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Microsoft Runs Out Of Windows XP Family Licenses

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the goodness-of-their-hearts dept.

TrAvELAr writes: "'There is a backlog,' says Mark Croft, lead product manager for Windows XP. According to this article on IDG, Microsoft has underestimated it's popularity of the new Windows XP family license. In an effort to slow piracy within single households, Microsoft has introduced the family license which will allow the user to install multiple copies of it's Windows XP operating system at a slightly discounted price of a $10 savings. Croft also states that the savings reflects the cost of Microsoft not having to produce another disc."

4 of 340 comments (clear)

  1. The Register's coverage by T.Hobbes · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The Register some critical coverage of the same matter. Seems this may be just a PR ploy

  2. Re:CD manufacturing cost by kimihia · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So you would have preferred a $0.87 discount instead of a $10 discount?

    Oh no sirree, don't give me it that cheaply! Charge me the full $9.13 difference.

  3. Emperor's New Clothes Syndrome by NatePWIII · · Score: 5, Interesting

    At least that is what I call it, ok what are you really getting here, your getting the "right" to use their OS on another machine. Wow...

    Come on, if your going to pay another $80.00 bucks at least M$ could provide you with a nice box, CD and manual and perhaps some little stickers etc...

    I can hardly think of any industry where you pay 90% full price of a product and you see really no tangible "product". Granted this is the software business, but who is really saving money here, not the consumer really, only microsoft. The consumer is actually not saving anything, M$ is jacking them out of the CD, box, etc... so yeah... the price should be $10 less. Personally, I would rather pay full price for a totally new copy so I can have another backup CD of the OS in case I damage the first one.

    I'm sticking with Win2k for now.

    --

    Nathaniel P. Wilkerson
    www.haidacarver.com
  4. Re:A Case for Household Licenses? by mgkimsal2 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Does anyone in your house take any college courses? You should be able to get very low Office copies there - last verbal report I got from someone was that an 'educational' version of Office could be had for something like $50 (might be a slight exaggeration, but I don't think by much).

    This XP stuff WILL NOT CUT DOWN ON PIRACY MUCH, IF AT ALL. I don't know too many people that copied Windows or Office from their friends - it was most often from their employer. Take home 2-3 CDs at night, bring them in in the morning, no one knows anything about it. And since they're not putting this 'activation' crap on copies for large businesses, I'm certain large scale piracy will continue virtually unabated.

    --
    creation science book