4 ms·

Thank you for this. What I wish I could find was a way to buy a low-cost version of Windows to run in VirtualBox on a Mac, not for testing IE, but just to be ab

by SiVal 14y ago

Thank you for this. What I wish I could find was a way to buy a low-cost version of Windows to run in VirtualBox on a Mac, not for testing IE, but just to be able to use Windows occasionally. I'm not sure why MS wants to make buying Windows without a PC so expensive. I suppose they feel that locking us into PC hardware (that won't run MacOS, thanks to Apple's lock-in policies) is the best way to lock us into Windows. For me, someone who uses Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android for different things, it all just drives me toward a policy of trying to find ways to get by without MS and Apple as much as I reasonably can. A $39 "Windows for VMs" package would keep my foot in the Windows world, but lacking Apple's (current) hardware quality advantage, MS is the easiest to learn to do without entirely.

mlvljr 14y ago
Windows 7 is free (incl. the Ultimate version, with Aero, etc.), you may use without paying a penny, if you can tolarate: 1) wallpapers regularily replaced with a black "picture" (telling you that your Windows copy needs a proper license) 2) occasional reminders that you better buy a license in form of poop-ups (you can make them show less often setting up tray notifications appropraitely) 3) no update-on-demand (though security updates are provided automatically) Bonus is the reminder pop ups (which are shownn not often anyway) almost never mess will full-screen videos, and never -- with games (so, if you'd like to have Windows for playing games, this solution is perfect). You can google for smth like Windows 7 7600 build, download the ISO (from the MSDN or a tracker you trust), install, let it patch itsekf to the latest service pack, install DirectX, codecs, etc -- and enjoy :)
SyneRyder 14y ago
Have you seen the pricing on Windows 8? It's $48 here in Australia (roughly the same in USD) and I believe there's a $40 download-only version too. It sounds like that would suit your needs?
- SiVal 14y ago
  It's my understanding that that's an upgrade price, not a new installation. They're doing it, because so many Windows users are saying they'll keep using Windows 7, an actual computer OS, rather than upgrading to the new "post-PC" Windows 8. You could be right, and I could be wrong, though....

by SiVal 14y ago

mlvljr 14y ago

Windows 7 is free (incl. the Ultimate version, with Aero, etc.), you may use without paying a penny, if you can tolarate: 1) wallpapers regularily replaced with a black "picture" (telling you that your Windows copy needs a proper license) 2) occasional reminders that you better buy a license in form of poop-ups (you can make them show less often setting up tray notifications appropraitely) 3) no update-on-demand (though security updates are provided automatically) Bonus is the reminder pop ups (which are shownn not often anyway) almost never mess will full-screen videos, and never -- with games (so, if you'd like to have Windows for playing games, this solution is perfect). You can google for smth like Windows 7 7600 build, download the ISO (from the MSDN or a tracker you trust), install, let it patch itsekf to the latest service pack, install DirectX, codecs, etc -- and enjoy :)

SyneRyder 14y ago

Have you seen the pricing on Windows 8? It's $48 here in Australia (roughly the same in USD) and I believe there's a $40 download-only version too. It sounds like that would suit your needs?

SiVal 14y ago
It's my understanding that that's an upgrade price, not a new installation. They're doing it, because so many Windows users are saying they'll keep using Windows 7, an actual computer OS, rather than upgrading to the new "post-PC" Windows 8. You could be right, and I could be wrong, though....