If you’re unfortunate enough to need to buy Windows XP, you’ve got several choices: you can pay $150 for the “upgrade” version (which means you have to dig out your previous OS every time you need to reinstall); or you can pay $300 for the “full” version.
Or you can go to Fry’s, and with any “computer hardware” purcase, get the “OEM” full version for $99. The salesman I talked to suggested the fine collection of hard drive screws for 49 cents, but I opted for the nifty casemod LED colored fan for $10. “It’s the same as the boxed version,” the salesman told me, “except you don’t get the box, or tech support.”
I looked puzzled. “Microsoft has tech support?”
Now that I’ve got XP installed, I know enough to regret it. Not only does it manage to hide settings under even more pretty layers than Windows 2000 (every tried to explain over the phone, “Go to start/settings/control panels, no wait, start/ settings/ network/ local area net/ (right click) properties/ Internet/ properties”? On the Mac it’s “System Preferences/ Network Preferences”) BUT it also is nagware – it keeps nagging me about more M$ junk. Do you want to register for a Microsoft Passport? Looks like you go on the internet, do you want to create a messaging service login? Have you verified your copy of XP yet? Would you like to give the richest man in the world, your credit card number????