Buy Windows XP get Vista Upgrade coupon + free RC1 disk

[Darknessxk]

Hopefully this hasn't been posted yet but you can buy XP from the Egg and they include the coupon letting you get a Vista upgrade and use the code to get Vista RC1 on a disk even though you can download it. Great for someone like me since I'm building a new computer now. I figure I'd buy XP and get a vista upgrade if I need or want it.

XP Pro OEM

XP Home OEM

XP MCE OEM

XP Pro X64 OEM

promo code: VISTARC1

 

[isekii]

pretty good deal.

unfortunately i dont ahve a new machine to put xp on it.
and i'm happy with xp so i doubt i'll be upgrading any time soon

I've been googling and it looks like if you have xp home, the upgrade to vista will be 49 + s/h .
Free vista upgrade it seems is only for xp pro or mce

 

[ChewyTran]

so is it a free upgrade to vista with this copy of xp?

 

[Darknessxk]

from what I understand, its like this.

XP Pro -> Vista Business free
XP MCE -> Vista Home Premium free
XP Home -> Vista Home Premium 79$ Vista Home 49$

 

[Ayah]

This is pretty cool.

 

[HardWired]

Yes, it's a good deal....BUT. It isn't abundantly clear (to me at least) what version of Vista you get.

Not version as in, Business, Ultimate, etc., etc., but is it a full install version of whatever flavor Vista that will install to a bare drive or at worst only require the XP disc to be read briefly in the drive before install,..... or is it simply an "upgrade" version of Vista that will require XP to be fully installed on the system first then the upgrade to Vista gets loaded.

If it's the latter...I don't think I'm interested. I don't want to load 2 OS's to get where I want to be.

 

[cheetoden]

Ripped from Best Buy site:

Free Express Upgrade to Windows Vista


Looking to purchase a new PC before Vista releases? No problem! When you buy a Windows Vista Capable or Premium Ready desktop or notebook PC** running Windows XP today, you'll receive an upgrade to Windows Vista free by mail, when it becomes available.

Windows XP Home, free upgrade to Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows XP Media Center Edition, free upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows XP Professional, free upgrade to Windows Vista Business

Plus, there are no shipping fees for your upgrade!

For more details about the free Express Upgrade, visit the manufacturer's Web site for your desktop or notebook computer:

Compaq
eMachines
Gateway
Hewlett-Packard
Sony
Toshiba

**Note: Excludes Velocity Micro computers.

 

[Darknessxk]

Originally posted by: HardWired
Yes, it's a good deal....BUT. It isn't abundantly clear (to me at least) what version of Vista you get.

Not version as in, Business, Ultimate, etc., etc., but is it a full install version of whatever flavor Vista that will install to a bare drive or at worst only require the XP disc to be read briefly in the drive before install,..... or is it simply an "upgrade" version of Vista that will require XP to be fully installed on the system first then the upgrade to Vista gets loaded.

If it's the latter...I don't think I'm interested. I don't want to load 2 OS's to get where I want to be.

Well how did it work in the past? Did an XP upgrade version require you to have the older windows installed first or did it just check to see if you have the disk?

 

[Vikroda]

Originally posted by: Darknessxk
Well how did it work in the past? Did an XP upgrade version require you to have the older windows installed first or did it just check to see if you have the disk?

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: Darknessxk
.

Well how did it work in the past? Did an XP upgrade version require you to have the older windows installed first or did it just check to see if you have the disk?[/quote]

xp upgrade would do either one .just check or actually upgrade an existing install(for better or worse..) still waiting for clarification on vista's "upgrade" requirements/options ..<edit> upgrade info

 

[KPACOTKA]

Last time when I bought Dell laptop it included a coupon for free XP update. So I expect to get similar deal now for Vista.

 

[Mustanggt]

I am not sure on this but from the research I have done if you buy OEM and upgrade your hardware you have to buy another OS? I just bought retail XP home because i was planning on future Hardware upgrades.

 

[ignorant1]

IF (note: IF) this upgrade version only allows installation from an actual previously installed XP OS, I wonder if MS will ever so courteously disallow further updates to the XP activation/serial number that was used when ?upgrading? to Vista?

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Darknessxk
Hopefully this hasn't been posted yet but you can buy XP from the Egg and they include the coupon letting you get a Vista upgrade and use the code to get Vista RC1 on a disk even though you can download it. Great for someone like me since I'm building a new computer now. I figure I'd buy XP and get a vista upgrade if I need or want it.

