Problems with Windows XP

[Richard Giering dick.giering@xxxxxxxx]

In an article printesd in our local newspaper this morning, Wall Street
Journal writer Walter Mossberg reports on a "new" (or maybe newly
enforced) problem with the introduction of Windows XP.
 According to Mossberg, Microsoft will continue to give businesses
volume discounts for the many copies they employ. In the past, however,
home users could use a copy of windows on their two or three machines on
the premise that only one woulld be used at a time. With Windows XP,
now, each machine MUST have its own copy and any attempt to install on a
different machine will not be allowed. If a home user has three
machines, for example, a separate upgrade to XP (at about $100 a copy,
with no volume discount) will be required for each machine.
 Another problem with this "feature" is the nature of the "activation"
process. Microsoft will be recording (in their data base) information
about the machine on which XP is installed. If a user makes some
"major" (whatever that means) alteration of the machine and then need to
re-install, Microsoft will possibly look at this as a "new Machine" and
disallow the installation.
 I don't know about anyone else, but I have two machines in two
separate locations (Illinois and Florida)! Only one can be used at a
time. In my opinion this is another example of Microsoft abusing their
windows monopoly.
Dick Giering