Windows XP Service packs?

[Ait'al]

If i buy Windows XP pro without any service packs can i get them later on there own? and ive seen the SP1A but what other Service packs are there and what do they come with? And whats in the SP1A pack? Whats it designed around? I Would like to just go the Target around here and pick up the plane full version for 120 and then look at whatever selection of service packs Microsoft has and either dl or order the one i want. Im assuming all the service packs in the OEM versions are Microsoft built service packs.

[Smaug]

Service packs are just a big collection of patches that microsoft had put out up till that point when the sp was released. You can order a cd from microsoft for either a small fee or free I don't remember. Its nice to have all the patches ready so you don't have to dl them all and there is alot of them it would take quite a while off of a fresh windows install.

[Ait'al]

Are all OEM Copies of windows for Service packs going to be just the retail with the CD of downloads then. Or do they tend to rebox them and take out manuals? Or is the only type of OEM generally just the retail with the SP tossed in the box?

Edit: LittleKenny,2/22/2004 8:00:25 PM
I like XP Pro alot. Works well. Seldomly chokes, usually only when I load questionable software. For the most part it's been great. So anyway I bought it and installed it about 1 year ago on a new mobo, cpu, memory, hd, etc. system. All good.

The fun starts today when I totally upgrade my system. New mobo, new memory, new hd, same vid card, same DVD player and guess what? It won't let me activate it. Says I have to call MS. So I call MS and the kind helpful phone person takes down my product key and tells me "Oh, I'm sorry sir, that's an OEM copy. It can only be installed on it's original system." Well I'm certainly not going to reinstall old hardware that I've just spent all day swapping out. So I'm outta luck. If I want to run a legitimate copy of XP on my upgraded hardware I have to buy another copy of XP. Either OEM or Full Version. Screw that. Would have been nice to know up front when I bought it. I would have bought the full version then.

So if you never plan on upgrading than the OEM copy will work fine for you. Shoot even if you upgrade some of your components it should still work fine. I swapped out a CD-ROM and changed the memory config a bit on the old machine and it reinstalled fine. Just don't plan on any major upgrades and using the same OEM copy. Even if in the end you would still only have one copy of XP installed. I hate you Gates. Bite me.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=37-102-143&catalog=368&manufactory=BROWSE&depa=6&section=3

is this true?

[Smaug]

I got the OEM from newegg, its basically just a cardboard thing wrapped in plastic with a paper cd case inside with the xp cd and a cd key :P. I haven't made any major changes since I installed my copy so I dunno if what that guy says is true but I wouldn't be surprised if it is.

[Rbstr]

The sevice packs are downloadable, they are basicaly updated to the os, They are not collections of patches though they are major updates.

buy the OEM its cheaper and is jus the same as a full version

[Ait'al]

Actually i can get the full retail version cheaper than the OEM with service pack, because the OEM is added software, some places have the full alot cheaper and advertise the OEM at higher price and the retail as the lesser version.

So, unless you can beat 120 for the full retail.

[Phaelon]

Service Pack 1A is currently the only pack out, however Service pack 2 will be coming out shortly, had the beta of for a few weeks and it works out nice. Interesting little note is that service pack 2 has a built in virus scanner.

[Ait'al]

Does it have all hte stuff from SP1 in it?

[Strygun]

Service Pack 1A is currently the only pack out, however Service pack 2 will be coming out shortly, had the beta of for a few weeks and it works out nice. Interesting little note is that service pack 2 has a built in virus scanner.


won't that make companies like Symantec and McAffee obsolete?


On another note, I heard that Longhorn will have a built in search thing, like Google. Microsoft is trying to take over the world.

[Ait'al]

Atleast theyll kill norton. ;)

:cheers: TO NORTON!

And its not like any of the stuff theyve been adding since 3.1 has affected things like quicktime or Winamp etc.

[Rbstr]

Yeah MS is trying to take over the world.

Ms is also putting out a Win XP "Reloaded" basicaly somethign to tide us over till Longhorn

[Phaelon]

SP2 will not have all of SP1 in it, generally if you build a machine, and install a base OS cd, you can take heart knowning all you have to do is roll out Service packs.

The Virus scanner will not put Anti-Virus companies out of business. The problem is that over 50% of the people who run XP, don't have a virus scanning program, that is what Microsoft is trying to stop.

Microsoft will not rule the world, don't underestimate Linux, all it needs is a good conversion for desktop, and Linux will take over.

Did you know last year that 50% of the servers sold had Linux running on them.
Linux rules.

[Rbstr]

Linux = teh win if i could play games on it, and it was just a bit more non-expericned user friendly becasue my partens would freak if i put linux on a comp of ours

[Phaelon]

Linux doesn't really have a great desktop conversion at the present time, but if one comes around, everything will change.

Many of our larger clients use Linux for server clusters and banks, and no one even knows its there, they think Windows is running on the server.

By the way you can play games on Linux, it is called Wine. It is a port that you pay like 5 dollars for a month, and they come out with support for all the newest games converted to Linux. I got 40 fps high in Never winter nights on my Linux server than i Ever did on either of my XP desktop machines.

[Smaug]

So, unless you can beat 120 for the full retail.

linksauce (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=37-102-141&catalog=368&manufactory=BROWSE&depa=0)

[Ait'al]

Thats not XP proffessional and its not the retail version. With that last bit of info about the OEM and micrsofts cheap little new tactics im not giving them a cent towards one of the damn products that were made to do that.