Re: [Off Topic] Windows Genuine Advantage

[J R FOX jr_fox@xxxxxxxxxx]

--- "Patricia M. Godfrey"  wrote:

> I should point out that my own practice is probably
> extremely risky.
> my usual practice on
> other Windows boxes: I don't update or patch beyond
the initial install.

That would be fine, provided you are willing to stay
off of the Internet. (Even so, the extent of your
exposure is far less on dialup than with broadband.
Then it becomes more a matter of what sites you go to,
or what you happen to download.)

> When I install Windows, I install
> all
> service packs available (except that lacking a
> broadband connection, I haven't gotten the latest
> ones,
> which would take days over dialup).

Service Packs are available on CD. Maybe some of the
other stuff is too ?

> >>corporate editions of W2K and XP.

> Doesn't THAT just tell you what it's all about?
> but they know better that to try and inflict that on
the corporate fatcats. (Apologies to all four-footed
felines.)

Well, I doubt the big Enterprise customers would stand
for this ****. And I'm not sure how fat a cat you
need to be: I bought mine for about 30 bucks over the
regular (discounted) price for W2K Pro or XP Pro.
(Prices are declining, as Vista approaches.) These
are genuine installation CDs, with the serialized
certificate of authenticity, hologram, and shrinkwrap
-- not bogus copies. They pass sny letitimacy tests,
require no S/N input, no activation code, and can
receive all patches at will. I'm sure they were
supposed to be bundled with complete systems sold to
large companies, but it seems the jobbers can't be
stopped from breaking up bulk lots and parcelling out
components a la carte, as they see fit. All you need
is a decent, regular computer show in your area, and
you'll find some merchants there who do this. The
ones at our big local show aren't fly-by-nights;
they've had regular tables at this show for many
years, and MS surely knows where to find them if they
wanted to object.


Jordan