Best place to buy software? OS, Office, Other???

[Ruffy]

I'm currently looking to buy
1 Copy of Win2k3 server(standard)
4 Copies of WinXP Pro
4 Copies of Office 2003(Word, Excel, Outlook a must. Others might be needed, will find out later)
1-4 Copies/Licenses of Quickbooks Premiere Contracter Edition.

Currently I can't find a place to buy Office 2k3 oem without requiring me to buy a complete system. Newegg wont allow me even tho I placed an order for a complete system totalling over 1k. We can purchase the Oem 3 "pack" though.
Problem I see is most oem packs dont really save you any money. and if we do buy the 3 pack we'd still have to buy at least one retail version($300+)

Only other option I see is ebay where I can buy them all day for a low price. But wait on shipping/possibly get screwed(I always buy from ppl with 98% or better ratings, and 2 or less neg ratings in the past month)

So my lengthy question is. Anyone know of a good online store that sells things cheap?

Another thing Is i never researched/understood licenses since I never was the one to buy them. As I understand it Win2k3 server comes with 5. Each copy of winXP pro comes with one. So as long as we buy winxp pro we can continue to add machines to the network without having to buy additional client license packs? Or do you have to buy more once you hit 6 machines(better not)

On top of that can we dump a copy of winxp pro to a network share and install it 5 times? Is that how it works?

 

[SJConsultant]

Let me get the licensing out of the way......

Server 2003 comes with 5 CALs (client access licenses) which allow up to a maximum of 5 client systems to connect to the server to use file/print services. If you need more than that, you buy additional 5 or 20 Cal packs.

Each computer that will be running Windows XP will need a license. So you'll need 5 copies of Windows XP for 5 computers. Same thing goes for MS Office.

Installing Windows XP Pro from a network share involves setting up a RIS server to which you'll need to ensure each client machine has their own keycode for activation unless you use a volume license copy (VLK does not require activation and you use one key code for all machines)

Honestly you'd be better off getting computers preinstalled with MSDOS and buying license thru a VLK program to save some money.

 

[Ruffy]

Let me get the licensing out of the way......

Server 2003 comes with 5 CALs (client access licenses) which allow up to a maximum of 5 client systems to connect to the server to use file/print services. If you need more than that, you buy additional 5 or 20 Cal packs.

Each computer that will be running Windows XP will need a license. So you'll need 5 copies of Windows XP for 5 computers. Same thing goes for MS Office.

Installing Windows XP Pro from a network share involves setting up a RIS server to which you'll need to ensure each client machine has their own keycode for activation unless you use a volume license copy (VLK does not require activation and you use one key code for all machines)

Honestly you'd be better off getting computers preinstalled with MSDOS and buying license thru a VLK program to save some money.

damn that sucks, double licensing in that case

and no, it wouldnt be better because this company is small. Off the bat there will be 4 pc's. If they ever grow you can only expect a max of 10 pc's.

And i'm the one building the pc's. That's all I do. Build, test, drop off.

 

[SJConsultant]

damn that sucks, double licensing in that case

and no, it wouldnt be better because this company is small. Off the bat there will be 4 pc's. If they ever grow you can only expect a max of 10 pc's.

And i'm the one building the pc's. That's all I do. Build, test, drop off.

If your building the PCs and have a legit business, then you should be able to buy OEM 3 packs without any problems. OEM licensing allows Newegg to sell OEM 3 packs to resellers without a system or hardware.

 

[Ruffy]

If your building the PCs and have a legit business, then you should be able to buy OEM 3 packs without any problems. OEM licensing allows Newegg to sell OEM 3 packs to resellers without a system or hardware.

for office, yes ( I said in first post)
But considering we need 4, We end up spending 300+ for 1 extra copy(He needs to save as much money as possible off the bat. and although buying 2 three packs would be better in the long run. Just wont do right now because of cash flow)

 

[SJConsultant]

Perhaps the best advice I can give to you is to be cautious about where you decide to buy the software. If for some reason the business is audited and found to have counterfeit or pirated software, it could come back and bite you on the a$$ since your the reseller in this case.

 

[Ruffy]

Perhaps the best advice I can give to you is to be cautious about where you decide to buy the software. If for some reason the business is audited and found to have counterfeit or pirated software, it could come back and bite you on the a$$ since your the reseller in this case.

im not the one installing the software. But I am the one ordering it. So far I've bought him WinXP Pro Oem off newegg. There will be no counterfiet software at this location. They need Office, Quickbooks, Symantec Antivirus Copr, and windows, Thats is. All else is freeware(some freeware could get in trouble in a bussiness environment though)

 

[SJConsultant]

Your replies make no sense. Your building the PCs and testing them, yet your not installing the software?

What exactly is your role in all this and what will you be doing for the business? Who will be installing the software? Who will be setting up the server?

I only ask because I'd like to offer some help that will be cost effective and legal.

 

[mosin]

Off the bat there will be 4 pc's. If they ever grow you can only expect a max of 10 pc's.

That being the case...
Why not simply set them up peer-to-peer, and forget about the server? A full blown server with Windows Server 2003 in a setting this small may only add needless complexity and problems. Does a network so small really need a server? Why? There are easier ways to accomplish the task, if there isn't a really good reason for using a server. Sometimes the most complex solution isn't necessarily the best one. From what you describe, my house has a more involved network.