http://www.soft-cell.biz/

Not sure whats up with this place, kinda stumbled apon it....thought I'd share.

Let me know what you think.

http://www.soft-cell.biz/faq.html


That says it all.

You might notice they don't sell Windows XP Home edition. The reason is Home edition never came in the volume licensed version, so they can't give you a "generated" cd-key.

Professional does have a volume licensed version which does not require activation. Generated cd-keys will work, with the exception of Service Pack 2.

I've seen the discs these places sell. They are made in Asia and are not the authentic holographic discs you might be expecting. They are plain, silk-screened copies of the real thing.

You've been warned!

So basicly someone would be better off, or just as good to just download a pirated version?
To be honest, for me personally, I'd rather just spend the extra money and get the real retail thing of XP Home, not sure if I would really need XP Pro.

Thanks

hi mst,

An OEM version is usually recognized as backup software, for example - Dell PCs come with an OEM XP CD that you can use for backup, it just can't be registered with microsoft since microsoft wants you to call Dell with any problems first. You can buy an OEM version of XP at many sites (Directron, Tigerdirect, etc). Its not anything like pirated software. The OEM version STILL requires activation, just NOT registration, two very different things. I've purchased OEM XP (both Home and Pro) and the CDs that I've received were "authentic". I just ordered a copy from soft-cell.biz (its coming via air-mail from europe so it takes at least a couple of weeks).

We'll see, I'll let you know how it works out. The best price I've found is $85 in the US. I typically buy about a dozen or so copies a year for various projects I work on, so $35 saved would be nice. If you only want a copy for your home PC that you replace every 4-5 years... then the wait probably isn't worth it for you, may as well get something in the US. Also, if you think you'll need to contact MS for help, don't get an OEM version, get a registerable copy.

Regards,
John

OEM is fine, but their disclaimer doesn't seem to suggest OEM.

I'm curious to see the CDs you get. Best of luck! If they are real, I might get some of my own. hehe!

No matter how 'OEM' it may be, you should still be able to register. When you get your XP disc, it should be holographic - So look for that.