Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

[bgavin]

I see there is a big supply of OEM licenses on sale on eBay right now.
[ edit ] 5 CAL licenses, media, certificate included. [/edit]
Low comes in around $50, high around $140 or so. There are 2~3 closing every day. I have a client needing one, so jumped in at the last 10 seconds to get one at $105. She is paying the bill, and I need it NOW.

Why 2003?
I've been told the VLK program is discontinued for Win7 and 2008 server. Evidently MS is now "leasing" 2008 to the tune of $800 per year, per copy.

Furthermore, I have first hand experience with 2008 (Vista Server) which now renews its LICENSE via a DHCP-like process, every few days. You cannot license it once and expect it to run. It has to have access to either an internal license server, or the Internet. Sux to be a Military base with closed net access..

I've been rolling out Vista Server at a fortune 50 company for the last year now. It sux, big time. Pure merde. MS will eventually get this dog to bark a nicer tune, but it will take a lot of time.

[NxB]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

It seems like everywhere I go, I pretty much see linux or server 2003. Now I can see why.

[seanc]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

Ugh, SBS 2008 has some nice features, but the amount of f****** work arounds I have had to put in place for it to function correctly is ridiculous - especially if your client is running an Access database!

Every update seems to break something, it may not be immediately obvious though.

[bgavin]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

My campus is the largest Windows group, where all the rest are Linux. We are an island of merde floating in a pristine sea. Sounds a lot like BP, eh?

I've been in the Windows game since it began... every year I grow more disgusted with what is essentially a well marketed Tinker Toy. Apologies to TT, as their quality is probably better...

I'm jumping on acquiring a few of these 2003/R2 licenses because I have SOHO clients who require a Windows server. It makes no difference if MS discontinues support for 2003/R2 in the near future, because it runs well now. Clients wanting SQL2010, ad nauseum, will have to pony up for the latest MS disaster. Those happy to live on the trailing edge of technology can get a lot of use out of 2003.

IMO, the $150 or less price is a fair price to pay for 5-users. The $600~$1000+ price is bullshit.

[seanc]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

You know I think my company ponied up 500 quid for one of these a couple of months back for a client that required it.

[Topcat]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

One more step closer to a MS subscription-based OS.....which was in the works for 7, but scrubbed. The world isn't ready to pay a monthly MS bill like you do your utility bills, or your computer goes dead. Ballmer is a complete toolbag, just traditional corporate greed. Windows will cease for me when it becomes a subscription-based OS, which is one of the underlying reasons I've taken such an interest in OSX. Win2k or XP will live on forever when it comes to this.....remember the glory days of win2k? Never had to activate it and its very non-intrusive!

[AudioCraZ]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

The whole deal about "subscription" based software is nothing new. Look at Steam, look at Wow. These business models look tempting to all software makers, because you are able to control your software, and limit piracy. If you honestly set back, and look, you will find it is far superior that what we have now. Do you honestly think that the major companies that are thinking this is not a great idea? Microsoft already charges them for both software and support. By doing this, they can only charge them once for everything, which for large companies, is a attractive thing. Not all, but a lot.

Yes, I love Linux, but I am not a blind person to what MS has to do to innovate their os. More and more, companies are going cloud computing, and MS has to change.

What I always find funny is people complaining "I have always done this, why should we change..." Which was the same people who complained that Fuel Injection was a waste because they would have to learn something new, so they will just stay in the past...

Sorry, I just get tired of hearing the age old "old man" "Back in my day.." illogical reasoning. A lot of people forget, there is only ONE CONSTANT in this world, and that is Change.

Hell, if you are complaining, why are you not complaining about Red Hat for charging a monthly charge for its service? Oh, that is linux, and that is ok? Just because a company changes its business model, doesn't make it "evil", sometimes they have to change just to stay in the game.

Microsoft will dabble with consumer pay services, but that hasn't been their target audiences, it has always been corporate customers, and obviously somebody likes this, or it wouldn't be out there.....

[Topcat]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

^
Well I don't like it, as just about any end-user wouldn't either. There's nothing new or innovative about subscription, but for an OS on an end user platform, it's absurd. For example...... Billy Joe Bob buys a new PC from a store....and then after buying the PC with a subscription-based OS on it, he gets bent over for the life of the PC paying MS monthly, or it doesn't work anymore. Umm, no. That's just stupid. Profitable for MS, yes, and again, just more corporate greed on MS's behalf. Subscription based software does have its uses, but this isn't the place for it. If some sucker wants to do it, more power to them....but I won't. Corporate world is a whole other ball of wax, and in some cases, subscription-based can save them money, which would be the only viable reason to do it, or believe me, they wouldn't. The same can be said for Redhat. There's a reason RH is so well supported versus other distros of linux, they get money for it...and you get what you pay for.

