DEAD - Free Microsoft Software for attending seminar

[Genx87]

Yeah i got my software. Unfortunately the Vista Ultimate is a 32bit disc

Not sure I feel like spending the 10 bucks for a 64 bit version.

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: Genx87
Yeah i got my software. Unfortunately the Vista Ultimate is a 32bit disc

Not sure I feel like spending the 10 bucks for a 64 bit version.

FYI the ordering site for MS won't let you order a 64 bit disc It gives me a
"no offer found" error as it is only accepts retail keys.


I barrowed a friends 64bit upgrade disc and it wouldn't accept my key either.

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: deepinya
Dont you have to pay taxes on this since its free?

I believe some people read through the fine print and found the total combined value of all the software is only $299 so it isn't enough for taxes.

 

[OfficeLinebacker]

Originally posted by: Bob151

Originally posted by: Shinare
I'm a govt employee, can't accept items of value as gifts. No reason to go.

Take a vacation day and register as a consultant. Is there a law that prevents you from actually consulting outside of your work hours?

When I was a Fed I turned in the paperwork for doing a consulting gig on the side and it was no big deal.

 

[lxskllr]

I signed up for this, but I'm afraid I'll be too out of place there. I stretched the truth a bit during the registration process, and I'm signed up for the decision maker track. That's not entirely incorrect, but I'm not in any position of power in the company. I get asked for opinions, and I'm the unofficial tech guy, but that's about it.

Will I be able to disappear into the background and quietly learn at the event, or will people be asking me uncomfortable questions there?

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: JBT

Originally posted by: Genx87
Yeah i got my software. Unfortunately the Vista Ultimate is a 32bit disc

Not sure I feel like spending the 10 bucks for a 64 bit version.

FYI the ordering site for MS won't let you order a 64 bit disc It gives me a
"no offer found" error as it is only accepts retail keys.


I barrowed a friends 64bit upgrade disc and it wouldn't accept my key either.

Ahh well simple enough. Not a big deal, but kind of annoying.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: lxskllr
I signed up for this, but I'm afraid I'll be too out of place there. I stretched the truth a bit during the registration process, and I'm signed up for the decision maker track. That's not entirely incorrect, but I'm not in any position of power in the company. I get asked for opinions, and I'm the unofficial tech guy, but that's about it.

Will I be able to disappear into the background and quietly learn at the event, or will people be asking me uncomfortable questions there?

Nobody asks you questions. The event I went to had about 1000-2000 people at it. After the intro speech people split into their focus groups. There were also vendors there giving away prizes.

 

[Winterpool]

I attended the New York launch event (you can read my description a few pages back) which hosted a few thousand people. There's a keynote speech, then you split up into different events based on your track. There are so many folks, no one is checking your ID to see which track you should be on. My coworker was on the 'decision maker' track, whilst I was on 'IT pro', but we attended the same events (IT). We also received exactly the same software.

Things might play out differently at the smaller events. I certainly didn't enjoy all the coming and going in the lecture halls: sure, I found some of the presentations boring too, but it did get somewhat disruptive when dozens of us started fleeing the halls. I wonder how many of them were there mainly for the software.

To me, the only valuable giveaway was the Vista Ultimate dvd; everything else is a temporary evaluation (not permanent a la TechNet). Well, I think Visual Studio was nonexpiring, but I'm not a developer.

Speaking of checking identities, when I registered upon arrival, I offered my driver licence, and they couldn't be bothered to examine it. They just wanted my emailed registration with bar code.

 

[Mitch101]

They will tell you they are NFE releases of the software.

Not For E-Bay. Microsoft humor.

 

[ruiner5000]

Wow, 5 locations in California, 1 in Texas. That makes sense. I just went to Houston, I'm not driving to Dallas for another event. Hey, Microsoft. Have you ever heard of a little town called Austin? Your buddy Dell is there. Plus you have a game testing center, and Xbox support is done here. Maybe you should do an event here instead of making the entire state drive to Dallas. Way to blow it.

 

[Mitch101]

I will be in the Charlotte location tomorrow.

Surprised there is no Denver for this event.

