Office 2003 SBE - Product Activation

[Ken Pyzik]

OK - I'll try not to rant. If someone could pass this
along to the appropriate people that is all I can ask.

Why - Why do people who buy the product retail or
wholesale get to place Office 2003 SBE on their desktop
AND their laptop ( see
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation) but
those of us who are real small business owners and buy
the product pre-installed on our desktop computers (i.e,
from Dell) NOT allowed to place it on our laptop (OEM).

This is crazy! If I would have known - I WOULD NOT buy
the product pre-installed on my desktop and then I would
be able to place it on my laptop as well. This does not
seem fair.

As a small business owner, I have purchased three
machines (two desktops and one laptop). The two desktops
are new and I bought them with Office 2003 SBE pre-
installed. SO I have PAID for two licenses already.
When I read the article above stating that I could place
in on my laptop I attempted to do so and got nowhere --
Microsoft has a deal with the OEMS -- if it is an OEM
license - you do NOT get to place it on the laptop.

OK - I know Microsoft is trying to get the software
pirates. I have no problem with the activation system.
It is fine with me. As a small business person I think
it is fine. BUT WHY punish small business people who buy
their products?

OK - enough - I guess I have had my say.

 

[garfield-n-odie]

I agree with what you say. You should realize though that the price of
pre-installed software is substantially less than the retail price. The
difference in cost is partly attributable to the more-limited license
that comes with the pre-installed stuff. Pre-installed is also cheaper
because Microsoft leaves some of the support responsibility to the OEM
(like Dell).

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

OK - I'll try not to rant. If someone could pass this
along to the appropriate people that is all I can ask.

Why - Why do people who buy the product retail or
wholesale get to place Office 2003 SBE on their desktop
AND their laptop ( see
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation) but
those of us who are real small business owners and buy
the product pre-installed on our desktop computers (i.e,
from Dell) NOT allowed to place it on our laptop (OEM).

This is crazy! If I would have known - I WOULD NOT buy
the product pre-installed on my desktop and then I would
be able to place it on my laptop as well. This does not
seem fair.

Well boo hoo! A *REAL* small business owner would have done his homework
before purchase!

As a small business owner, I have purchased three
machines (two desktops and one laptop). The two desktops
are new and I bought them with Office 2003 SBE pre-
installed. SO I have PAID for two licenses already.
When I read the article above stating that I could place
in on my laptop I attempted to do so and got nowhere --
Microsoft has a deal with the OEMS -- if it is an OEM
license - you do NOT get to place it on the laptop.

Actually you've probably paid about a fifth of the retail price. If they
were preinstalled, how could you have installed them anywhere else, anyway?!

OK - I know Microsoft is trying to get the software
pirates. I have no problem with the activation system.
It is fine with me. As a small business person I think
it is fine. BUT WHY punish small business people who buy
their products?

Oh Hades! You really *DO* have a persecution complex, don't you?! Suggest
you see a shrink.

 

[Ken Pyzik]

Well excuse me missy -- but you obviously do not know
much about computers! You see I am a computer
consultant. I COULD have installed them on other
computers since I have the original diskettes and the
know how - though you might not know this since you
obviously don't have a clue!

Also, you are wrong again with respect to the price!
About 1/5?? I don't think so -- go to Dell's website and
you will see that you pay about $279 for the Office 2003
SBE -- and I can get it on eBay for probably about the
same price!! Again - you should you utter lack of
knowledge!

Finally - with respect to the persecution complex -- GROW
UP! I bet if I did a survey of many more small
businesses -- they would feel EXACTLY the way I do! But
again -- you would not know this -- since you obviously
do not have a clue !

Have a nice day!

 

[Beth Melton]

Hi Ken,

I'm not sure who to pass this along to except for those who purchase
OEM software. Not only are you limited to installing it on the
computer it was purchased with but note the license can not be
transferred to another machine.

As garfield-n-odie pointed out, an OEM version is cheaper and
unfortunately you get what you pay for in both the license and
support. :-(

btw, you should probably make a copy of your installation media for
backup purposes. If it gets damaged then there is little chance of
getting it replaced.
--
Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Beth Melton]

Everyone is human and therefore do not know everything. What we do
know has been learned at some point in time. Some learn by experience
and others learn from the experience of those who learned things the
hard way.

These forums are intended to be a place where information can be
exchanged and where we can learn from each other. Ridicule is not
welcome here.

--
Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/