linux is still a mythical beast to me it has gotten better drivers support is stll kinda 50/50 but the main thing keepign me from it right now is the 2 DX game running programs are not free and one has a monthly fee,I'd rather pay 100 for the OS and have that with it....

I stand by my origional comment. You can always find some people overcharging for anything. But just because Staples and perhaps others are charging $300 for XP does not mean that is what someone has to pay.
I'm certain that just like on Ebay, some 'in the world' retailers would be more than happy to charge you more than something is worth. However there are two ways of looking at this:

1) something is worth the cheapest price it sells for
2) something is worth the highest price it sells for and those who pay less have received a 'bargain'

I follow #1 above, apparently you follow #2. Nothing wrong with following either of those choices mind you. Just a matter of world view.

To me since I can EASILY buy ANY version of XP for under $130 (and depending on the day and sale often considerably less than that) this is the UPPER price of the OS and I would NEVER value it higher than that. However since you can find it at a Big Box store for (not) suprisingly a lot more than that you place a higher value, or cost, on it.

Myself, I think that Staples is raping their customers and these poor sheeple are paying WAY MORE than they have to. Sad thing is many people are like you and feel that if Staples, Best Buy, Sears or any other Box tells them something costs $XXX then of course it really is worth that much and they gladly hand over their money, only to insist to others that that big box price is the TRUE value or cost or what they wasted their money on.

It's most likely a psychological defense mechanism. People don't like getting ripped off and so to insure their feelings of ego they 'must' (read: instead) believe that the other person is wrong, got a really good deal or some other thing like that, instead of just acknowledging they got screwed and overpayed for an item that really costs less than they were told.

Here's a thought. Go buy that version of XP at Staples and leave it unopened. And then come back here and see the highest price someone will pay you for it. Chances are it will not be anywhere near $300 but instead the selling price YOU get will more likely approximate the REAL cost of that OS (or any item).

cheers!

I can find XP pro sp1-sp2 for80-130,cant seem to find anything cheaper than that.

Personally I dont see Vista taking off outside of new PC sales. Lots of average Joes would have to upgrade their computers and that is work they wouldnt be willing to do for a new OS. Also, as long as the popular games run on XP there is no reason for most of us to get Vista. The only thing that would make it worth while (barely) is Halo 2 and the Halo fanboys already have it on Xbox anyways.

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Vista is ok at beast but with each annaoacne it the reason tog et it dissapear

1.Audio/Video lockdown.
2.Big brother MS is always with you.
3.Resource Hungry

Hell XP is is great why not boost its compatibly/speed while lessing its resource needs to think they could have killed lunix if they did this....

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Why run out and buy Vista just because it's the latest thing? LMAO. Jeez folks stick with XP is it works well for you, heck I didn't upgrade from Win98 to XP untill earlier this year! Are you all like the new car buyers that just HAVE to have the newest crap they spew out? Relax and use your computer for fun and productivity instead of twiddling with the OS all the time sheeeeesh.

Fiji5555
true true,vista is not a necessity yet,in 2 or 3 years it will be because of the way it works like XP nearly everything will be made for vista....

become a linux user.....its free to use...then downloadload a program called wine...its under the gpu licensing. this program allows users to use MS Products in the Linux Platform, photoshop, word, things like that. im using suse 10.1 that i bought for 12 bucks with the linux magazine at your local hastings video store...screw windows, they are to boggy, to pissy, and to much to even care about anymore...


The Signal has spoken his peace...

signal
I might try it when I get a 2nd PC up and running,no I will try it pu$$y footing around with MS is tiering however I do know that to run DX games it dose cost.

Follow the light path, switch to linux :D

I've never consider it before, but right now, with so many information in the net, is the moment to make the change, if the online community would've been so big and informated as it is now whe M$ gave us that piece of $%&/ of Windows Me that would be the end of that blood sucking emporium, lets start a new movement online, every time you upload a video on youtube, a blog note, lets just put something like

Dont waste your money on vista get high on linux hahaha or whatever, and maybe add somelinks to newbie to linux webpages

Lets boycott vista, before it boycotts us because all the cool things are f9or vista only and 70% of our computers will be slow as heck on it

Gradical
I didnt waste my money on XP when I first got it the 2nd tiem I got it I got it from a friend that gave me there install CD for the comp they bought but upgraded a year or so later,probably do the same with vista once Windose genuine can be removed but then I think..whats the point 30% of the time I play videos,30% of the time I play games(with videos) 20% of the time I play MP3s theres 80% of my interest in PCing gone since vister locks sht down 0-o

We get the SW free at work, but I'm tired of this nonsense. I've been looking for an excuse to finally switch to a Mac. I think I just found one.

