Buying Windows for your Mac

[baseballboy828]

I am ready to take the venture into windows on my mac, because I want to be able to run some games, and use some IE only websites. I'll be using it under Boot Camp and Parallels. Where should I buy XP (Home Edition). Also, is it OK to get an OEM version or not? Can anyone recommend a specific place? I'd like to make everything as cheap as possible, but I am willing to pay the extra cash if buying from a non big-name online store can be trouble. Also, I'll call the soon-to-close CompUSA in the area and see what their price is. Thanks for any advice you can give.

[MarkFleser]

Newegg has oem versions for about a hundred bucks which is about the best price that I've seen. The OEM version should work for you though.

[Yuiichi]

I'd personally suggest you find a small computer store and try to get a deal from them. I actually purchased my Windows XP Home (non-OEM) from a store called Smart Buy for $100. Not that I'd suggest you should ever shop at Smart Buy - worst purchase I've ever made, but that may have been because of my ignorance on the whole topic.

Just my $0.02 CAD, eh.

[houltmac]

There is no issue with OEM at all, and that's about as much as I can help because I live in the UK and we work in these weird pound sterling things. I don't get it either.

[baseballboy828]

Originally Posted by Yuiichi

I'd personally suggest you find a small computer store and try to get a deal from them. I actually purchased my Windows XP Home (non-OEM) from a store called Smart Buy for $100. Not that I'd suggest you should ever shop at Smart Buy - worst purchase I've ever made, but that may have been because of my ignorance on the whole topic.

Just my $0.02 CAD, eh.

We don't really have a local computer store. The one we do have has an awful selection (3-4 computers, 2-3 printers, a couple of old floppy disks), and have always overpriced things. I'll call the CompUSA that's nearby and see what they say.

Newegg's OEM versions say this:

Disclaimer: Qualifying proof of purchase must be recent receipts showing the purchase of a mother board, hard drive, RAM and a CPU. The components can be on multiple receipts; not necessarily all on one receipt nor on the same receipt as the qualifying Windows XP/Office 2003 that you purchased.

Does that mean they will check something, or it is technically illegal, like running Vista Home Basic or Premium on a mac?

[houltmac]

It's a technicality that they are putting out there for Microsoft's benefit. As far as I am aware nothing changed in the terms for Vista from XP (although I may be wrong) and that means that if you buy any component (a ¢49 mouse counts, or counted with XP) you qualify. Of course, OEM has it's own drawbacks but frankly it's not worth worrying about.

Most companies overlook this stupidity in reality and only put out these terms to soothe the public face as it were.

[baseballboy828]

So, I could technically buy an OEM without anything else, but it would only be legal if I bought something else? What parts qualify? I might buy something from Newegg that I actually want with it, rather than a mouse that will just go in a box.

Would purchasing RAM at a different store count? I am considering upgrading from 1.5GB to 2 GB, and crucial's price are amazing. $60 for a 1GB chip.

[houltmac]

Basically internal components, certainly different boards like graphics cards and main boards. I'd check the Microsoft website for specifics, but frankly anything will let you get away with it at the time of purchase and nothing can be proven afterwards.

[baseballboy828]

One last question: can windows be activated in both parallels and boot camp, by having parallels use the boot camp partition? I assume it can, but I just want to make sure. Believe it or not, I found a good guide to Windows OEM and activation on none other than eBay.

[houltmac]

Yes. What you do is create your BootCamp partition, install Windows and activate. Then you boot to OS X, install parallels, use BootCamp as the "HD" and boot. Then activate in Parallels and it's A. Okay!

That said, I haven't done it in a while and colleague said he didn't even need to activate in parallels anymore since they fixed the profile bug so it might be even easier.