Luckily I found a computer store to prove me wrong, but their one copy of Windows 95, new, was still $50! They were out of Win 98, which since I bought an XP upgrade online, I had planned to utilize on my former 98 PC to do the upgrade...that story documented elsewhere at length, suffice to say, the key code scree came up in my 98 SE install effort as well as a copy of XP Pro and I had unwittingly bought OEM versions sold used, so no cause to aid me, only buyer be ware, and I wasn't.

I bought my copy of XP today to replace the ones I bought as fancy holographic coasters, but noting the price for XP and XP Pro upgrades still starting at $100 up wards.. When you look at the various Office package prices, youget a feeling you know what that Bill Gates smirk is all about.

This is not an entended MS flame as I love the Windows platform, pretty much, despite critic's observed flaws, it's certainly more used that any other software product on market I'd say.

The real reason is still, after reading more of the opinions expressed on the issue. Why can't Bill Gates' company offer to mark down their OSes after a fair amount of time so that people from all walks of life could easily equip their PCs?

With Vista looming, I think in the future, XP should move down the price foodchain as Vista should NOT be anywhere priced beyond the current figures... I would like to use it, but at $200 or more, it's pretty insane

BILL

It is pretty pricey, but no one really buys retail XP, other than businesses with Corporate licenses. Most people would get OEM with a new system, or for when updgrading components. Of course a lot of people don't pay for their Operating Systems at all.

I doubt Vista will make XP too much cheaper, the same as W2K isn't too much cheaper now. To be honest, I don't think I'll bother getting Vista until a good year or two after release. Either it will be a major code rewrite and have improvements in security and/or performance, which will mean it is full of holes, or it won't be different in anything but look.

As an indication, anyone know whether Vista will be NT5.2 or NT6?