Anyone here bought SQL Server / Windows Server at an OEM online store?
 

I need SQL server, and am loathe to part with $9000 for it, especially as it's M$.

My coder has found some places where you can get it at OEM prices - he sent these over:

http://www.softbuy-download.com/shop/item/477/
http://oemonlinestore.com/buy-Micros...erver-2008.php

Saves you $8900. Supposedly legal and upgradeable. However of course they would say that to get you to part with your $500. You'll probably never see the software or your money again.

The first one is Russian from the looks of things, second one based out of the Bahamas. Neither of those instill confidence!

Does anyone know of any legit ones which offer reduced pricing?

At this rate, it would be cheaper creating our own custom document storage management solution.

why not use a LAMP solution? Do you have something that requires MS software?

I may be wrong but I think these sites are far from legit and often just fronts for fraudsters credit card details collection points.

At best you will be buying pirate software, at worst you will be donating your card details to fraudsters.

Unfortunately, the site is programmed in asp.net. :Oh crap

Yep both those sites are pirate sites.

Thanks Lagcam, that's pretty much what I suspected. Nobody legit is going to give you that kind of discount.

Maybe it would be cheaper to convert it to LAMP then bother with mssql at all.

He has the point...
maybe you can convert it/rewrite it for that amount of money...

I was afraid you guys would come to that same conclusion.

Unfortunately the site is very involved / feature rich, and it would be a nightmare porting over 70,000 members and their data.

I'll send my man back to the lab again...

The full SQL license is expensive, very expensive.
You could try to go the ceap route and register to a database class at your local University. Many of those have a "student deal" with Microsoft. Some offer the full Microsoft catalogue for free or at steep discount, like 90% while others wil offer a more limited product range, more geared towards the actual class you're supposed to take. Could be worth looking into. Otherwise there's nothing to do about it other than to man up, and either pay te license or convert the whole thing into something else.

are you new to the internet do you think a domain registered a month ago to a Russian with a generic template website design is selling legit software ?

LOLZ

http://whois.domaintools.com/softbuy-download.com

As I said in my first post, the first one is Russian and the 2nd is based out of the Bahamas, so of course I'll give them a miss. That's the first thing I checked.

I was asking if there are any legimate places in the US for example, that might have LEGAL copies, available at OEM / steeply reduced pricing.

Do you try and make fun of everyone who calls out your shitty network of sites and traffic deals as a total waste of money. No need to answer that.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc... =&srchInDesc=

Newegg looks like it has decent pricing.

CYF - Mit tiefer Dankbarkeit!

I'll have a bit of that :thumbsup

glad I could help :thumbsup

lol if you think i remember you talking shit in my threads lol

i make fun of everyone but my friends :winkwink:

http://www.9software.com/Default.asp

thats where i usually go for legit Microsoft software.

I doubt you can use "student version" for commercial purposes... :2 cents:

Thanks Maxi. Yes, I know that's an option, but apparently it would take about 30-50 hours of his time to convert it all. @ $100 an hour, the cheaper solution is to buy a copy of SQL server 2005 or 2008 if I can get it for under a couple of grand.