the license of office xp allows use on a single desktop and a single laptop. I have 4 laptops which cannot be used by anyone else, so even if I buy xp I cannot use it on my machines without a lengthy and expensive telephone conversation trying to persuade some non-entity at microsoft that I own all my machines and have a legitimate use for them. This is my business, not theirs, and an abuse of monopoly power.

I have many peripherals, users who change core components often need to get "special permission" to get many and often activations out of microsoft.

Pure madness.

for those with xp search for wpa.dbl and back it up. this file monitors any one of ten componenets or serial numbers and logs them. when more than 3 changes have been made the file is deleted and reactivation by microsoft is required. just restore the original file to windows system reactivates xp for the vast majority of users. search the net and you might find a universal file that works in any circumstances.
up yours, bill! (gates that is ... not Norrie!)