[Lotus]

I am looking to try WinXP Pro before I buy it so I can make sure it works fine on my system. I want good performance and no hardware issues. Is there anyplace I can download an ISO for it? Is there a way to install it without a key/license just to try....even a timed trial is fine. I just need it for a week or so to evaluate. Thanks

[sapiens74]

microsoft.com

[Lotus]

When XP first came out I tried release candidate 1 and 2 and both ran poorly on my system. I was told there have been major performance improvements since the RC's, but I don't want to spend $299 on something that won't run like I need it too.

I am NOT asking for a pirated version, just wanted to know if there was any type of trial out there like the RC's.

If it works fine, I'll buy it, if it doesn't I will keep Win2K.

Thanks

[Lotus]

I guess I'll just go buy it next week and hope for the best. Not being able to return it if it doesn't work out is the only thing I worry about. Thanks anyway =)

[mezron]

You won't be able to download XP (legally anyway), but you can get a trial disk mailed to you from Microsoft.

OK I just looked around to find a link for you and cannot find one. I'm inclined to think that Windows XP has been out long enough now that they no longer feel the need to make an evaluation disk necessary.

Good luck finding what you need. I upgraded to XP pro from 2000 pro and am very happy with it, but like you would be hesitant to "try it out" for the $200 upgrade price.

Jim

[Lotus]

Quote:

I upgraded to XP pro from 2000 pro and am very happy with it, but like you would be hesitant to "try it out" for the $200 upgrade price.

Jim

I thought they had a trial at one time also, but like you, couldn't find it. I'll just buy it and if for some reason it doesn''t work out for me, I'll save it until my next PC upgrade. Thanks for the reply.

[sapiens74]

Buy the OEM version.

At worst you can pick it up for 150, plus be requred to buy a hard drive to be compliant with the "new" pc requirments.

So 150+100 for a nice 120GB hard drive is 250

CHeaper then the Retail Version

[ViolentGreen]

Download the compatibility test from microsoft. It will tell you what programs/hardware are completely incompatible with xp and which devices simply need new drivers

[Mr.Guvernment]

what are you system specs?

[Lotus]

Quote:

what are you system specs?

Thats just it, I would be running it on my PII 400 box. Has 384megs pc133 ram on an Asus P2B motherboard. It runs Win2K beautiful, but when I ran the RC1 and RC2 of WinXP Pro, it ran like crap. I'm sure with all the tweaks out there and the fact it has SP1 now, it would run fine, but won't know until I try it.

[mezron]

I've run it on "less worthy" systems with good results. A few things to do would be turn off system restore, turn off themes, and turn off indexing. Those 3 things alone should make it feel as fast as if not faster than Win2k.

Jim

[duhmez]

Re: the OEM with a hard drive:

OEM windows sold with a hard drive is totally unallowed, even though peole do it. If you read the OEM agreement you get from micvrosoft, it must be a full pc, case and all, and the cd-key must be placed on the outside of the pc case. Upoin turn on it mus promt the user for a cd key. (This is typically done when the OEM runs sysprep after configuration)

an oem CD + a hard drive does not fulfill the extra OEM requirements that m$ requires.

Just a FYI for yall.

And afaik, you are allowed to use an OEM windows sold this way, its just the vendor that is not allowed to sell it this way.

[istallion88]

[

[adamvjackson]

Wow, that's bad, offering to *sell* pirated goods on this board! I hope your post gets deleted and your account removed.

That type of stuff is *not* tolerated here.

[jimbo]

FYI:
If it is a Retail boxed copy it is completely legal to sell it provided that the original user doesn't continue to use it (or retain a copy of it).... Make sure to get all the proper paperwork with it (license key etc).