hitsuji wrote: OK, i think this rant has gone on a bit too long, without clearing the main facts. First the OEM is targeted for standard PC users, those who DON'T upgrade their systems Yes, I admit that I went a little bit too far, but it was 1 AM after 5 hours installing the whole thing, it got on my nerves. :-O :rolleyes: Also the need to reactivate 2 times in the past by the international call to Ireland because there was noone in the local activation center didn't help much. On the other hand I DID mention the fact that it's an OEM and that according to a MS rep it allows you to replace 2 components should they fail or be upgraded. But you're right that I didn't explain the details of an OEM license further. hitsuji wrote: If your ranting because you cant upgrade anymore then you shouldnt have gotten an OEM package, your fault noone elses. I was ranting beacuse it LOOKED like I can't upgrade even if I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE to upgrade according to what MS told me when buying the OEM license. When I was considering OEM/regular 2 years ago, I called them to learn how it works and what can and what can't be done with it, and I just decided to get an OEM as I thought that when the time for HW upgrade comes, WinXP will be superseded by a newer version anyway. hitsuji wrote: second as regards hardware failures, when ya buy the OEM copy, its automatically linked with your hardware, if it fails then it's usually still under warrant and most shops are obliged to give you a new copy of OEM xp if you cant activate it anymore due to that failed hardware. I really didn't see any of the shops here doing that, and when I asked some of the local HW vendors (long time ago though) they were not doing this. But in my case, the failed motherboard is not under warrant anymore. hitsuji wrote: if the hardware failure happens outside the OEM, well then you'll prob not be bothered with that machine any more, as its too bloody out dated. I think it's now 2 or 3 years old, but I wouldn't call it bloody outdated. ;) First, it's a home PC used mostly for web and office, and partly for development, graphics (photos) and remote desktop. For this, I think an Athlon XP 2200+ based machine with 1GB DDR333 RAM and 200GB ATA133 in hard drive capacity is absolutely sufficient. Actually, it's slightly faster than the one I still use for development in the office, and also than my laptop. ;)