Originally posted by: Evdawg
sorry... heres an
example =)
No COA (Certificate of Authenticity) is included in this package
So what they're selling you is a CD-ROM containing the install files, but no license to use the software legally, nor an installation key to install it. And that software would only be legit for the Dell that its COA is stuck to somewhere anyway.
edit: incidentally, Microsoft themselves would probably sell you a WinXP CD-ROM w/out key for half of what they're charging there
So yeah, either get a legit OEM WinXP license and CD with qualifying hardware (at Newegg or wherever), or get retail-boxed full version Windows. Retail-boxed can be legally used on any single system that you want to, indefinitely. OEM full version is a consumable item, you install it on one system and use it until you replace the mobo, at which time you're evidently supposed to re-license (meaning, buy it over again). I'm sticking with retail-boxed from now on, since I have an incurable case of Ongoing PC Upgrade Syndrome