Why Buy Windows? Four Good Reasons
Feb 16 '06
The Bottom Line Buying a legitimate copy of Windows is the first step toward controlling your computer on your terms.
It seems like a silly thing to do, doesn't it? Every computer you buy is going to have Windows installed already, so why should you buy a copy? And have you looked at how much it costs? Who wants to pay $299 for an operating system when you can practically buy an entire computer for that much?
Well, there are a few good reasons for buying a copy of windows:
You get a clean install
You own the CD
It's not that expensive
You'll need it if you're building a PC
You get a clean install
Why does this matter? Well, ever notice how much junk is pre-loaded onto a computer when you buy it? To begin with, all of that junk takes up valuable hard drive space. But more importantly, the majority of problems that leads to slow computer performance come from unnecessary applications running. When you buy a computer, the manufacturer loads all of this software with the Windows install, and some of it is even set to run every time you start your computer. That means you'll never see your system's full potential unless you stop this software from running on startup and delete it.
Now sure, you could just get rid of all this pre-loaded software. But what happens when you need to do a system restore? It all pops back up, because that's the original factory specification. Do you want to use your software or the software that some manufacturer wants you to use?
Installing a clean copy of Windows installs nothing but Windows. From there you can create your own desired system profile and your own system backup and restore. You get to use your computer on your terms.
You own the CD
This goes along with the above. Hopefully you've never had a serious problem with a store-bought computer that required a full system restore. You'll quickly realize that you don't really have Windows disks that came with your computer; there's just an image on the hard drive of whatever's necessary to restore the system back to factory specifications. I don't know about you, but I want something solid and tangible. If you buy a copy of Windows, you get a physical CD, something the computer manufacturers don't give you. This CD not only installs Windows, but it has tons of valuable tools and optional features that you just don't get otherwise.
It's not that expensive
Maybe you've seen those closely guarded boxes at the electronics or office supply store that don't even really have anything in them and are priced at hundreds of dollars. Maybe you've seen the upgrade -- only an upgrade -- that costs $99 all by itself. So you're thinking hey, I have better things to do with that money. Well, the secret is that you don't have to buy Windows from Microsoft. You can get fully legitimate copies elsewhere by buying OEM (original equipment manufacturer) software.
In fact, if you buy any piece of computer hardware, say a DVD drive or a video card, you can buy an OEM copy of Windows along with it. These OEM copies cost a fraction of what the retail versions cost; Windows XP Home is around $95 when purchased as OEM. If you're comfortable with it, you can get even better deals by shopping on eBay, where prices are even cheaper; the sellers get around the hardware requirement by shipping a cheap piece of hardware along with it. You get a legitimate copy of Windows, CD key and all.
You'll need it if you're building a PC
So you're thinking "Why would I ever build a PC?" Well, it's easier than it sounds, and unless you're buying a rock-bottom computer, you can get better hardware for your dollar. The only catch is that you have to supply the operating system. This means if you're building a PC from scratch for the first time, you'll need a copy, and an OEM copy is the perfect choice.
What's the real reason to buy a copy of Windows instead of suffering with whatever your computer manufacturer gives you? Freedom. You won't have to depend on the manufacturer if you have a major system problem; you can reinstall Windows yourself. You don't have the hassle of useless, resource hogging software that the manufacturer puts on your computer. And if you know how to shop, you don't have to shell out hundreds of dollars for the convenience.
This article is part of ivplay's Software Category Write-On.
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