>Hi Joseph:
>Thank you for your reply.
>I have a couple of questions on  the OEM operating system though.
>1. Is the OEM OS recognized by Microsoft (is it legal)?  It is legal, but you don't get MS support (not that it really exists anyway)  It would be the same as if you bought a computer with your OS installed already.
>2. Can the OEM OS be updated (can Service Pack 1 be installed)? OEM's take all the updates.  Think of your first Win 9x computer that came with the OS installed.  It had Win Update on the start menu.  No problem.
>3. Is the OEM CD the same as the retail CD?  The OS is substantially the same as the retail CD.  It may be missing a few unnecessary extras, but you will not notice the difference.  The install may vary slightly, but it is still subvstantially the same.  What you get with the retail box is not worth the extra $100.  I've never bought a retail boxed MS OS.
>4. Is the manual supplied with the OEM OS as complete as the retail version?  You don't get a manual, but it's worthless anyway.  If you have questions it's better and more current to use www.google.com to find an up to date article on the subject.


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