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 Misleading/Misinformation from Gold Partner and Microsoft Website.
Posted Wed February 8, 2006, by Phillip W. written to Microsoft Corporation
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At my company we had been doing updates to our system and trying to make our systems more reliable. I have made it a point to setup my systems with licensed OEM or bundled software throughout our entire organization.I think I have found out why there is such an issue with people pirating software.
We have bought either, all brand new computers with Windows XP Home edition on them, or purchased the software retail(XP Home) and installed it ourselves. After the fifth user was installed on the server we found that only Windows XP Professional would be able to handle more users, up to ten. After upgrading the server to XP Professional and then reaching the ten user limit we found me had to upgrade the server to Windows Small Business Server 2003. I had a Microsft Gold Partner come out and talk to me about what I would need and he explains that I need Windows SBS 2003 only. i got on Microsoft's Windows SBS 2003 website and look at the functionality and the minimum requirements to install the software, which we met. We paid for the server software and also paid for the user license for the appropriate number of client computers.(15)I installed the software and reconfiugre our entire network. After installation I find that Windows XP Home does not handshake with Windows SBS 2003 which means that the installation wizards for the client software will not install as needed or required and you can't even join the domain. We find to actual get full functionality and get even more than anything basic without glitches we have to NOW upgrade to Windows XP Professional. Now after spending thousands of dollars on software, hours of my time and dealing with issues of logins dropping and all, I have to spend even more for these upgrades on computers I recently bought and registered. The GOLD PARTNER didn't advise of this issue and the Microsoft website mentions XP Professional as only a recommended item and not a minimum requirment, when in fact, XP Professional is a requirement to get functional use of the system. Even the Microsoft sales support operator agreed with me that this information is misleading and should be included in the minimum requirements.
I would like to be sent XP Professional Upgrades for all of my client computers(10) so that I can get functionality of the system I just spent thousands on. All my software is registered and good OEM software and should be supported with upgrades due to the lack of communication from the Microsoft Gold Partner and the misleading/omitted/incorrect information on the Microsoft website.
OR, maybe someone would like to advise me of how class-action lawsuits are intiated?
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by dragonflygrrl Posted Fri February 10, 2006 @ 10:12 AM
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I really thought this was a good letter of complaint, all the way
through to the very last part. Maybe you should have done a little
more homework before ordering, but it does sound like your vendor led
you somewhat astray. My only problem with this letter is the very
last line. Having kept the tone professional and intelligent
throughout, you suddenly throw in a little remark about class-action
lawsuits. Huh? This darn near schizophrenic departure makes the
whole letter suddenly seem like every other whiny letter out there,
and calls the writer's credibility into question.
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by Tommy Gun Posted Thu February 9, 2006 @ 6:08 PM
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I hear your pain and I hate when that happens, unfortunately MS want $
300 for XP PRO. You can always work around it. XP home cannot join
domains but that does not mean that they cannot communicate.
Networking protocols such as TCP/IP does not care what operating
system is on the network. You can have a MAC in Windows environment
and you will be still able to get on teh network.
I suggest to read on domains and the benefits.
As far as SBS 2003, that server is all locked down by default so u got
to know what u doing too.
And I think as long as you behind couple firewalls and on the private
network you probably get away with workgroups.
Good luck
Tommy Gun
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by texas1 Posted Thu February 9, 2006 @ 2:25 PM
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While it's regrettable that you find yourself in the situation you're
in, it's generally recognized in the Information Technology community
that XP home is a limited operating system and not suitable in
multi-user server based environments. Further, Windows XP Home is not
promoted by Microsoft as being suitable.
Please refer to the MS link below for a direct comparison of both
OS's:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/choosing2.mspx
I think you were ill served by your vendor but if you are an IT
professional, some of what happened falls on you shoulders also.
Asking Microsoft for free upgrades is parochial.
For a class action lawsuit you'll need a lawyer and a better case than
what you're presenting.
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by AFPheonix Posted Thu February 9, 2006 @ 2:05 PM
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I'm not a techie (I don't have to be, I married a geek who builds me
machines), but it would seem to me that before forking out money for
even one copy of Windows, an expensive piece of software, that one
would check the specs on each version and pick the best one for one's
needs before purchasing. From your letter, I don't get the impression
that you did much research on the various incarnations of XP before
picking the Home Edition, rather that you got some computers with that
already on there and got more copies to match.
I don't understand why you didn't check on the user limit before
purchasing.
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Research?
by gennee Fri February 10, 2006 @ 1:13 PM
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SHARED LETTERS 
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