OEM vs Retail XP Pro

The OEM version is cheaper because it is meant to be sold with a hardware
system and does NOT come with Microsoft support.

--
DaveW



"jeh" wrote in message
...
Is there any real difference between the oem and retail versions of xp
pro? I've heard that if you're going to be doing upgrading here and there
occasionally you might run into problems with oem versions.
John.

wrote:
John Doe wrote:

Currently, I am beginning what in my little world is a new era
of speech recognition, integrating that into the whole. I am
looking forward to integrating speech into my system wide macro
recorder, to make Windows dance on my verbal command.

If you're into C++. here's a great page on making speech reco
programs. http://www.generation5.org/content/2001/sr00.asp and
http://www.generation5.org/articles....&Topic=Speech%
20Recognition
I wrote a speech-driven Windows Media Player. Just say "Play
..." and it does (most of the time!)

My impression of the personal computer user interface is that it
must work nearly 100% of the time to be practical/acceptable. That
goes for macroing and speech recognition. Currently, I am using
Dragon NaturallySpeaking. It is by far the most accurate speech to
text I have found. I would like to apply speech recognition to my
macroer but I won't be writing the speech recognition part.
Thinking mainly for gaming, I don't want to use NaturallySpeaking
because its overhead is high, and only the Pro version will do
speech to keyboard keystrokes. I tried Shoot but I'm not sure it
will be accurate enough. Microsoft's effort at accurate speech
recognition looks like a failure so far.

That's not meant to be a very meaningful reply to your advice, just
my thoughts. Thanks.

DaveW writes:

The OEM version is cheaper because it is meant to be sold with a hardware
system and does NOT come with Microsoft support.

Given how useless MS support can be sometimes, that's a pretty good
deal.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

jeh wrote:


Sounds like you have a lot of problems with XP. I've been doing pretty
good with 98, and I'm sort of hesitant to change, but I do some work
online with various companies and they are starting to require a more
updated os for the security aspect of it. Think I should wait for
Longhorn?
Thanks.

If your main reason for upgrading is for the enhanced security functions
of winXP seriously consider Linux it is far more secure than Windows and
all the popular web tools are there. Its also free and as you are still
using win9x its fair to assume that your hardware is dated also, another
good point about using linux is it runs well on older hardware. check
out Suse (www.suse.com),Ubuntu (www.ubuntu.com),Gentoo (www.gentoo.org)
and Fedora Core (redhat - www.fedora.redhat.com) you can purhase,
download or even get a copy on magazines such as linux format , linux
magazine.

JD writes:

If your main reason for upgrading is for the enhanced security functions
of winXP seriously consider Linux it is far more secure than Windows and
all the popular web tools are there.

Linux is no more secure than Windows, and it has enormous disadvantages
as a desktop system as compared to Windows. If you don't want to run
Windows on the desktop, buy a Mac.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

Mxsmanic wrote:
JD writes:


If your main reason for upgrading is for the enhanced security functions
of winXP seriously consider Linux it is far more secure than Windows and
all the popular web tools are there.


Linux is no more secure than Windows, and it has enormous disadvantages
as a desktop system as compared to Windows. If you don't want to run
Windows on the desktop, buy a Mac.


The simple fact that there are VIRTUALLY no viruses for Linux and the
strict user - root set-up makes it FAR MORE secure than windows! and as
far as no use as a desktop system that's absolute rubbish as long as you
don't mind not being able to play games there is nothing you can do on
windows that you cannot do on Linux. you can even run windows programs
on Linux using one of the many Windows emulators you can even play
Halflife2 and Doom3 on Linux.

and for further note I actualy use UNIX as my main OS there are far less
ports for UNIX than there is for Linux but I still have the latest
Firefox, OpenOffice.org, Mozilla and many more programs.

On Thu, 21 Apr 2005 21:16:26 +0200, Mxsmanic
wrote:


Linux is no more secure than Windows, and it has enormous disadvantages
as a desktop system as compared to Windows. If you don't want to run
Windows on the desktop, buy a Mac.

And what is Mac now? Basically another version of Linux, well ok, BSD.
Almost the same thing.

Aldwyn Edain wrote:
On Thu, 21 Apr 2005 21:16:26 +0200, Mxsmanic
wrote:



Linux is no more secure than Windows, and it has enormous disadvantages
as a desktop system as compared to Windows. If you don't want to run
Windows on the desktop, buy a Mac.


And what is Mac now? Basically another version of Linux, well ok, BSD.
Almost the same thing.

I meant to put that in the end of my other post .. it uses a heavily
modified version of the FreeBSD kernel as far as im led to belive.

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
DaveW writes:

The OEM version is cheaper because it is meant to be sold with a
hardware
system and does NOT come with Microsoft support.

Given how useless MS support can be sometimes, that's a pretty good
deal.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

A warning about OEM versions Microsoft programs. This is what Microsoft says
they plan to do. It's not been implemented yet.
Soon, Microsoft will not allow OEM versions to be upgraded through Service
packs or patches downloaded from their websites. All oem version will have
to be updated through the vendor you bought the PC from. If you have a gray
market oem Windows product you bought with a cable or floppy drive
etc.,you'll be SOL.

dawg wrote:
"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...

DaveW writes:


The OEM version is cheaper because it is meant to be sold with a

hardware

system and does NOT come with Microsoft support.

Given how useless MS support can be sometimes, that's a pretty good
deal.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.


A warning about OEM versions Microsoft programs. This is what Microsoft says
they plan to do. It's not been implemented yet.
Soon, Microsoft will not allow OEM versions to be upgraded through Service
packs or patches downloaded from their websites. All oem version will have
to be updated through the vendor you bought the PC from. If you have a gray
market oem Windows product you bought with a cable or floppy drive
etc.,you'll be SOL.



That's not completely true they are planning to withdraw the oem
activation codes for the top 20 pc manufacturers, if however you own a
legitimate copy you will be redirected to a activation telephone number
where you will have to answer a few questions, after that you can use it
as normal for updates etc.


"Starting February 28, Microsoft will indefinitely begin to disable
Internet product activation on OEM keys used by the top 20 worldwide PC
makers.

If a customer attempts to activate Windows XP with an OEM key from a
COA, they will be directed to call customer support specialists to
obtain an override code - provided they can prove that their copy is
legitimate by answering a series of questions." -
http://www.betanews.com/article/Micr...ole/1109293194