XP Pro OEM

XP Home OEM

XP MCE OEM

XP Pro X64 OEM

promo code: VISTARC1

Media Center is almost identical to XP Pro. The only gripe I have with it is that drivers and devices can be a pain in the butt sometimes. This is expecially true for Graphics cards and my LSI ATA133 RAID controller that works fine under XP Pro but not Media Center.

 

[Darknessxk]

Oh ya, on that note, is there any performance differences with MCE and home/pro? I was planning on getting that when it comes back in stock since it upgrades to home premium for free since I'm building a new computer now anyways. Basically getting Vista for ~100$.

 

[karstenanderson]

Originally posted by: Mustanggt
I am not sure on this but from the research I have done if you buy OEM and upgrade your hardware you have to buy another OS? I just bought retail XP home because i was planning on future Hardware upgrades.

that's right-

9. Can I transfer my operating system license from an old PC to a new one?
ANSWER. Not unless it was purchased as a Full-Packaged Product from a retail store (i.e., Windows in a box). Current OEM licenses for all Microsoft operating system products are not transferable from one machine to another.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/...c6d-4123-9d0c-c80436181742/OSLicQA.doc

 

[Mustanggt]

Originally posted by: karstenanderson

Originally posted by: Mustanggt
I am not sure on this but from the research I have done if you buy OEM and upgrade your hardware you have to buy another OS? I just bought retail XP home because i was planning on future Hardware upgrades.

that's right-

9. Can I transfer my operating system license from an old PC to a new one?
ANSWER. Not unless it was purchased as a Full-Packaged Product from a retail store (i.e., Windows in a box). Current OEM licenses for all Microsoft operating system products are not transferable from one machine to another.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/...c6d-4123-9d0c-c80436181742/OSLicQA.doc

So if you buy the OEM and change your hardware later on you will end up having to buy the full Vista version? because the activation wont work from the OEM after upgrade.

 

[Darknessxk]

Not sure if buying new hardware is any different but I have the original XP home without any service packs in OEM. I've reformatted before and the install has always worked, including activation.

 

[polypterus]

Originally posted by: Mustanggt

Originally posted by: karstenanderson

Originally posted by: Mustanggt
I am not sure on this but from the research I have done if you buy OEM and upgrade your hardware you have to buy another OS? I just bought retail XP home because i was planning on future Hardware upgrades.

that's right-

9. Can I transfer my operating system license from an old PC to a new one?
ANSWER. Not unless it was purchased as a Full-Packaged Product from a retail store (i.e., Windows in a box). Current OEM licenses for all Microsoft operating system products are not transferable from one machine to another.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/...c6d-4123-9d0c-c80436181742/OSLicQA.doc

So if you buy the OEM and change your hardware later on you will end up having to buy the full Vista version? because the activation wont work from the OEM after upgrade.

From the .doc:

ANSWER.  Generally, you may upgrade or replace all of the hardware components on your computer and maintain the license for the original Microsoft OEM operating system software, with the exception of an upgrade or replacement of the motherboard. An upgrade of the motherboard is considered to result in a "new personal computer." Microsoft OEM operating system software cannot be transferred from one computer to another. Therefore, if the motherboard is upgraded or replaced for reasons other than a defect then a new computer has been created, the original license expires, and a new full operating system license (not upgrade) is required. This is true even if the computer is covered under Software Assurance or other Volume License programs.

 

[Darknessxk]

Not sure if buying new hardware is any different but I have the original XP home without any service packs in OEM. I've reformatted before and the install has always worked, including activation.

 

[cheetoden]

A couple of weeks ago, I replaced a dead motherboard for a friend and Windows wanted to be activated again. I just pressed the button to activate over the net and it was fine. No need to call it in.

 

[FreedomGUNDAM]

interesting

 

[TowerShield]

You only need to call in once you run out of internet activations. Reformatting does not use up your activations since it simply connects to the internet and checks to see if you still have most of the same hardware as the last time you activated. If it is like the other upgrades, you only need to input the XP key to use the upgrade during installation.

 

[elkinm]

What about Ultimate. The business version, does not have the media and some features of home premium, but has GP witch I want and encryption and security which I don't care about. I think I would need Ultimate, anybody know the upgrade cost with this?

 

[GeezerMan]

I already have XP home. How about buying the Newegg XP Home, selling the OS and keeping the coupon? Or is the coupon somehow attached only to the actual XP Home you get?