 

[Mitch101]

Originally posted by: oRdchaos

Originally posted by: Mitch101
Full versions you just cant sell software developed with them.

Do you have any info about the restrictions on selling software developed with them? I'm having trouble tracking that down, and I wouldn't mind heading to one of these events to upgrade from my purchased copy of VS2005.

Thanks.

My take is that if I develop or actually finish a program for once thats worthy of releasing to public for a profit then I will go out an buy a legitmate copy and compile the program that way.

Would only need to the pro versions and not enterprise probably anyhow for what I develop.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: Genx87

Nobody asks you questions. The event I went to had about 1000-2000 people at it. After the intro speech people split into their focus groups. There were also vendors there giving away prizes.

Thanks for the info :^) I didn't want to end up in a room with 10 people, and have somebody ask my opinion of something I know nothing about :^D

 

[QuixoticOne]

Wow that's totally insane that they make it so hard to get 64 bit; what the heck are they thinking? Vista was their best chance to finally transition people to 64 bits and they're totally blowing the opportunity by making it as hard as possible for people to find / get / use the 64 bit version.

It is strange since the 64 bit version is really pretty decently compatible with the majority of the older software, and it is sorely needed now that building a PC with 4GB or more RAM is really quite inexpensive and thus is a good opportunity for people to have benefit from a 64 bit OS!

If they don't get people to install 64 bits in this OS it'll just alienate the power users who need and want 64 bit OS and 4GB of RAM or more and they'll be dissatisfied with Microsoft and some will move to LINUX or MAC or whatever. Software makers will see that only a tiny proportion of people are running 64 bit versions so there will not be good software support for that platform version. And it'll just prevent people from upgrading to 4GB or 6GB or 8GB of RAM sinply because Microsoft has made the 64 bit OS so unnecessarily hard to get/use.

Then they'll have a real problem with Windows 7 their next OS because still there will not be much 64 bit interest / awareless or support in the marketplace because they failed to start the wave going with Vista, and it'd just be INSANE not to have their next OS not be totally 64 bits, so they're going to have real transition problems there....

Anyway if it doesn't accept your key when you're at the initial install screen for the 64 bit version, you could try one other thing.

On a system that isn't yet activated with the 64 bit OS installed and running without having specified your product key during installation --

Start an administrative level command prompt (cmd.exe with RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR).
Then key in the following at the administrator command prompt to install your key into Vista:
slmgr -ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
where xxxxx-..... is your product key from the Heroes Happen Here event;
maybe it'll accept it if done in this fashion. I don't know, I don't have a HHH key yet.

If that does accept it and work then you should be able to go through the usual internet or telephone based activation techniques to activate using the key you just installed into the software. e.g. proceed with the command at the same admin. prompt --
slmgr -ato
to activate online over the internet at that time.

If it doesn't work, well, I guess you're just out of luck unless maybe calling Microsoft support might clear up why these keys may not work on the 64 bit version of the OS even if you have the right 64 bit install media already.

Originally posted by: JBT

Originally posted by: Genx87
Yeah i got my software. Unfortunately the Vista Ultimate is a 32bit disc

Not sure I feel like spending the 10 bucks for a 64 bit version.

FYI the ordering site for MS won't let you order a 64 bit disc It gives me a
"no offer found" error as it is only accepts retail keys.


I barrowed a friends 64bit upgrade disc and it wouldn't accept my key either.

 

[foolish501]

dont think that will work anymore because the vista disk they are giving out has SP1 built in

 

[Winterpool]

Must express my agreement with the QuixoticOne: Redmond squandered an opportunity for 64-bit migration. Considering how much grief Vista initially caused people (especially in regards to hardware and software compatibility), MS might as well have bit the bullet and mandated 64-bit systems for Vista. This requirement actually would have had better support in terms of the January 2007 PC market than what 'Aero' graphics needed (it's really this that's the heart of the 'Vista-capable' class-action lawsuit). I believe the only 32-bit systems left in the mainstream market at that point were Yonah ('Core') notebooks.

