Who has the best deals on XP Pro?

[danmusician]

Where can I find the best deal on XP Pro? I just bought a new iMac and am looking to install Windows under either BootCamp or Parallel. I have tried searching and mostly am finding OEM disks.

[Tacos!]

Newegg has XP SP2 OEM for about 89 bucks

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116056

[danmusician]

Thanks!

[danmusician]

THANKS - but I thought OEM disks couldn't be used to install XP with boot camp. Am I mistaken?

[JNB]

OEM (or "white box") copies of Windows are exactly the same, without all the extraneous retail packaging. They're intended for installation on a PC without Windows pre-included, such as when you build it yourself.

Many times, the resellers will also include some minor piece of hardware (like a $5 floppy drive or some such piece of otherwise disposable crap) to keep within the strictest limitations of using OEM software.

As long as it's previously unactivated, it installs and runs perfectly fine. You can ignore any disk labeling (like Dell or HP). It's meaningless as far as the ability to correctly install & use.

[Chuckypool]

OEM disks work fine, just need to make sure its XP with SP2

[r-gordon-7]

OEM disks work fine, just need to make sure its XP with SP2

If it's XP from beofre SP2, can't you install XP anyway and then download SP2 online and install it as an XP upgrade? (That's what I've done on my HP laptop each time I've had to reinstall Windows - which I've had to do more times than I'd care to recall - and is one of the reasons I now have a MB on order... ;) )

r-gordon-7

[JNB]

If it's XP from beofre SP2, can't you install XP anyway and then download SP2 online and install it as an XP upgrade? (That's what I've done on my HP laptop each time I've had to reinstall Windows - which I've had to do more times than I'd care to recall - and is one of the reasons I now have a MB on order... ;) )

r-gordon-7

Has to be SP2. Per Apple's requirements for Boot Camp:

[r-gordon-7]

Hast to be SP2. Per Apple's requirements for Boot Camp:

Oh well... as I only have "pre-SP2" discs for XP and already have VISTA Ultimate anyhow, I guess VISTA Ultimate it will be...

Thanks,
r-gordon-7

[r-gordon-7]

Oh - but one last shot... even if "pre SP2" XP discs can't be installed under Bootcamp, is it possible that they can be installed under Parallels?

Thanks,
r-gordon-7

[JNB]

Pretty much anything can be installed in a VM. Got DOS? :p

If you can find your way to Vista (System Builder) or a copy of XPSP2, I think you'll be happier in the long haul. My own experience is that having a BC install is great, and Parallels can use the same install for its own use as well.

[theBB]

If you have access to a Windows machine, there is a way to use your pre-SP2 XP discs and create an XP SP2 disc. Google "slipstream XP SP2" or some variations of it. It should come up.