Do I need to buy XP?

Hello again,

I have another question. I am currently working on some grants for technology funding, and I am not sure what to do about the operating systems.

We are asking for 20 new machines, and we will want to put XP pro on these machines. While looking through TechSoup Stock (wonderful place, by the way) I noticed that you can get XP Upgrades from Microsoft, but it doesn't seem like you can get a full version that you can just install on a blank machine.

So, here are the questions:

1. Does Microsoft have any deals for Non-profits to get XP pro and put it on new machines?

2. Should we just get machines with XP pro installed already?

3. Should we just buy XP with licenses and install it ourselves?

4. While we're on that track, is it better to buy "blank" machines and just install what we need anyway? Or should we go the "Dell" type route and get the stuff preinstalled?

I'm a newbie to all this...

Thanks so much.

Sarah

Any (new) computer you buy will probably come with Windows XP preinstalled. The license is included. You shouldn't need to buy any licenses. Computer manufacturers such as Dell, HP, etc. tend to put a bunch of useless/annoying software on the machines they sell with Windows preinstalled. If I were you, I would buy computers with XP preinstalled (just to get the XP license), then do a clean install on them with a generic version of XP rather than the 'software restore CD' that will come with the machine.

The Windows XP Professional License Upgrade available here on TechSoup requires that each computer have a valid licensed operating system already installed. If your goal is to save money but time is available, you may consider ordering the new computers with Windows XP Home Edition. Then order the XP Pro upgrades through TechSoup.

For older systems Microsoft has provided a list of what operating systems can be upgraded at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/matrix.mspx.

Quote from "Good Morning Silicon Valley" today:

... Four minutes. That's about how long it takes for an unpatched Windows XP SP1 system to be attacked, compromised, and enlisted in a rogue botnet. This according to marketing-communications firm AvantGarde, which set up a half-dozen honeypots with default security settings and then analyzed their performance, tallying attacks and timing how long it took to successfully hijack them. Of the six machines tested, those running Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Mac OS X 10.3.5, and Linspire's Linux distribution fared best; unsurprisingly, the Windows XP SP1 machine fared worst. "In some instances, someone had taken complete control of the machine in as little as 30 seconds," AvantGarde's Marcus Colombano told TechWeb. "The average was just four minutes. Think about that. Plug in a new PC -- and many are still sold with Windows XP SP1 -- to a DSL line, go get a cup of coffee, and come back to find your machine has been taken.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2004-11-29-honeypot_x.htm