Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler DIY HTPC builders, where do you purchase your OS?

I'm thinking about purchasing Windows XP MCE 2005, and was wondering where most of you buy your software for custom built HTPC's? In my IT field, I've been lucky from time to time as our Microsoft rep has given me some enterprise versions of XP, 2000, etc...

I was thinking about checking out local retail stores, but was wondering if there was a better option online?

Randy

I came across this website when using Froogle (Google shopping).

http://www.ankhsoft.com

They sell OEM software which is downloadable very very cheap compared to Retail. I could get my XP MCE 2005 version for 59.95, that is about $50+ cheaper than local retail or even on Ebay.

Has anybody purchased/downloaded software from these folks?

Thanks, Randy

I've never bought from them before but I know a few people that bought their OS from a similar vendor (it could be the same I can't remember the name). As far as they told me there wasn't any problems and it was well worth the price. Also you download the software directly without having to wait for a cd to be delivered which speeds up things quite a bit (with broadband of course)!

I'm curious to know why you are planning to go that way instead of using Windowx XP + third party (like MediaPortal) since I'm debating myself whether to buy it or not.

Well, for my new PC I'm building I would still have to have an OS installed. I figured if I was going to have to purchase XP, I might as well get the MCE 2005 version of XP? It seems to be the same price from their website. Either way I go, I need an OS.

I would be very leery about such sites.
a) It's not legal to sell OEM software without selling hardware with it. Now, the hardware can be just a cable, but if you don't sell hardware with it, it's not legit.
b) You don't get something for nothing.
c) Many such sites use spam for marketing.
d) How do you know it's legit? Do you want to have trouble with Windows Update the first time you go to run it and it fails the authentication check?
e) Piracy for profit is rampant--and while I'm agnostic on personal piracy, piracy for profit really gets my goat. That's out and out theft.

Try zipzoomfly. They're generally fairly inexpensive, and they play by the rules.

Thanks Ken, I'll check it out. Not sure about your a) answer? Even ZipZoomFly sells OS software only as OEM, no hardware included.

Zipzoomfly requires that you purchase hardware with the OEM software. At least they did last year... It is/was in the fine print.

Yup, it's in the Please Note! bit under Description. Of course, they're backordered on MCE...

Yep, I just went and saw that also, that sucks...man I just need an OS, no other hardware, oh well.

Ken is right that a lot of those businesses are shady when it comes to selling OEM software. As I said I am not familiar with that company; all I know is that the company that my friends used was approved by my company for us to use so they might have some kind of a deal with it or something.

About buying MCE... Be mindful that if you want to run MediaPortal or the like on it you will encounter a lot of problems if you don't uninstall the MCE module first, so in that case you'd better just buy a standalone Windows XP (well... unless you can buy it cheaper).