Reseller Selling Standalone Windows Media Center Software

At least one vendor is selling OEM copies of Microsoft’s new Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 operating system online, possibly exploiting a loophole in Microsoft’s contracts.

Houston, Tex.-based Directron.com Inc. is selling the OEM edition of Microsoft’s software on its web site for $129.99, as well as the accompanying remote control for $43.99. That’s substantially less than the $299 Directron is charging for the retail boxed copy of Windows XP Pro.

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Actually, it’s more than one retailer. The first ad I saw was from Newegg.com. Now that retailers everywhere know it can be done without suffering a lightning bolt up the USB port, there will be lots of them.

Another part of the article says-

Sources have indicated that Microsoft’s choice is because the company is concerned that the “experience” of a custom-built Windows Media Center Edition machine may be inferior, due to the user’s choice to include parts not properly tested with the OS. Microsoft announced the “Plays For Sure” logo program Tuesday to ensure that Windows Media Center devices will interoperate.

Well, isn’t that the way ANY operating system release from Microsoft works? If there has ever been a release that caused no-one any trouble at all (including MS-DOS 1.0), I have yet to hear of it. I doubt if that will stop anyone but the very timid.