Thinkpads Forum

I purchased Windows 7.1 Pro from Tiger Direct, in packaged form. So far that has been satisfactory.


I also purchased Office 2010 Pro Plus from Best Wholesale Software, that’s a 650 MB download, they provide a license key and link by email.
However, activation did not work, Microsoft claimed that license had been activated too many times. Had to phone Microsoft and go through the whole drill reading long string of numbers then entering another long string. BWS is unresponsive on the matter, sometimes inane, sometimes giving nonsensical reasons.
I have owner’s name and company mailing address, they operate from a cellular phone, in the Las Vegas NV area.
I recommend to avoid.

Admin note: Moved from X2/X3/X4x conference

I am not familiar with an OS called Windows 7.1. Kindly explain whether you are talking about Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 SP1 or what.

He might be referring to SP1.

That's why I buy from sellers I trust or directly from Microsoft.

I think people know what I mean by Windows 7.1.

keithsketchley wrote:I think people know what I mean by Windows 7.1.

I think many if not most people would assume you meant 8.1 but mistyped. There is no such thing as Windows 7.1. It's not even an unofficial way of calling Windows 7 SP1. This is the first time I have ever seen the phrase "Windows 7.1", whether as a typo or a reference to Windows 7 SP1. After looking at your other posts, where you kept saying "Windows 7.1", I now know it wasn't a typo. But without checking your other posts, it's impossible to tell.

Did you also call XP SP3 "Windows XP.3"? And 2000 SP4 "Windows 2000.4"? In these cases, people could easily guess what you meant. But not "7.1", especially since 8.1 came out just recently.

FTR, I was using Microsoft's new marketing numbering, as in Windows 8.1 which they use widely. (They are probably trying to get away from the stigma of blunt user feedback that Windows 8 original issue is not suitable UI for non-touch-screen use and is too radical a UI change for many experienced users of 7 let alone XP.)


Technically - behind the curtain - "Windows 7" is v6.1, I do not know what "Windows 8.1" is behind the curtain. (Sometimes in the past the ballyhooed new release in 9x and NT families (XP being in the NT family but with features added for personal use) has had the same base version number as the previous version. Further confusing people was releases in both families around the same time - so Windows 2000 was in the NT family, Windows Me was in the 9x family).


I have said that the x41 is not suitable for Windows 8.


Indeed, I use Windows XP/3 as shorthand for Windows XP with SP3 installed.


Anyway, do you have anything to contribute on the topic?

keithsketchley wrote:FTR, I was using Microsoft's new marketing numbering, as in Windows 8.1 which they use widely.

But you are the only person in the world to adopt it for Windows 7.

keithsketchley wrote:Anyway, do you have anything to contribute on the topic?

I am done. I came here just to educate you.

Making a lot of assumptions here as you have not specified all of the details from your transaction...

Assuming you paid Best Wholesale Software for the copy of Office 2010 by credit card, and further assuming that you had to pay Microsoft for another valid activation key, then I'd contact your credit card company and ask for a charge reversal on the grounds that you did not get what you paid for. I recently had a similar experience when I ordered some software from a company that then went out of business. Since I never received any response from the emails I sent them and I never received the item I ordered, I had my credit card company reverse the charge.

As to your nomenclature of Windows 7.1... simply Google:

Microsoft "Windows 7.1" operating system

and see how many references you get (16,800; and most of them are referring to something other than the OS).

Then Google:

Microsoft "Windows 8.1" operating system

and the 9,190,000 hits should make you see why people here are confused about your usage of Windows 7.1. Using shortcuts/shorthand is convenient most times, but it requires that the majority of your audience know and use the same term themselves.

Thanks for the reminder about credit card company backup.

You assumed I had to pay Microsoft, not so, just a pita process as I said I went through to get Microsoft to activate, and no credible justification from
Gina Pannell as to why I had to go through the process. I have her numbers and those of the town near Las Vegas that the business is listed in by various sources including WhoIs.

One thing to watch on the Internet, I read, is evaluation key numbers, which of course will expire.