As to the 'HEROES happen {here}' software: if the launch events were intended to encourage IT professionals to begin next-gen migrations (Server 2008, etc), and the free Vista Ultimate dvds specifically addressed Redmond's hope that the arrival of Server 2008 and Vista SP1 would unleash a wave of client upgrades to Vista, then why not encourage us IT pros to go 64-bit? A free 64-bit Vista disc might constitute the tipping point in one's decision to try a 64-bit OS.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: JBT
Any one ever figure out a way to receive the 64bit version? I have no intent on installing the 32bit version I received from the Phoenix show. The web site for ordering media say "No offer found" when I try to submit my key

Here is what worked for me. I used a Vista 64 bit SP1 disk and the key I got from MS worked just fine. It would not work with a Vista 64 bit disk that was pre SP1. I also ran into the same thing with the 32 bit version recently so from what I can tell keys that come with media with SP1 integrated do not work with non-SP1 versions.

 

[Winterpool]

This makes a lot of sense, actually. We did receive Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 at the event after all. I might try my code with a TechNet Vista download.

 

[nordloewelabs]

Originally posted by: Winterpool
This makes a lot of sense, actually. We did receive Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 at the event after all. I might try my code with a TechNet Vista download.

is the download to which you referred available to anyone or only TechNet subscribers? let us know what you find out, anyway.

 

[QuixoticOne]

Good info., thanks for sharing!

Also this will be of use to some of you; I just saw on the SD forum that uplateinoh has had success in using a non-SP1 Vista 64 install disc with the HHH Vista Ultimate key. You simply install Ultimate from the Vista-non-SP1 disc without specifying any key at install time.
Then you update the system to SP1 in any of the usual ways (Windows Update or via the standalone SP1 executable).
Then after that is done you can specify your HHH Vista Ultimate Key and activate normally.

If you can get the Vista 64 bit + SP1 integrated ISO image from TechNet, MSDN, or any of various other options, I'd suggest using that for installation, though, since it would save you the time of having to apply SP1 as a second step if you used Vista-non-SP1 install media.

Originally posted by: Winterpool
This makes a lot of sense, actually. We did receive Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 at the event after all. I might try my code with a TechNet Vista download.

 

[foolish501]

anybody been to any of the latest seminars ? if so did you still get a free copy of Vista Ultimate ? I'm going to the Des Moines event next thursday with a friend, and he so wants to upgrade to vista.

 

[Thump553]

Originally posted by: foolish501
anybody been to any of the latest seminars ? if so did you still get a free copy of Vista Ultimate ? I'm going to the Des Moines event next thursday with a friend, and he so wants to upgrade to vista.

I just went to it today & I did get a copy of Vista Ultimate.

Be prepared, though-you will earn it. Four+ hours of the most deadly boring sales talk I ever sat through. The Office rollout event was a lot better.

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: QuixoticOne
Good info., thanks for sharing!

Also this will be of use to some of you; I just saw on the SD forum that uplateinoh has had success in using a non-SP1 Vista 64 install disc with the HHH Vista Ultimate key. You simply install Ultimate from the Vista-non-SP1 disc without specifying any key at install time.
Then you update the system to SP1 in any of the usual ways (Windows Update or via the standalone SP1 executable).
Then after that is done you can specify your HHH Vista Ultimate Key and activate normally.

If you can get the Vista 64 bit + SP1 integrated ISO image from TechNet, MSDN, or any of various other options, I'd suggest using that for installation, though, since it would save you the time of having to apply SP1 as a second step if you used Vista-non-SP1 install media.

Originally posted by: Winterpool
This makes a lot of sense, actually. We did receive Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 at the event after all. I might try my code with a TechNet Vista download.

Nice, I will try that. I don't have technet or MSDN so pretty much my only option for now.

 

[foolish501]

Just got back from seminar (went to Infrastructure IT Pro, half day), actually left a hour early like most people when we found out we could get our free software. Got Vista Ultimate + SP1 with it. Server 2008 Enterprise is a 1 year evaluation copy, but the ms guy said the software doesn't stop working after 1 year, you just can't get any support from microsoft. SQL Server 2008 isn't out until later in the year so you get a code to download the software when it's available.

Don't know what i'm gonna do with the software, vista is the only thing that's useful to me, but hey, it's free !

 

[ITPaladin]

damnit! I didn't see this til today, and I live in Fresno.