James Bond 007 said:
No, not all versions require Activation. As far as I know, there is an "Enterprise" (Volume License) version of Office 2003 that does not require activation, like the Corporate version of Windows XP.
True. I made the assumption, possibly incorrect, that because the previous poster wasn't using the Corporate version of XP, they also did not have a similar license for Office 2003.
Not necessarily so simple. For one thing, from what I know the activation mechanisms used by Windows XP and Windows Vista are quite different. And Office may also use a different mechanism again. And how about other softwares that require activation such as those from Adobe? Do you really think this issue can be so easily resolved without cooperation from those companies? I don't think so. And I doubt whether those companies really will help to solve it, since it must be better to them to be able to force you to purchase a second license.
A second license for Office 2007 won't help the issue, since you can only have one license installed at a time. I disagree with your assessment that the companies have no incentive to assist. Even if buying a second license would address the problem, it's not true that all (or even most) users will select that option as the solution of choice.
I am in the process of trying to address this issue in parallel (no pun intended). It may be that I can actually get some help from Microsoft on the issue. I have to say, given that I have had exactly ZERO response from Parallels (not even an auto-reply) in the nearly two months I've been trying to resolve this issue, I'm feeling less and less inclined to waste my money on their product.
As far as the question as to whether the problem can be easily solved...I never meant to suggest that solving it would be easy. But I do expect it to be solved. Parallels is sold as a way to run Windows and the attendant applications under Mac OS. It's useless unless it can actually run those applications.
If I wanted a product that had a limited number of software programs available for it, where I had to select the programs based not on which one best addresses my needs but rather on which ones actually exist, I'd buy a Mac. Oh, no...wait. I did. That's why I'm stuck in this situation in the first place.
I do not think we have to accept that activation is a fact of life.
No, we don't. I agree, and we should continue to strive to do what we can to convince software companies to give it up. However, in the meantime I have work to do. It's well and good to think about the blissful future in which we don't have to deal with product activation, but I need to use my computer today and getting the Parallels company to fix their product so that it actually works with the programs people actually use under Windows is likely to be a more direct and expedient solution to the problem.
Without the presence of activation we will not have this problem, correct?
That is correct. However, Parallels is in the business of solving problems. I will also point out that Parallels itself uses a form of activation. It's not nearly as problematic as what's causing the trouble here, but it's still an issue.
For example, I have been trying to figure this issue out on my own, seeing as how there doesn't appear to be a single person at Parallels interested in responding to my queries. But the trial key I've been using to test Parallels has expired and until a new version is released for download it appears I won't be able to even use Parallels for testing.
In other words, in spite of the non-existent support from Parallels, I am willing to go above and beyond to try to diagnose and resolve the issue on my own (including negotiating with Microsoft customer support to see if they can help from their end...something Parallels ought to be doing instead). But because Parallels has included a variety of copy protection in their product, I am impeded from actually accomplishing that.
I would feel a lot better about absolving Parallels from having any obligation to address this issue if they themselves did not engage in behavior very similar to the behavior on the part of other companies that leads to the issue in the first place. Copy protection has never stopped piracy...it only ever gets in the way of legitimate users. People using pirated copies of software, they don't bother with product activation or any of the various license verification means, and they never run into these problems as a consequence.
