I have a Mac and, since the Army will not recognize that some of us work at home and don't have Windows, I got VM FusionWare installed. Now I just need a cheap copy of Windows XP to run on the virtual PC. I don't want Vista, there's too much work related stuff I need that conflicts with 64-bit systems. I don't really want to buy from a third party retailer that's untrusted. There's versions that are being sold online that have fake keys and/or burned CDs. I want a real, sealed, full version of Windows XP. Are there any retailers you guys trust out there? I'd really like to keep this in the $100 range, if possible. I know it's asking a lot, but I already spend an arm and a leg for Mac software. Thanks.
If XP Home is fine you can go with this: XP Home OEM for System Builders The only issues with it is that it can only be installed once, so if you get a new computer you're likely out of luck (though sometimes you can call and say you had to change motherboards or whatever and they'll let you activate it again). Newegg also has XP professional for system builders, but it's $139. If you know someone in college they may be able to get it cheaper. Heck, you might be able to get it cheaper if you can go through the government with their discount (not sure if you can do that with your job though, just thought I'd throw it out there).
NewEgg.com has copies going for $139 ... Or you could try this: Windows: People Buying Used PCs for Salvage Copies of Windows XP If you can find old used PC's, they usually have a license for XP that you could use. Tough part is just finding a legitimate one. (And there are 32-bit versions of Vista, for what it's worth.)
Tigerdirect currently has XP Home SP2 for $95. Microsoft Windows XP Home SP2 OEM Version N09-02142 at TigerDirect.com
If youre only using it on a virtual pc could you not just install xp from a system disc and not activate it. then when it expires install it again?
But if he's installing a lot of software on top of it, that could get time intensive in the long run... I thought there was a Mac program that could emulate windows though? Have you looked into if the programs you need to use are WINE compatible? That'd be a free workaround.
Find a friend who is currently enrolled at a university and see if they can get you a cheap copy through their bookstore. Students can get massive discounts if their university has that option set up. I was able to score a copy of Microsoft Word 2007 and other programs (Excel, Power Point, etc) from a uni friend for $10 (it normally would have been about $300 for a non student).
Truth. I worked at a state university until about 4 months ago, and before leaving, i got Office 2007 and Vista Ultimate for $47, total. They often use university IDs to limit to one purchase of each though, due to MS tightening down on licensing. Good luck finding XP still at a univ. though.
I'm a grad student, so I've already gone that route and can't get XP. If they offerred a deal on Vista I'd go with it - but there isn't one, they want $160. I may go with the Tiger Direct deal - they're trustworthy.
Just get a OEM version from Newegg. However, at this point I would recommend Vista 32 bit if you might have conflicts with 64 bit software. I had to go back to using XP for a few days awhile ago and I was so glad when I got back to Vista. Also, if you're doing the windows on a Mac thing and you're using a newer Mac laptop, you might want to get a little USB mouse since the multitouch drivers for Windows XP and Vista under bootcamp SUCKS. If you're using the emulation software you might not have that problem, but the system will run a bit slower. Other than that, Windows on a Mac works really well save for a few little things here and there.
I'm not using Bootcamp so no worries with my mouse. I used to be an Apple Certified Tech and I had Parallels on my old G4 PowerBook (it came with Windows already on it...why'd they have to get rid of that???), so I'm pretty familiar with how Windows works on Virtual machines in the Apple world; I'll be fine. I'm not going to be using Windows on a regular basis, 2-3 hours a month, if that, for Army related work. There's no point in spending the money for Vista anything - even the 32-bit. On top of the fact that it's an unstable operating system, I just don't like the way it operates.
Im not going to argue about specific programs and stuff needed for work or user preferences, but Vista is very stable. There is nothing wrong with that OS, and I cant understand why people still continue to parrot this idea. The only problem Ive ever had on Vista with a piece of software was with a game from 1995 called Afterlife. The sound in the game was not working properly. I right clicked on the executable told it to launch under compatibility mode and it worked perfectly after that.