It just accured to me that I have like 10 different versions/copies of windows. 98, me, xp ect. For each computer I own I have to have a copy of xp. What about when vista comes out and everything requires vista to run? I go out and buy it right? What do I do with my old versions of windows?

 

 

 

Bill Gates is a smart guy, we just have to be smarter. There should be some law that says we can return old copies of windows and get a discount on the newer versions. WHAT DO I NEED 10 COPIES OF WINDOWS FOR?!?!?!? Considering that the content on the new versions are only like 10% new, while the other 90% is just moved over from older versions.... Its like paying for MS paint 10 times my gad!!!.

Well it's technicly illigel to use 1 copy of windows for 2 or more computers, but if we know somethings technicly illigel that usaly doesn't stop us.

 

 

 

Btw im not going into details there.

I'm still trying to find a copy of Windows 2000 for a friend of mine.

 

He had Windows ME, which most people agree is pure rubbish, and then things went belly up-- his computer continually restarts.

 

 

 

He is poor, and his current system *cannot* handle XP.

 

 

 

Now I know most of you are thinking, "why would he have a crap piece of a machine to not run XP?" As I said, he can't afford it. A lot of people can't afford the latest OSes.

 

 

 

Just did an Ebay search for Windows 2000- all I could find was a new copy of Windows 2000 Professional, but you might be able to find someone who can use an older OS if you look hard enough.

Well it's technicly illigel to use 1 copy of windows for 2 or more computers, but if we know somethings technicly illigel that usaly doesn't stop us.

 

 

 

Btw im not going into details there.

wow...

 

 

 

 

Just did an Ebay search for Windows 2000- all I could find was a new copy of Windows 2000 Professional, but you might be able to find someone who can use an older OS if you look hard enough.

Yea but the point I'm making is that I've already payed for the majority of the content of windows vista. I do own 98 and Me and probably 2000 but what are the chances that I could find any of that stuff with all the windows discs I have. I sersiouly have 8 discs that say windows xp on them.... windows xp offce. windows xp pro. windows xp home. windows pro office. and so on. I payed $200 or whatever for my version of xp. So why should I have to pay full price for vista when 90% of the content is the same?

I'm still trying to find a copy of Windows 2000 for a friend of mine.

 

He had Windows ME, which most people agree is pure rubbish, and then things went belly up-- his computer continually restarts.

 

 

 

He is poor, and his current system *cannot* handle XP.

 

 

 

Now I know most of you are thinking, "why would he have a crap piece of a machine to not run XP?" As I said, he can't afford it. A lot of people can't afford the latest OSes.

 

 

 

Just did an Ebay search for Windows 2000- all I could find was a new copy of Windows 2000 Professional, but you might be able to find someone who can use an older OS if you look hard enough.

98 is good. It was officially supported on most games up until very recently, and is very stable. Could be easier to find, I'm not sure, but it's a very usable OS considering its age.

Just did an Ebay search for Windows 2000- all I could find was a new copy of Windows 2000 Professional, but you might be able to find someone who can use an older OS if you look hard enough.

 

 

 

I think you'll struggle to find any MS OS on ebay as I believe MS actively seeks out unlicensed resellers and gets their listings ended.

I'm still trying to find a copy of Windows 2000 for a friend of mine.

 

He had Windows ME, which most people agree is pure rubbish, and then things went belly up-- his computer continually restarts.

 

 

 

He is poor, and his current system *cannot* handle XP.

 

 

 

Now I know most of you are thinking, "why would he have a crap piece of a machine to not run XP?" As I said, he can't afford it. A lot of people can't afford the latest OSes.

 

 

 

Just did an Ebay search for Windows 2000- all I could find was a new copy of Windows 2000 Professional, but you might be able to find someone who can use an older OS if you look hard enough.

 

 

 

Want my liscenced copy? :P got it a while ago for my old computer, but never got around to actually using it :S

So why should I have to pay full price for vista when 90% of the content is the same?

 

 

 

Then don't, unless that 10% is crucial. XP traces back to 2000 and NT 4.0, if I'm not mistaken.

 

 

 

My understanding of what the difference with Vista is that it will support 64-bit architecture... but I think there may be a version of XP that does that.

 

 

 

I think you present a very strong argument for GNU/Linux, actually, lack of support and documentation aside. You choose what you need.

 

 

 

98 is good. It was officially supported on most games up until very recently, and is very stable. Could be easier to find, I'm not sure, but it's a very usable OS considering its age.

 

 

 

That's what my father is using-- and the tech at the computer company he bought it from said that it was probably a better way to go since the OS was indeed more stable than the newer OSes.

Why do you need Vista? Seriously, Vista's system requirements are so high. I'm done with supporting Microsoft at all. All my computers run *nix/Mac OS except for one Windows partition for gaming.

XP lets me install it on multiple computers, without any special license or cracks or any of that junk. I just went to install it on my laptop one day and it worked fine, along with my sisters computer, and my desktop.

Why do you need Vista? Seriously, Vista's system requirements are so high.

 

 

 

As a continuation of the first part of his post, above, why upgrade to XP when you have windows 2000? Windows 2K will run almost all the same programs as XP, and XP will run almost all of what Vista runs. THey're all based off of Windows NT, and the NTFS file system and in a sense Microsoft hasn't released a new OS since windows NT came out. THey're all just upgraded versions of NT. You dont NEED windows vista, it will be cool and handy and most people will want to have it, it will have new graphical features that new programs will take advantage of, but running XP you WILL be able to run just about any program that runs on Vista.

 

 

 

 

 

Well that was kind of wordy for the two points I made...

Get a mac. Macs ftw! \

Get a mac. Macs ftw! \

 

 

 

What a helpful reply. Stereotypical fanboy post.

 

 

 

Suggesting something which clearly won't help the topic starter then voicing opinions about how something is great without backing them up.

In answer to the original question. I think the reason they don't give you your money back for old copies is because that would involve them giving you money. Which generally isn't how Microsoft like to do things.

 

 

 

Personally I'd pay a bit extra for them to take out all of the redundant old stuff from their OSs, that way they wouldn't have a memory requirement of however many megabytes they're up to now.

 

 

 

Anyone for a sweepstake on the size of the first MS vista service pack?

Don't know if this has already been mentioned, but MS do generally do 'upgrade' version of the operating systems (also don't know if they'll do it for Vista, I doubt they will). This isn't an upgrade really, it is just a cheaper version which requires that you enter your original product key during installation to show you bought it. Somewhat of a discount for having a previous version.

Not only is all the new stuff based on NT, it all has legacy compatability for Win9x and DOS. WTF? If I want to be able to run some DOS program I'll just use something like freeDOS. I'd much rather do that than have that much more crap in the kernel.

gotta keep something in mind. If MS starts cutting support for certain things in the OS even if its not used...there will be people who will whine and complain about it -.-

 

 

 

Vista is the graphical overhaul

 

 

 

Vienna is the technical overhaul which could spell some old legacy stuff being cut out of the Windows Kernel