Posted: 12/7/2007 2:13:27 PM EDT
| anyone got one? - new laptop didnt come with software installed |
I am sorry. Please for give me for calling you out. If you have a legitimate problem with installing a MS product you should call MS. If you want to steal software then you post to a message board asking for a key. You chose the second option. |
If you call microshaft about legitimate key for a product you bought (and have the receipt) they, at least in my case, will not help you. My pute crashed a couple of years ago, tried to reinstall my office, a-holes at microshaft basically called me a thief. Before you accuse of piracy its best to make sure you are right. |
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Sun Microsystems says "Steal This [Software]" (just like i stole that paraphrasing from the late Abbie Hoffman.  )
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I am replacing a laptop that is no longer functioning. I dont care to call MS and ask them if its ok that i use their now antiquated product.
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I have called MS several times when I reinstalled software. I have had the same copy of WinXP for 4 or 5 years now (its pre Service Pack 1). I have upgraded to new computers several times. Its a rather simple process. I usually put linux on the old one, or scrap it for parts. Then I start to install XP on the new computer and I eventually get the message that says... Hey you have exceeded the number of automatic installations for this liscense. Please call 1-800... So I call and they ask. "What are you doing?" I respond. "I am upgrading my computer. The install says blah blah blah and to call you guys, so that is what I am doing." Then they say,"how many computers do you have this installed on." My response. "None, I am calling to put this on a new computer I put together." They say ok, and probably ask a couple more insignificant questions. I then provide them with a crazy long 42 digit number that my computer generates and they supply me with an equally long number to type into my computer. It all takes 10-15 minutes and I am done. I would love to live in a world where I didn't have to wait 15 minutes on the phone, but MS would love to live in a world where people didn't call their software crap at the same time they are stealing it. Using a license key that you did not pay for is piracy. People can say whatever they want about MS to make themselves feel better about it, but that does not change the fact that it is piracy. I have office installed on exactly one machine. On the rest I use Open Office. It is a great program, it does nearly everything MS Office will do and its free. In addition, Most people would be just fine using Ubuntu for nearly everything they do at home. I would encourage people to try that out instead of pirating MS products. Install Open Office, Firefox and Thunderbird and that will take care of just about everything. |
| Open Office is an open source replacement for Microsoft Office. It's not quite as polished, but works just about as well, and will open most, if not all, Microsoft Office documents. www.openoffice.org They have some corporate support from Sun Microsystems (which takes the open source product, adds some stuff, and sells it as Star Office). I run OpenOffice on all my home systems. |
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I have been a user of Linux since the early 90's when Slackware released their first version. If it wasn't for the fact that my work requires me to use a Windows based tool to do my development work, I would be using it exclusively. OpenOffice is a great program....certainly can't beat free, in both meanings of the word. |
Slackware in 1995 was my first Linux distro...many others since...will always be using GNU/Linux in some form. most of us get trapped in MS-only work environments but for 90+% of people, they will NEVER need more than OpenOffice, Mozilla/FireFox, and Thunderbird provide. (insert your favorite flavor substitutions like Opera, Eudora/Penelope, KOffice, etc.) yep, Free As In Beer & Free As In Freedom.....know it, learn it, live it. |
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I switched to Gentoo a couple years back as it gives me complete flexibility over what gets installed, plus I get to compile the code natively to my machine to optimize it further. I'm almost at the point where I may just pay for VMWare and run M$ Windoze in a virtual machine as and when I need it for work. |
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I've never used linux, I've been afraid to try it. My biggest fear is not being able to play games on the computer or run video in from my camcorder and do video editing. I found this link to the duke university website a long time ago but haven't tried it yet. Looks like a lot of linux stuff. What would you guys recommend for someone like me, I know there are several types of linux. torrent.dulug.duke.edu/ |
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Games are usually the #1 issue that people cite for not switching. Cedega makes software that will allow you to run a significant amount of Windoze software within Linux. This includes the ability to run software that uses that DirectX stuff. Not saying every single piece of software you have can run that way, but it might. Check out there web site as they do list software they have tested. Most people suggest Ubuntu as a first version to use. I like SuSE myself as they provide a lot of laptop support if that is your main computer. There is a myriad of video editing software avaiable for Linux and if your camcorder has a firewire or USB connection, theres a pretty good chance it can pull the video off of it. |
Not true at all for an Enterprise environment and changing rapididly for mid-market. Home and small business needs can be easily met by a product like Star Office but for a collaborative environment it simply will not work. |
i was talking about the 90% of people on personal computers outside of work environments. very few people in MS or other collaborative corporate/govt environments have any say-so on the equipment they use and are typically provided what they need. re: Cedega you can run WoW on it effectively. nuff said. 
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