XP Home and the OEM mystery

[teef two]

Now why on earth would someone buy XP Home for around 150 ish quid (thats pounds sterling) when you can get the OEM version for around 60 quid? So strange isn't it. Perhaps I'm missing something here but aren't they both identical.

I could easily have paid over the odds for it without doing some checking first. Why thanks Bill for ripping off the ignorant.

[lo_cash]

OEM versions must be "distributed with either a fully assembled computer system or a nonperipheral computer hardware component."

Microsoft provides the software cheaply to OEMs under the assumption that these people are in the hardware business and that it is being packaged with a new computer or "nonperipheral computer hardware component".  Of course on EBay a "nonperipheral computer hardware component" is often some piece of junk pulled off a scrap pile to be provided with the software to comply with the letter of the OEM agreement.

Most people simply don't know that they can buy these versions.

[danny_galaga]

seems a lot of shops are selling it anyway. im pretty sure i could have bought mine on its own, but i bought some cheap memory too while i was at it. total was still HEAPS cheaper than a 'home' packaged version...