Well, I’m sure this is more of a general question of practicality rather than a debate, so here goes:
I’m considering buying a laptop computer for my own productivity while on the road, but more for my own damn pleasure in it’s usage rather than a using a ‘loaner’ from the ‘jobby-job’. In pricing certain models, I’ve noticed that I can buy a copy of “MS Office Small Business Edition” with Access and other nifty things I use on a daily basis for work.
Now, I already own a copy of MS Office SBE back home on my desktop, albeit it’s a few years old (2003). Given the price of including this software package with the new laptop ($350 :eek: ), would it really be worth it to order this with the laptop, or would I be just as good installing the ‘old and already purchased’ copy onto my laptop?
In other words, should I really haul off and shell out the cash for what would be a second copy? I’m sure the question would revolve around two things:
A) Would I have to uninstall the copy off my desktop, leaving me with only one working “productivity” computer (i.e. with the old copy, can I use it on multiple computers?)
B) Would there be any benefit from purchasing the new copy for, I dunno . . . upgrades in the software itself?
No, I’m not looking to bilk MS out of cash. I’m just cuious if it’s worth buying the new copy when the old one works just fine for me.
You say that your current copy of Office is the Small Business Edition. I’ve only ever had regular home versions of MS Office programs, so i’m not aware of whether or not the licensing agreement for SBE is different. Does the license that came with your SBE copy allow you to use it on more than one computer, or are you restricted to a single machine like you are with regular Office? The answer to this will effectively give you the answer to your first question.
As for your second question, i’m not sure about exactly what improvements there might be in the newer edition, but i think the best question to ask yourself is whether the edition you are running now does everything you need it to do. If it does, then it seems rather pointless to change just for the sake of it.
In your position, my first priority would be answering Question A by trying to find out the licensing rules for your copy of Office SBE.
And, after typing all that, i decided to look on the Microsoft website, and i think i might have found your answer. ON the FAQ page for MS Office 2003, it says:
So, it seems that you’re good to go UNLESS your version of office was a preinstalled, OEM version. In that case, the last sentence in the above quotation seems to preclude you from installing it on a second computer.
Unfortunately, unless you buy an edition of MS Office that includes a multiple-user license, Microsoft’s End User License Agreement only allows one copy of their products to be installed on one machine. Period. You would not be legally allowed to install the same copy of Office you already own on a laptop – you wouldn’t be able to activate it anyway, since (I’m presuming) you have already activated it on your desktop computer, so any attempt to activate it a second time will fail.
Microsoft also does not allow transferring a license to a different computer – even if you’re the license holder in both cases. Microsoft’s recent “redefinition” of what constitutes a “new computer” concludes that if the motherboard (defined as the core component of a computer system) changes, then the license is invalidated because Microsoft considers that a transferrence of license, which is disallowed by their EULA (This applies to Windows XP, but I’m pretty sure all other Microsoft products are or will be grandfathered in under that change in the EULA)
The bottom line is, if you want Office on your desktop and your laptop concurrently, you’ll need two Office licenses with which to do so.
I forgot about that povision for Office. mhendo is right; it can be installed concurrently on one stationary computer (desktop) and one mobile computer (laptop). IIRC this only applies to Office products, however, but both Office XP and Office 2003 have that provision.
Well, as you have realised in your following post, it is possible to have Office on a desktop and a laptop, as long as they’re not used concurrently.
But your comment about “new motherboard = new computer” only applies to OEM versions of software like Windows. This is because OEM software is specifically sold only for the computer on which it is originally installed.
If, on the other hand, you buy a proper, retail version of Windows (or other MS software) , you can transfer the license from one computer to another.
We’re still not sure, though, whether Tripler’s version of Office SBE is retail or OEM, and that will make a difference for him, if i’ve read my above quotation correctly.
Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question right now, since my desktop is in storage back in the states. However, being that I did buy the thing and the accompanying software back in '03 (and I think I remember installing it myself, rather than having it pre-loaded on the machine when it arrived), I think I might be in the clear, thanks to mhendo’s post.
One question for clarification: “OEM”?
Tripler
When I get back to the states, I’m gonna get loaded.
[QUOTE=mhendo]
Well, as you have realised in your following post, it is possible to have Office on a desktop and a laptop, as long as they’re not used concurrently.
That would make more sense than what I’d been hearning (which was admittedly just the usual Microsoft hysteria people glom on to whenever MS news or policy changes sounds like Microsoft trying to grub more money from people)
I don’t think I’ve personally come across a company that didn’t give OEM copies of the OS and other bundled software with desktop or notebook purchases. It’s difficult to tell from the bundle price in Tripler’s proposed purchase whether that’s retail or OEM, but I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it is the latter.
OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. To reduce my typing load, i’ll quote from Wikipedia:
When you get back to the US, look at the discs you got, and the package or book that came with them. It should tell you whether it is a full retail version of the software, or an OEM version.
OEM software is typically unpackaged software (CD-only, usually a paper sleeve or very simple packaging) that is bundled with hardware purchases for a discounted rate. The tradeoff (other than the lack of packaging and often hardcopy documentation) is that OEM software usually has a more restrictive license agreement, either restricting it only for use to the specific machine it was bundled with, or requiring that new versions be purchased as full retail packages (as opposed to upgrade versions) or the like.
From a recent CS2 install, Adobe software also currently allows the principal user of the computer the software is installed on to install a second copy on a portable or home computer, provided that those copies are used exclusively by the registered user and are not used concurrently with the original installation of the software.
Or you could get Open Office, which is open source and is perfectly compatible (IME) with MS Office. (You just have to set OO to automatically open and save files in MS formats.) Why give MS more money than you have to?
(If you really don’t want to switch between programs, get a copy of OO for both your computers. Why not? It’s free! It’s pretty similar to MS Office, and shouldn’t give you any problems getting used to it.)
Though I am a big fan of OO (and StarOffice, before there was an OpenOffice.org) it is not perfectly compatible - for example, it doesn’t do Office macros well (a plus if you ask me.) You should try it, though. However, if you don’t do anything really, complicated, it is a good choice.
BTW, the student edition of Office, which I got for my daughter, comes with three licenses.
From memory, and from your definition, I’m fairly certain it’s an OEM version–I remember going into the “Computer Disk Ammo Box” to get my paper-sleeve disks to install the Equation Editor for Word.
I’m starting to get a slow, sinking feeling. . . I’ve read the previous posts, but now I have to ask–would someone mind digging through their copies to see if I can do a “one desktop and one laptop” install?
I wouldn’t lose a bit of sleep over installing your legally purchased copy of Office on another computer, especially if only one was being used at once.
Seriously, you bought the software, how far can EULAs go? Can Microsoft say you can only run their software every other day, or while upside down and reciting a Gilbert and Sullivan song?
Another option, as previously mentioned, is to install OpenOffice. http://www.openoffice.org See if you like it before putting Office on another machine. You might find it does what you need and for free. I’ve used the Word Processor and Spreadsheet and found them just as useful as the MS versions.
