In the comments to an earlier post on Windows licensing, Pam asks:

I recently bought a used computer(windows 98) because my old one died and I have a back-up copy of windows xp from my old computer, can I use the windows xp cd and install it on my windows 98 computer?

The correct answer, of course, as with all things Windows-related, is, “Maybe.” Before I can answer that question, I need two additional pieces of information:

1. What type of license was included with the original copy of Windows XP? If it was an OEM copy that came preinstalled with the computer, then no, you can’t transfer it. The terms of an OEM license say you can run it only on the computer on which it was installed originally. If it was a retail copy, either a full copy or an upgrade, then …

2. What happened to the old computer? If you’re still using it, or if you sold it or gave it away without completely removing Windows XP, then no, you can’t legally reuse the license. But if you completely wiped it clean and kept the CD, the product key, and the certificate of authenticity, then yes, you can install it on the new computer.

Note that there’s a difference between you can legally do and what you can do in practice. Legally, you can have Windows XP installed on only one computer at the same time. In practice, however, you can activate your copy of Windows XP on a second computer, maybe even a third or fourth, by activating each subsequent installation over the phone and telling a tall tale to the agent on the phone.

For more questions (and answers!) about licensing Windows and Office, see How much do you know about Microsoft licensing? at ZDNet.

Sometimes the most interesting discussions in the blogosphere occur in comments. Case in point: There’s a vigorous, spirited, occasionally acrimonious conversation going on in the comments at Mini-Microsoft’s blog. One commenter ticked off a list of what Microsoft has done in the Windows space since 2001 and was greeted with this reply from another commenter:

Service packs now count as great products?

To which Mini responds:

For XP SP2, yes. To call this a “service pack” is to belittle what it truly is. We should have called it something far more dramatic and important to represent the stop everything! moment that happened to recreate XP and put in security measures that match the modern world’s risks.

The ball was dropped not only in the promotion of this product but also in the distribution. All that effort, and then XP SP2 was basically told to slip out through the bit-dribbler back door and not make any noise vs. being heavily promoted and distributed.

We really should have heralded this accomplishment at the time. Shipping XP SP2 is what I see as a proud turning point for XP and Windows.

(crickets.)

Yes, really.

Apple has released – what? – five new versions of OS X since 2001, each with a catchy animal name. In essence, they’re service packs that deliver both bug fixes and new features. Customers have to pay for them. But they get credit for keeping their OS up to date.

Meanwhile, since 2001 Microsoft has produced:

• SP2, which as Mini correctly points out should have been given a fancy name (no, not Windows XP Reloaded) and distributed as a free upgrade
• Three releases of Windows Media Center, the latest of which is arguably the best Windows ever and is the default choice on most premium home PCs these days
• Windows Server 2003 (with a service pack and an R2 refresh), which basically shut up the “Microsoft can’t produce a secure, reliable server” crowd and which will serve as the code base for Windows Vista
• Two releases of Windows Mobile for handheld devices, the latest of which absolutely rocks
• A couple versions of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, which basically put to rest the old stereotypes of handwriting recognition, ironically created by Apple’s Newton.

When people ask me why I still care about Windows, this is what I tell them.