ChiefBrdy
XO was a hard pill to swallow coemign from 98 game wise,and once they made genuine its a pill that makes you sick to boot.

vista will be like XP on steroids....can soemone tell me whats the best general and up to date lunix package for music,videos has the most/best drivers I dont mind spending 80 on it sometimes downloading stuff is just to much of a pain (dailup/sat net)...

Windows would be a wonderful operating system if it was Open Source, but it isn't, thus the problem. There aren't enough programmers who are checking the software to fix all the bugs that pop up. Face it Windows has more holes in it than Swiss Cheese and I'll bet Vista won’t be any different. Why people are wasting their time pirating this crummy software is beyond me. I use windows for gaming and a couple of other things. For the rest I switch to Linux for email and surfing the web and any other Office related task.
I talk up Linux all the time and here's why. Any old machine will run some form of Linux. Every time they upgrade Windows you are forced to get a new computer in order to run it. Linux does not need Anti-virus programs, or maintenance programs to keep it running. Linux does not have to be defragged, scanned, prodded and poked to keep it up and running. Best of all its Free and so are most of the programs it runs. Windows comes in only three flavors (Vanilla) Home, (Chocolate) Professional and (Strawberry) Server. Linux comes in every flavor of the rainbow. How can you beat that? Believe me the more you use Linux the more you'll fall in love with it.
Piracy and DRM, what's that? We Linux folk never worry about that. LOL

This is the perfect timming to change for Linux!
Lets get started!

Lets assume (for 1 second) it really gets impossible to crack Windows. So, the next question is: How much people really want to pay for the OS, considering what they already have paied for the computer or the parts itself ?
When you really thing about investing on an OS, you may start to more seriously consider Linux. May be Vista will be (finally) the effective rise of Linux ... will see.

Why would anyone in their right minds want to give their money to a company that is constantly working against the consumer in one form or other. I've just recently built my first Linux machine and I'm loving it. Granted I'm just barely learning how to use it but the Linux community is always willing to help a dumb newbie like myself. Microsoft won't be getting any more of my money.

For me, the only thing worth considering with vista is the 64 bit management which all new software will be based on, but considering all the DRM stress and other dislikes, xp 64 would do it just fine, without all attached extra ati-consumer crap. And yes, I'm going to start learning about linux, and see how it goes.

It has been out for a while some where. I bought a OS disk on eBay more than 6 months ago and it had something like this system but not as elaborate. I must have got the beta process. It did not cost near $300.

I prefer that to the no-OS-disk that comes along with your new computer. That totally sucks.

MS also wants to verify that your software is licensed before you get any freebees. Even though my software is licensed, I still did not want some software thing doing who knows what on my computer. I know they have a back door on their firewall.

I'm thinking about going over to a Mac. Their systems have always been superior to Windows.

THe newer OS x's are not better than XP at least XP SP1 minus the DRMINESS of windose genuine,so staying with XP is preobly better unless you don't play video games.

enough linux fanboys reply to this post yet? damn...

Alaphic
Hardly,a fanboy cant see past reason :P

MAC OS runs less programs and less hardware so meh

Lunix is better than mac in that it runs more sht....

its all board as it is long I guess,I will only put up with WIndose as long as someone has made fix's for it so I don't have to have big brother all up in my arse when I paid for the damn OS... it is simple jsut say no to DRM and windose genuine.

The problem i have with Linux is basically that I am a gamer. I know that Linux is a cleaner OS, as far as bugs and work arounds, than Windows, it runs faster, cant get viruses, spyware, it's open source, and it's free. the only problem with Linux is 99% of the programs available say "requires Windows XP". The last time I saw a game that had Linux on the package was a Blue Star show about 8 years ago, and it was Doom 2. Windows is to Linux as corporations are to The US government, they payoff software companies to use their format, at least that is how it feels.

OOPS! double posted.

Ballpyhon
you in luck wine plays a few DX games and theres a pay version that plays ALOT of DX games.

I just dont have a 2nd PC to play with right now.

can someone recommend a good lunix distro for gamers and media playing?