Windows XP?

[fingerprints]

I am looking to upgrade to XP pretty soon from Windows 98. I am hoping to get the full version of XP Pro instead of the upgrade to save hassle if I need to reformat and such and just have an all-together cleaner install. I see the regular full version and I see places selling Windows XP Pro OEM edition for quite a bit less. What is the difference in the regular and the OEM that makes it so much less? Should I avoid it because it lacks features or something?

 

[Kilocomp]

Couple of things. First you can get the upgrade disk and do a clean install, during the clean install it will just ask for proof of previous Windows and you insert your 98 disk and it verifies it. The OEM copy is the copy you get when you buy a new computer, it is the complete copy of XP. You will find vendors that sell the OEM copy and unless they are not an ehtical vendor they will make you purchase hardware to get the OEM version. So you would have to make a hardware purchase to get the OEM copy.

Nick

 

[ScottyB]

at compuplus you can buy a pretty cheap piece of hardware and get the OEM version.

 

[Trashman]

I believe, you pay more for a Retail version because of tech support, with retail version you get like 2 free calls to MS to solve your problem, with OEM no support, well you do, but you have to pay 35.00 for each incident....other than that you get the same features, no difference.