Windows XP Pro

[DaBouncer 13]

I'm thinking of buying a copy of microsoft windows xp professional edition from an american company.

 

As the pound is so strong against the $$$ it seems a good buy.

However are there any issues with the American copy as apposed to the UK copy?

 

Are they both the same? Or do I specifically need a copy from the UK?

 

Cheers

 

Also anyone know where I can get Office 2003 Pro cheaper than staples?

[PENGUIN 10]

you will be fine, as you setup your computer on first install it will ask you what keyboard layout, time zone etc.

[neeeeeeeeeek 10]

Bit Torrent!

[RPG 10]

Originally posted by neeeeeeeeeek

Bit Torrent!

 

Thats all well and done, until you come to install SP2.

 

Dont Pirate operating systems kids, it'll only do harm.

[ncrossland 10]

Originally posted by DaBouncer

Also anyone know where I can get Office 2003 Pro cheaper than staples?

 

E-buyer (http://www.ebuyer.com) do an OEM version which is much cheaper than the retail version

[neeeeeeeeeek 10]

I do recall sp1 was going to stop all the pirates.. that worked well!! My version of xp is legit so don't pick on me.

[DaBouncer 13]

What the heck is SP1?

[Rich 12]

Originally posted by DaBouncer

What the heck is SP1?

 

Service Pack 1... Or in layman's terms, the first set of fixes for bugs that shouldn't be there in the first place.

[DaBouncer 13]

Still not following ya

[neeeeeeeeeek 10]

SP1, also the service pack that was going to stop all the pirate copies working by containing lists of dodgy cd-keys. You just download xp keychanger program which lets you change the key and even gives you a list of ones to use! Sp1, you may or may not have noticed was also required to run a selection of new microsoft games, microsoft rally, and a few others would not run correctly unless it was installed... bit evil really as if you have a dial up connection then the 50mg download would have taken a while and if you don't use the internet then the security patches would not be of interest to you but you would not be able to play the new games!! Good old Microsoft!

[neeeeeeeeeek 10]

if your copy of xp (not implying pirate copy) is quite old it would not even have SP1. Sp1 was released sept 9 2002 so if you bought a computer with xp on from 2003 onwards it should have come with a version of XP with SP1 included, so you would not be aware of it..

[Martin_s 10]

Just to answer the question Neeeeeeek didn't point out...

 

Service Packs are a series of updates and patches that fix or enhance the operating system. Usually they deal with security issues or other problems that stopped the system working properly.

 

Just so's you know...

 

...and if you aren't doing it already.. visit Windows Update (tools -> windows update) and run a scan before getting the various critical updates.. This is one place where you get the same patches/service packs..

 

Hope that helps