On an end-user platform, it would cost the user more than buying a 1-time license. I'll be damned if I would pay MS every month to use windows. I have no problems with buying their software, that's not what I'm driving at here, but I want to pay for it one time, install it, and use it without them knowing what time of day I sit in my chair and fart.....and w7 is very intrusive. XP was flirting with the line a little, but didn't cross it IMO. Being subscription-based, that means MS has all my personal information, financial information, and other things that are none of their damn business. Even in today's world, I still believe in privacy.

Indeed, change is part of this world, but it's not always for the better (definitely the case with subscription-based OS's for the home user). The Nazi's took power and changed the course of Germany......was that good change? Not all change is good, so try again with that flawed logic. There's an old saying, "If it aint broke, don't fix it".....and there's the MS motto (which th government also uses): "If it aint broke, fix it till it is".

[AudioCraZ]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

But that is the thing... You are looking at something, and taking it to the most illogical extreme.... We are not talking about "user based os subscriptions". We are talking about MS SERVER! Which is not a consumer product, except for Windows Home Server, which is not, or ever planned for subscription.... Heck, this isn't even about regular individual copies of Server either, if you notice, he said VLK... Which in case you don't know, that is "Volume License Keys". Corporate accounts, Military, large institutions of 1,000 licenses or more.

Now, I doubt this is going to be for the Military anyway. They have contracted agreements for their software, which major companies do too....

What I am arguing is that somebody hears MS is going subscription, and people just go into illogical hysterics...

1) When a large institution buys a VLK, they don't use the "activate windows" feature, that is disabled for them. Do you really think large companies are going to have an OS that 1,000+ computers are all hitting Microsoft validation servers at the same time? Heck no, it doesn't make sense, the institution is going to have a central server that manages that for them, probably part of the Microsoft lease agreement.

2) Think hard and long, you think that Microsoft is going to do something that pisses off all their customers? Are you MAD? Look what happened to Vista, and how fast they were forced to changed things for both consumers and IT for Win7.

3) Please explain how "Being subscription-based, that means MS has all my personal information, financial information, and other things that are none of their damn business." is even logical? Obviously you know something I don't, please tell....

[NxB]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

Making windows a subscription based service is going to push everyone to the competitors.

A whole rack running 2k8 is $800 per server? That seems rather high. Even if you get the new VLK, do you have to run activation server all of the time? People aren't going to go for this.

[stj]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

m$ are fools.
so are people who use "cloud" crap.

M$ first.
at a time in history like no other,
Linux both bootable from disk, and easier to install than windows.
BSD and Solaris moving up behind,
x86 versions of OSX readily hacked for popular regular hardware.

this is NOT the time for m$ to start being arrogant with it's shrinking customer base.

and bill gates is now investing more money in genetic engineering & bio-weapons developement than software developement too.

and cloud,
only a fool would trust his/her data to another person or group,
they could lose it - then your fucked.
they could lock you out in contract disputes - then your fucked.
they could sell your data - if your a company your really fucked.
and if that data is personal or financial data relating to customers or the public in general your looking at very big legal problems!

[kc8adu]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

even if strongly encrypted in a few years it may be trivial to break the encyption.
with all the advances in hardware and dc it still is not safe.
no agency dealing with hipaa data will touch it with a bargepole.
and i wont either.

and cloud,
only a fool would trust his/her data to another person or group,
they could lose it - then your fucked.
they could lock you out in contract disputes - then your fucked.
they could sell your data - if your a company your really fucked.
and if that data is personal or financial data relating to customers or the public in general your looking at very big legal problems!

[Rulycat]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

and bill gates is now investing more money in genetic engineering & bio-weapons developement than software developement too.

Bill Gates isn't at the helm of Microsoft anymore. You're probably talking about the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is a charitable organisation.

[AudioCraZ]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

Obviously you guys don't read much, or understand that when a company goes with cloud storage, there is many clauses on security, and privacy of data. No, a reputable company would never sell somebodies data... That is both illegal, and would cost them business.... Yet another "cry wolf"....

As for large buisnesses, of course not, they would never use cloud computing. They will want total control of all their data, and that means their own data centers.

I am sorry, but people saying "Microsoft is going to have all my data" is unfounded nonsense. There are more laws protecting privacy than there are protecting companies, just ask any lawyer. This is also the same logic when people whined and moaned about the "random number generated from system hardware" when XP came out. People cried that this was going to allow Microsoft to know all the hardware in their systems, and was a privacy issue.... Come to find out, those "cry wolf" people were going into hysterics over nothing, this is just the same thing.

