Almost all of MS's full version software for $199 (legally)

[5829]

http://windowssecrets.com/paid/100701/? ... 0280-12050


WOODY'S WINDOWS

The ultimate software deal has strings attached

Woody Leonhard By Woody Leonhard

If you qualify, a Microsoft TechNet subscription lets you download nearly every application Microsoft sells, all for a paltry $199.

It's completely legitimate — so long as you're not using the software for work but rather evaluating its features, testing its performance, or otherwise assessing its suitability for yourself or others.

Technet: One source for almost all MS apps

Microsoft invented TechNet years ago to help developers and other IT professionals acquire the latest versions of Microsoft software at a reasonable price. As far back as 1994, I would anxiously await my sporadic fix of new TechNet CDs — a gold mine of Microsoft's latest products and reference materials, all costing a fraction of what I'd have to pay in a store.

TechNet members also had reasonably direct access to Microsoft's best and brightest developers, who helped guide you through particularly thorny problems. It was a sweet deal.

In those days, joining TechNet wasn't easy and few people knew about it. Fast-forward 16 years, and much has changed. Many professional developers have moved to the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN), where they get red-carpet treatment — for a mere $10,000 or so per year.

Those of us with less pecuniary power stuck with TechNet, which continues to provide one of the great bargains for folks who evaluate Microsoft software.

Last week, Microsoft bifurcated TechNet into TechNet Subscription Professional (U.S. $349 for the first year, $249 per year thereafter) and TechNet Subscription Standard ($199, with a $149 renewal). As described on the TechNet Subscriptions site, Professional provides a bit more Microsoft support plus access to MS infrastructure products. (You can also buy the Pro version on media.)

Each product key provides many activations

Subscribing to TechNet opens the floodgates to Microsoft's official software download site. I'm not talking about evaluation copies, limited-time versions, or demo software that's been hobbled in some way; every program you download from TechNet is the complete product.

Almost all of the download files are in ISO format, which you can burn directly to CD or DVD using Windows 7. (You'll need a separate ISO-burning utility for other operating systems.)

If you qualify and stay within the stated restrictions (see below), your TechNet subscription comes with ten activation keys per MS product. You must be the sole user of the software, and you cannot transfer the keys to anyone else.

With a few exceptions, each of those keys can be used up to ten times. So you could theoretically install up to 100 valid copies of Win7 on 100 PCs. Actually, it means you can install 100 copies of Windows 7 Ultimate, 100 copies of Windows 7 Pro, 100 Home Premium, and so on, and so on … you get the idea.

It's not quite infinite installations, but it's close enough. And if you let your TechNet subscription lapse, the keys you've already received remain valid.

What's especially useful for software evaluators is that you're not restricted to current applications — you can get keys for older versions, too. Want to compare Office 2003 against 2010? No problem. (Office 97 isn't included, but Office XP is. You gotta draw the line somewhere.)

You can download Windows 7 in all its flavors, as well as Vista's and XP's (but not Windows Me). The list also includes Windows Home Server, Small Business Server, SharePoint Server, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Server 2003. You can even get MS-DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.1. Really!

A TechNet subscription also gives access to beta versions of some new software, earlier than the general release. The exact details vary, depending on which product is under development.

Pick between TechNet Standard and Professional

The majority of TechNet subscribers do not need to pay extra for the Professional version. TechNet Standard has all of the software normal computer users (including those in corporate environments) might need.

If you read Microsoft's "Compare TechNet Subscription Offerings" info page, you'll see the statement that the Standard version "Does not include some Enterprise or Dynamics software." But you'll have to look hard to find out exactly what that means.

To find out whether a specific application needs a Professional subscription, look for it in the TechNet Subscriptions downloads page. Then click the View link in the Details column. If you see "TechNet Standard (Retail)," that particular piece of software is available to Standard subscribers.

I was a bit surprised to find that Office Professional Plus 2010, Business Contact Manager 2010, and all the Windows Server variations (including SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard and Exchange Server 2010) are available to TechNet Standard subscribers. Outside of TechNet, those apps are available only to volume licensees.

Oddly, while Windows 7 Enterprise is available only to TechNet Pro subscribers, Standard subscribers can get the functionally equivalent Win7 Ultimate.

TechNet Pro subscribers get two free Professional Support calls, plus 12 (instead of six) Microsoft E-Learning online courses.

How to qualify for a TechNet subscription

There has to be a catch, right? Microsoft isn't going to essentially give its software away — at least not without some heavy restrictions.

Microsoft aims TechNet at computer professionals who "evaluate, test, or deploy the company's software." Downloaded copies are "licensed for evaluation purposes only — not for use in production environments." Fair enough. That raises the obvious question: What, exactly, constitutes evaluation? There's the rub.

Microsoft's TechNet Subscriptions FAQs state that you may use TechNet licensed software for "gauging software performance in existing or new hardware, software, operating system or network environments."

You may evaluate the software "to determine product strengths and weaknesses as compared to previous versions or similar products … [for] assessing satisfaction among end users, observing end user utilization and understanding user interaction scenarios … ensuring software will perform as expected to requirements … estimating individual software's ability to perform consistently, relative to system demands."

It's surprising that Microsoft doesn't check your qualifications or intent before accepting you as a TechNet subscriber. It's essentially the honor system — if you have a valid credit card, you're in.

If Microsoft's requirements match the work you do, TechNet is a convenient and inexpensive way to acquire all the Microsoft software you'll ever need.

Have more info on this subject? Post your tip in the WS Columns forum.

Woody Leonhard's latest books — Windows 7 All-In-One For Dummies and Green Home Computing For Dummies deliver the straight story in a way that won't put you to sleep.

[AYHJA]

Anyone else have any personal experience w/Technet..?

[darklighter1]

If you qualify, a Microsoft TechNet subscription lets you download nearly every application Microsoft sells, all for a paltry $199.

It's completely legitimate — so long as you're not using the software for work but rather evaluating its features, testing its performance, or otherwise assessing its suitability for yourself or others.

I promise to only use it for porn gathering.

[jdog]

Anyone else have any personal experience w/Technet..?

I know a lot of people online that have a subscription and use it. Most of these people are plain IT geeks so you could technically qualify them as "evaluating" the software.