WinXP cheaper buying from college campuse?

You people do realize that when you pay 5$ to $10 for those Microsoft products, your NOT PAYING FOR A LICENSE.... your univesity actually owns the license and your just paying for the media... you technically still don't have a legal copy if your no longer going to school there... it goes back to the university...

At least that is how those agreements are legally done.. and the way its "supposed" to work..

My opinion is that it is Microsoft WANTING people to pirate their software so they young people get hooked on their products not having a clue that they are now dependant on products costing many hundreds of dollars each.

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Originally posted by The_Hitman
You people do realize that when you pay 5$ to $10 for those Microsoft products, your NOT PAYING FOR A LICENSE.... your univesity actually owns the license and your just paying for the media... you technically still don't have a legal copy if your no longer going to school there... it goes back to the university...

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that makes sense. schools around here are relatively poor compared to US ones so I'm not surprised that mine doesn't offer really cheap MS software. but then again I'll take cheap tuition (relatively of course) over cheap MS software any day ;)

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Originally posted by The_Hitman
You people do realize that when you pay 5$ to $10 for those Microsoft products, your NOT PAYING FOR A LICENSE.... your univesity actually owns the license and your just paying for the media... you technically still don't have a legal copy if your no longer going to school there... it goes back to the university...

At least that is how those agreements are legally done.. and the way its "supposed" to work..

My opinion is that it is Microsoft WANTING people to pirate their software so they young people get hooked on their products not having a clue that they are now dependant on products costing many hundreds of dollars each.

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It depends on the institution, I used to pay between 15-25 bucks for MS software at school. This INCLUDED the license. MS also gives pretty substantial discounts on their website listed HERE. http://www.microsoft.com/education/?...cademicPricing
For example VB Enterprise edition is 199 for Students/teachers...I think its over 1000 retail.(Haven't checked the prices lately).

Your second part is pretty close to dead on.

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Originally posted by The_Hitman
You people do realize that when you pay 5$ to $10 for those Microsoft products, your NOT PAYING FOR A LICENSE.... your univesity actually owns the license and your just paying for the media... you technically still don't have a legal copy if your no longer going to school there... it goes back to the university...

At least that is how those agreements are legally done.. and the way its "supposed" to work..

My opinion is that it is Microsoft WANTING people to pirate their software so they young people get hooked on their products not having a clue that they are now dependant on products costing many hundreds of dollars each.

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i have only read the EULA of my windows 2000 pro, but it's the same of retail win2k

bought it for 5bucks!! tax included :p (2 years ago) and later xp pro for 8 bucks

MS doesn't do anything out of the goodness of their heart. The schools that can sell the products cheap also happen to have an extra tuition fee, either on its own or added onto the computer lab fee that goes directly to microsoft. If you go to school for 8 semesters you actually end up paying for the full cost of the software you got for only $5. You just don't know it. But hey I don't care. My school just inacted it this year and I graduate in a year so MS won't be getting their full price afterall. And from the EULA I read with my Win2K CD, it is a full copy just like anyother. I could even sell it if i wanted, its right in the agreement.

Sure, MS has academic pricing, and some of the pricing gives a substantial discount. However, MS's student pricing for 2K Pro, for instance, is $139. If you are purchasing it for 5-20 bucks, it is either illegal or someone else (i.e. your university and in turn you) is getting the bill.

Academic Superstore also has the same sort of discounts for students/teachers - same drill, you just have to prove your a student. A friend of mine ordered from them and was happy with the price, etc. Might be worth a try.

I should sign up for the cheapest class I can find at the local college and never show, just buy all the software I can before I fail. :D

$10 here too for XP Pro, comes in a shrink wrap package

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Originally Posted by Nick_B

Sure, MS has academic pricing, and some of the pricing gives a substantial discount. However, MS's student pricing for 2K Pro, for instance, is $139. If you are purchasing it for 5-20 bucks, it is either illegal or someone else (i.e. your university and in turn you) is getting the bill.

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Wrong.

All the public universities in Texas have a sweet deal with MS that basically gives students and faculty/staff most MS products for free if you download, $5 a disk if you want them on disks. It is up to each state to decide hoow much they want to do in this area.

It is not illegal and Texas doesn't pay that much to MS. Frankly, the states can just buy one version and copy all they want for free. It is a fundamental issue of copyright law -- state instiutions and related parties using software for university related purposes cannot be held liable for infringement.

If you would like some links, let me know, but start by readng Chavez v. Art Publico Press a US Supreme Ct decison in 1995 that is the foundation. I also have a brilliant law review article published on the subject in 1998, by -- well by me. :D

Many schools allow you to purchase software at a substantial discount even if you are enrolled in an adult enrichment class that costs only a few dollars. At the community colleges in my area the license is the same as the retail license.

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Originally Posted by RealBeast

Wrong.

All the public universities in Texas have a sweet deal with MS that basically gives students and faculty/staff most MS products for free if you download, $5 a disk if you want them on disks. It is up to each state to decide hoow much they want to do in this area.

It is not illegal and Texas doesn't pay that much to MS. Frankly, the states can just buy one version and copy all they want for free. It is a fundamental issue of copyright law -- state instiutions and related parties using software for university related purposes cannot be held liable for infringement.

If you would like some links, let me know, but start by readng Chavez v. Art Publico Press a US Supreme Ct decison in 1995 that is the foundation. I also have a brilliant law review article published on the subject in 1998, by -- well by me. :D

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Almost 4 years to the day for somebody to tell me I'm wrong....whew....

Well, you are right, there are some good deals, but they still, at least very often, have more restrictions than retail. For instance, the MS agreement you mention in Texas, at least at the University of Texas in Austin, does not allow you to use the software if you stop attending classes without graduating. If you graduate, you are able to still use the software (which, I must admit, surprised me). But if you fail out, quit, or even take a semester off you aren't allowed useage of the software (from their FAQ). I really wish I could figure out how much the schools pay for this, but my googling isn't doing it for the night. The closest I came was an estimate that the University of Oregon (or something along those lines) ends up paying an average cost of 32 dollars per OS and Office license (which is pretty damned good even for a huge volume sale).

Look, I'm not saying you can't get software cheap, but there are typically restrictions. Its almost never within the rights of the license for a student to buy it and then give to somebody else. All the academic software I've bought has specifically denied this. Most ends the license upon leaving the institution (even for graduation--which surprised me about the MS program above). It's not necessarily as good as it seems, and you should definitely read the license agreement before you buy software. It might not even matter, because the company can't tell if you are a student or not, but as electronicly tracking software becomes more and more prevalent, you might find out you have to prove your student status to use some academic packages.

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Originally Posted by Sagath

Its the same as buying it from a store. You give them money, they give you a sealed copy of Win XP pro. As its sealed, it can be registered to whomever :) Just take it home, install it, and do the whole register thing. AFAIK the keycodes are no different for Academic copies, then from regular 'future shop' bought copies.

Your teacher friend could ask to buy 2 copies, and get them both at academic prices. They almost never ask questions.

Being a student (or having friends who are) is very handy :)


<----academic XP Pro for 15 bucks CANADIAN.

Go me !

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Giving an academic license to somebody who isn't a student is just as illegal as pirating the program.

man who summoned this thread from the graveyard.