Jackk
Posts: 174
Joined: 6/2/2000 From: Charlotte, NC Status: offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Bing: Plus, what happens when I want to add a periperal - or transfer to a different computer - I have to call Microsoft to be able to go to the bathroom? I don't like their "authentication" garbage and know a lot of other people don't. Anyone have experience with this nonsense? I have computer professional friends who won't go to XP for this very reason.
Bing
I have some knowledge on this part of it. The product activation uses numbers generated from your hardware configuration to create another number for your machine. When you activate your copy of XP, this number is tied to your product key. That way, if you try to install the same copy of XP on your 2nd machine, it will create a new number and then find out that it doesn't match up with the product key. There is a limit to what you can add/change in your system before it asks you to re-activate your OS. As I understand it, you can change/add 6 pieces of hardware without having to reactivate as long as you don't change your NIC. If you do change your NIC, it's limited to 4 pieces of hardware. I haven't pushed the limit yet, but I have changed my NIC and a SCSI card without a problem. And keep in mind that this is internal stuff. Adding a printer or scanner or some other external device will not foul you up. Can you imagine the corporate headaches if that were so? Also, if your machine came with XP pre-installed, the number is generated using part of your motherboard's BIOS identifier, so on OEM boxes you can upgrade all the hardware you want until you change the motherboard. I also read somewhere that after 120 days the slate gets wiped clean and you can upgrade at will....however, I've only seen that once so I don't know if it's true or not. Unless you're a power freak who is always swapping parts and trying new equipment, I wouldn't worry about it. Most "normal" users will never have to worry about it.
_____________________________
Jackk
"Smile today cuz tomorrow may really suck"
|