want to buy the right software

[Eric]

I currently have Windows XP professional 2002 Service
pack 1.

Can I purchase the XP Office small business upgrade or do
I have to start all over with a new operating system...if
the later...how hard is that for a low tech guy like me?


Thanks

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----
I currently have Windows XP professional 2002 Service
pack 1.

Can I purchase the XP Office small business upgrade or do
I have to start all over with a new operating system...if
the later...how hard is that for a low tech guy like me?


Thanks

You can purchase anything you want. You would be better
buying the full version of Office rather than the upgrade
as judging by the number of posts in the newsgroups about
upgrades you're screwed if anything goes wrong and you
don't have the old cd's. Also Windows is the Operating
System that runs your programs, Office is an application
that you use to do whatever it is that you bought Office
application for.

 

[Rob Schneider]

The Operating System is the Operating System. Office is Office. They
are completely separate. You don't have to start over.

The versions of Office you can consider are outlined at:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/editions/howtobuy/compare.mspx

You don't have to get Office. You can also consider the free office
suite Open Office (www.openoffice.org), or it's supported from Sun, Star
Office.

I use both Office and Open Office.

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

 

[Jerry]

Go to bookstore. Buy: Computers for Dummies. Read same. Come back and ask
questions.

 

[Cerridwen]

Go to bookstore. Buy: Computers for Dummies. Read same. Come back and
ask questions.

Woah there!! Slow down a bit!! Computing for Dummies is *WAY* over his
head - he doesn't know the difference between an OS and an application, for
Hades sake! He needs to start with Uncle Bill's My First Computer (Pop-up
edition).

 

[Eric]

Thank you for the helpful and considerate comments. You
see, I have windows XP professional installed
not "office".

I would like to have some of the features my current
system does not have...like Word, excel, powerpoint..etc.

I saw at the store a an upgrdae package for small
business that had everything I want. It requires I that I
already have Windows XP. Since I have Windows XP
professional and not Windows XP professional "office" can
I still buy this product?...or do I need to install the
more expensive Windows XP office and scrap my current
system?

Sounds like a simple question.

Thanks

 

[Jocelyn Fiorello [MVP - Outlook]]

Eric, as the other poster pointed out to you, Windows XP and Office XP are
two completely separate programs, and must be purchased separately. There
is no version of Windows with Office "built in". Also, you can't purchase
an upgrade version of Office unless you had previously purchased a full
version of Office to upgrade *from*, so you'd need to buy a full version of
Office now, instead of the upgrade. Does that make it clearer?

Use the "How to Buy" link that the other poster gave you to get a list of
all the currently available Office suite packages (the current version is
now Office 2003, not Office XP, though you may still be able to buy Office
XP suites elsewhere) and help on what you would need in order to qualify for
an upgrade.

--
Jocelyn Fiorello
MVP - Outlook

*** Messages sent to my e-mail address will NOT be answered -- please
reply only to the newsgroup to preserve the message thread. ***


In

 

[Eric Lawrence [MSFT]]

Please play nice, gentlemen. I can't tell you how many very intelligent
people have written to me about Windows 97 and Office 98 for Windows.

--
Thanks,

Eric Lawrence
Program Manager
Assistance and Worldwide Services

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Cerridwen]

Thank you for the helpful and considerate comments. You
see, I have windows XP professional installed
not "office".

I would like to have some of the features my current
system does not have...like Word, excel, powerpoint..etc.

I saw at the store a an upgrdae package for small
business that had everything I want. It requires I that I
already have Windows XP. Since I have Windows XP
professional and not Windows XP professional "office" can
I still buy this product?...or do I need to install the
more expensive Windows XP office and scrap my current
system?

Sounds like a simple question.

Thanks

Hey, Eric! You thought about trading your computer in for an Etch-a-Sketch?
As the urban legend goes, I want you to find the boxes your computer came
in, package it up exactly as it was when you bought it, and take it back to
the shop...Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer.

 

[Michael Bednarek]

This is a problem entirely of Microsoft's own making. Why couldn't
they stick to numerical version numbers, both for their Operating
Systems and Office suites?

Win3.x, Win4.x, NT4, NT5.x covers all their GUI OSs (although Win3/4
are not strictly OSs). Office 11 = 2003, 10 = XP, 9 = 2000. etc.

No wonder users, even when above the level of "dummies", get confused.

 

[Rob Schneider]

Eric,

Yes, I know you have Windows XP Professional. That is the "operating
system."

Microsoft Office is a completely separate product, and if you buy it,
depending on the package you pick, will provide you with Word, Excel,
et. al. Refer to the web site URL I gave you.

You must have Windows (XP, 2000, or maybe WIndows 98 but that is way out
of date) to run Office. The current version of Office you should be
looking at is Microsoft Office 2003. Pick the "package" with the
features you want. Again, see the web site URL I gave you.

It is a simple question. But you are going to have to look at this web
site URL I gave you and learn the difference between the products
Windows XP Professional, and Microsoft Office 2003 (Professional,
Standard, Small Business, and Academic).

If you have no real reason to pick Office ... and I think this because
you give no indication that you really know what Office is ... save some
money and use Open Office (www.openoffice.org) for free, or use the
cost-effective Star Office from Sun.

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

 

[Cerridwen]

This is a problem entirely of Microsoft's own making. Why couldn't
they stick to numerical version numbers, both for their Operating
Systems and Office suites?

Win3.x, Win4.x, NT4, NT5.x covers all their GUI OSs (although Win3/4
are not strictly OSs). Office 11 = 2003, 10 = XP, 9 = 2000. etc.

No wonder users, even when above the level of "dummies", get confused.

There's a HUGE gaping hole in your logic there....Four versions of Windows
have had a corresponding Office version - 95, 2000, XP, 2003. Yet, when I
was supporting Windows 95, no-one - and I do mean no-one - ever asked
whether they could upgrade it with an Office 95 upgrade licence - ditto
2000. Conclusion - users are becoming stupider and that's *NOT* Microsoft's
fault.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with whether the version is numerical or
not.

 

[Beth Melton]

Oh now, that's not very nice - no question is ever stupid. After all
we all had to figure these things out at some point.

 

[Beth Melton]

I think that should extend to 'and ladies'. <g>

 

[Rob Schneider]

I think it was part of Microsoft's thinking. While some "ask" if it's
ok, and others just know that they don't have to upgrade Office
"versions" for Windows "versions" ... quite a lot of people simply buy
Office upgrades becuase of the OS upgrade, or visa versa.

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

 

[Eric Lawrence [MSFT]]

Hehe, indeed. I didn't notice any ladies not "playing nice", but I suppose
it's really impossible for me to guess from some of the names.

--
Thanks,

Eric Lawrence
Program Manager
Assistance and Worldwide Services

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.