What I am trying to get at is don't blow up, and make false accusations about what Microsoft, Apple, or whoever is doing. It it is such a bad product, people wont buy it, and they will move on. The thing is, every company, to stay profitable, has to try different business models, that is how big business works. Some buisnesses work on providing the same thing, Microsoft is not, they have to constantly change and adapt to the market. That means, they are going to try radical ideas and thinking to provide services to their customers, not everybody will use it, then again, does microsoft have one product that everybody uses?

Also, when I used to work for a large pest control company (child company of a larger company) their main IT manager would get "invited" to negotiations with MS sales reps to Hawaii, Las Vegas, etc.... When they sit down and negotiate their server and os licenses, I can guarantee you they never pay full retail per license.

All I am trying to say is don't cry wolf, especially when it isn't warranted. Microsoft would be stupid to force subscription on everybody. Who knows, it may be a all out failure like Vista, and they will be forced to change. It may also be something business love....

[Topcat]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

I am sorry, but people saying "Microsoft is going to have all my data" is unfounded nonsense.

No, its not nonsense. Do you know how a subscription works? You're billed at regular intervals for licensing usage (monthly, annually, whatever). This means they have all your billing info, CC number, and so on, so they can suck your account dry come billing time. That is more than they need to know about me.

[stj]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

Obviously you guys don't read much, or understand that when a company goes with cloud storage, there is many clauses on security, and privacy of data. No, a reputable company would never sell somebodies data... That is both illegal, and would cost them business.... Yet another "cry wolf"....

cry wolf? or play safe.
we find this week that google streetview parallel mapped all wifi points - it was no accident.
they intend to use it to triangulate peoples internet-connected phones for pinpoint marketing.


do you trust large company's with links to the inteligence services?
if you do then fine - just dont give them anybody's data other than your own.

[AudioCraZ]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

So, you are saying that you are allowed to broadcast that data, but nobody is supposed access it? WTF? Also, the only data pulled from WiFi spots were UNPROTECTED.... They had no wireless encryption... Now, how true their statement is that it was from a previous employee, and it was copied from his previous work, none of us will probably ever know, but what is known is that only unprotected wifi spots got data mined. Now, the hard drives were made copied to a security company, and the original hard drives are locked in a safe pending investigation.

As for a listing of wifi hotspots... whoa, obviously this is something new to you guys, but if you do a search, even a iTunes app search, you will find 100's of apps for this. Google isn't the only one with listings of WiFi points, there are tons of places online to find wifi hotspots, all they were doing was mapping them in google street view. In Europe, the average person goes down to a local WiFi, Internet Cafe. This kind of listing would be great.

As for subscription, no, I won't use it, I have no use for it. Somebody show me where Microsoft said themselves that they are going to charge a subscription fee for home, single computer use? They are only talking about their VLK customers. Even so, the servers I use are either desktop Windows with apache and/or MySQL, or Linux/BSD based. In all honesty, I think Microsoft with trial subscription based services for home users, but they are not stupid. They know if they force this on the public, the average user will just not upgrade, or eventually downgrade. I doubt a subscription based home computer service would ever work, and I understand why most people would be against it.

As for tracking cellphones, you don't need to have internet based smart-phone to have any phone on a cell carrier to be traced. That is called triangulation, and all they have to do is see what your signal level is at 3 or more towers, and they know where you are. If you have an iPhone, HTS, or any other GPS based phone, uh, hate to break the news to you, but those trace where you are as well.... without the need of google. Google wasn't using the streetview to trace cell phones, that is more easily done with phone apps, they were just making a list of accessable wifi hotspots where people can go and get online. They got caught data mining unencrypted wifi networks, and now they have to deal with this investigation, government privacy issues, a massive headache and a huge scar on their public image. Trust me, as much as you want to say that every large company is an evil empire, sometimes they are a victim of their company's size, and human error.

[NxB]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

As for tracking cellphones, you don't need to have internet based smart-phone to have any phone on a cell carrier to be traced.

E911, which is AGPS was mandated on cell phones because triangulation is a PITA.
Get a phone without it and they will have to chase you with trucks and direction finding gear.

[AudioCraZ]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

Yeah, why some people love the "pay as you go" phones. If all you care about is calling, and don't want the added extras of phones, these are great.

Me personally, I use the GPS and e-mail functions on my iPhone way too much. If I don't want the GPS to work, I just put my cell phone on top of a power supply.... Enough EMF to block signal.

[bgavin]

Re: Server 2003 OEM Licenses on Sale for Cheap

GPS exists in every vehicle sold after 2000.
They want you, they got you.

I didn't start this thread with the intent of a fist fight... just a pointer to cheap, legal 2003/R2 licenses.

M$ is M$, we have a choice, but most refuse to execise that choice.
I'm one of those, I suppose, as my living comes from fixing M$ junk.