Member Avatar for Tekmaven

Anyone wanna see the best M$ deal?

Look at the standard action pack at...


HEHE.. All that for $299

(M$ sent me a letter about it two days ago)

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by knalb

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Good catch by — partner bundles can look like a steal when you only need software for learning, demos, or internal testing. 's caution is also valid: a lower up‑front price does not always equal better value. The crucial questions are what you plan to run, who will run it, and whether the license permits production use or is limited to development/evaluation.

Think in terms of trade‑offs rather than labels. Offers aimed at partners often bundle many Microsoft titles for internal/dev use and may limit production deployment, seats, update/download rights, or support incidents. Per‑developer subscriptions (MSDN/Visual Studio style) tend to be licensed to individuals and are usually better when multiple devs need isolated environments, regular downloads, or stronger support access. Always read the license terms for “production,” “internal use,” and “per‑seat” language before deciding.

Quick checklist to evaluate any bundle:

  • Define purpose: production vs development/test — your needs drive the choice.
  • Count seats: how many engineers or servers actually need the software.
  • Confirm rights: per‑server, per‑device, or per‑developer licensing?
  • Updates: are service packs and future downloads included?
  • Support: are support incidents or phone support part of the package?
  • Renewal: what happens to price and entitlements on renewal?
  • Audit preparedness: keep purchase receipts, keys, and license docs.
  • Alternatives: trial licenses, cloud pay‑as‑you‑go, or per‑dev subscriptions.

If the bundle is already in hand, preserve paperwork and media, use isolated VMs for development, and avoid deploying to customers unless the EULA explicitly allows it. When uncertain, request written clarification from the program or partner support. Program names and entitlements change over time, so verify current terms before relying on an old offer.

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Member Avatar for Tekmaven

Good thing I'm a reseller!

Member Avatar for knalb

the action pack is not really worth it.. waste of money.. just get a MSDN subscription.. hell.. most of the people who you will wind up talking to if you ever do have to call M$ don't even know what the actionpack is.. and these are the people who support it.

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