Windows XP Home OEM: No good deals?

[IJ Reilly]

I've been shopping for a copy of XP Home to install on my new iMac, and have been disappointed to find no good deals for Microsoft's most recently "obsolete" operating system. Everybody, even on Ebay, seems to sell them for $90, plus or minus a couple of bucks -- the same price it sold for years ago, when it was current. Has anyone located a source for XP at a good price?

 

[The Flashing Fi]

I've been shopping for a copy of XP Home to install on my new iMac, and have been disappointed to find no good deals for Microsoft's most recently "obsolete" operating system. Everybody, even on Ebay, seems to sell them for $90, plus or minus a couple of bucks -- the same price it sold for years ago, when it was current. Has anyone located a source for XP at a good price?

MS generally doesn't drop the price of their OSes when released. The price XP is at now is the same price it was at when it was released IIRC. I know the retail prices haven't changed at all. The only time I can think of when MS dropped the price of its OS was with Vista and it was a small drop in price, and it only applied to retail copies.

You're probably not going to find any good deals on XP, unless of course you go to one of those scam sites.

 

[chscag]

I've been shopping for a copy of XP Home to install on my new iMac, and have been disappointed to find no good deals for Microsoft's most recently "obsolete" operating system. Everybody, even on Ebay, seems to sell them for $90, plus or minus a couple of bucks -- the same price it sold for years ago, when it was current. Has anyone located a source for XP at a good price?

Use PriceGrabber to locate a copy:

http://www.pricegrabber.com/

I purchased an OEM Full install of XP SP2 for $60.00, no tax, free shipping. That was about a month ago. Sorry I can't remember which web store I used but I'm sure you can find a copy for the same price or perhaps even better. I have it installed on my Boot Camp partition.

DO NOT purchase from eBay. Too many shady dealers who are selling pirated and PID generated VL copies. They won't pass the MS WGA and you'll be stuck.

Regards.

 

[IJ Reilly]

I realize that Microsoft hasn't dropped the price on XP, but usually obsoleted products support a lower markup than current ones. Perhaps XP is still in demand because Vista turned out to be such a dud.

I've shopped several of the online price comparison sites. The cost of XP is remarkably consistent. The only dealer advertising a price more than a couple of bucks less than $90 is someone selling Dell reinstall discs for $25, which obviously won't work on a Mac.

I'll keep looking -- and steer clear of Ebay!

 

[davidg4781]

How about a retail version. Are those not being resold?

I'm really wishing I had bought a retail version of XP SP2. I could make a killing right now on the resell market. Hmm, I wonder how much I can get the original XP for.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Retail versions are even more expensive, and many of them are upgrades, so you have to be really careful to know what you are buying. I also would not buy any "resold" copy of Windows. If it's been installed once you've bought nothing.

 

[davidg4781]

What do you mean you've bought nothing? I've reinstalled my version tens of times with no problems. I just have to call and tell them that it's only installed on one computer...which it is. I bought it in 2001, and since then, I've gone through many computers, hard drive crashes, hard drive upgrades, and nights where I'm just bored and want to reformat. I've never had a problem at all.

And, I do have a full version of Windows XP Home, but I think it's pre-SPs.

 

[IJ Reilly]

If you're reinstalling your own copy, yes, it will still be running on just the one PC, which Microsoft allows. But if you buy a preowned copy of Windows, it could still be installed somebody else's PC. Using one serial number on more than one PC is not something Microsoft allows.

 

[davidg4781]

So, I should not buy a preowned copy, or is it ok as long as the seller says he's uninstalled it from his computers?

Even if MS finds out and gets upset (which I've never heard them doing), I would be the one in possession of the disc, which would make me the owner, right?

 

[vistafanboi]

MS generally doesn't drop the price of their OSes when released. The price XP is at now is the same price it was at when it was released IIRC. I know the retail prices haven't changed at all. The only time I can think of when MS dropped the price of its OS was with Vista and it was a small drop in price, and it only applied to retail copies.

You're probably not going to find any good deals on XP, unless of course you go to one of those scam sites.

In which case, it WON'T BE such a "good deal" at all, no matter how low the price is.

Additionally, XP is all its iterations is currently VERY POPULAR among hobbyists, especially those who do not have powerful-enough machines to run Vista.

By the way, MIcrosoft NEVER "sets the prices for its OS". They DO publish their M.S.R.P., but NEVER require third-party retailers to abide by that price. Each retailer is allowed to set the prices for consumers according to MARKET conditions. This is why SOMETIMES you will find Retail copies of XP for MORE than Microsoft's MSRP.

Currently, Market conditions do not allow for lower prices, since the number of available XP copies is rapidly shrinking. This is because Microsoft currently has XP "end-of-lifed" at June 30, 2008. NO more copies will be available through retail channels after that, unless Microsoft changes this date.

What this means is that Windows XP right now is a "HOT" item for retailers.
If you can find such copies for LESS than the MSRP from a reputable dealer, you will be extremely lucky.

NOTE: PLEASE, oh PLEASE, STAY AWAY from those sites which offer it for LOW PRICES, such as $50. You WILL NOT be happy after doing this, I assure you. You might even wind up with your identity being stolen, your cards disallowed, and your bank accounts emptied, all because of NOT using a reputable dealer. And STAY AWAY from eBay if you want to purchase a valid license.

I ONLY purchase Antivirus technology from the former Soviet Union. Anything else is bound to be pirated.

 

[IJ Reilly]

If you can find such copies for LESS than the MSRP from a reputable dealer, you will be extremely lucky.

This is not really true. The MSRP for Windows XP Home (OEM) is $129.99. The street price from virtually any and all dealers is $90, plus or minus a couple dollars. I also don't necessarily agree that XP is currently a "hot item." As I said before, the retail price has changed not at all since the time I bought my last copy last three years ago.

 

[vistafanboi]

So, I should not buy a preowned copy, or is it ok as long as the seller says he's uninstalled it from his computers?

Even if MS finds out and gets upset (which I've never heard them doing), I would be the one in possession of the disc, which would make me the owner, right?

It really depends on the distribution of XP you purchase.
IF it is an "OEM" version, UNLESS the former owner also transfers the MACHINE upon which it was originally installed and Activated, you will NOT have a valid license, since the XP EULA REQUIRES:
1) The original COA (Certificate of Authenticity) containing the Product Key (the 25-character string of alphanumeric characters used to install the OS) must be given to the new owner, ALONG with the ORIGINAL Installation media itself.
2) IF the distribution is an OEM distribution, the original machine upon which it was originally installed and activated must ALSO be transferred.
3) ANY COPIES the former owner still possesses MUST also be transferred to the new owner.
4) The former owner MUST DELETE it from ANY machine he owns or has access to.

IF the copy is a RETAIL (i.e.,"boxed") copy, everything above but transferring the original machine must be done.

IF you purchase a used machine, and it does not contain the means of restoring the original OS, you will NOT have a valid license. You COULD report the seller to Microsoft, but the odds of them acting on it are very, very small indeed.

DON'T purchase any such machine UNLESS the former owner also transfers the above items. And DON'T expect any help or support from Microsoft, either. They won't give it to you. MAKE SURE you have the above items in your HANDS before giving the former owner any money. Not having those items should be the "deal-breaker", UNLESS you purchase a NEW XP license for yourself.

Donald L McDaniel