will be required to “activate” it – by Internet, Post or Telephone. Failure to do this within 30 days will cause Windows XP to stop working. It’s an attempt by MS to stop piracy. They take a “snapshot” of the hardware configuration of your PC. If another user tries to activate with the same key, the hardware will be sufficiently different to cause their activation r
