A very reliable source/friend has sent me an Email with the following:

Any truth in this? If so what steps are you taking?Upgrading to legal copies?

I can confirm I have had multiple calls over the past few days regarding this.

Luckily all the businesses I support have valid licenses for both Windows and Office.

If you have an illegal copy the best step is to upgrade to a legal version and stick the license sticker to the side of your machine in plain sight.

Maybe it's a good time for Windows7!?...

A friend of mine has just called me to say Banana IT (next to Tesco) have Windows 7 in stock. Their prices are very competitive, however their customer service and experience isn’t the best.

If anyone wants any advice on upgrading, please feel free to PM me. Personally when I install an OS I never upgrade, I backup my data from the old OS and install from scratch.

Matt.

One store I have dealt with, that sells & repairs computers, told me that some of their computers have genuine Windows... just for such occasions... the other computers in the store, temporally "disappear" when they get wind of a MS raid! So yes, it does happen...

As for windows 7, at BananaIT, I was quoted over the phone yesterday... 5300 baht for the ultimate edition, seems too cheap? I was assured it would be genuine... I use Microsoft Security, for Antivirus etc (good free program... amazing some thing free from Microsoft!) which immediately does a Genuine windows check... don't try using it, if you have a copy! ....

I am one of those not happy with the manager at Banana IT... but when I get the Mac guy from BIT to come to my house with W7, & sort the PC to Mac networking ...... I ll give him that unneeded Mac Ram back & the balance of the cash... (reference to story on another post).... that will fix the manager!

The Professional version of Windows 7 is around 5,300 baht.

They're prices are very good (Pantip Prices) but service is terrible... I'd definitely recommend them if you need some hardware,

I wouldn't trust them to fit it or set up a system on the other hand...

Matt.

Well Matt, I would never do business with a company that is publicly slandering their competitors..

He's not slandering, he's just stating his opinion, fair enough you might deem it a conflict of interests to do so, but he's not pitching for their business he's telling they are competitive, its been mentioned in numerous threads and even this one how much of a joke BannanaIT are beyond prices/hardware.

I am only trying to help people. That is the purpose of my business here. That is also why I mentioned Banana IT and their prices on computer hardware and software being very competitive.
In fact, they are just as good as Pantip. They are a very warm welcome to the island as computer shops here have been very over-priced (Samui Premium Prices) for a long time.
I've already recommended a few of my customers purchase their hardware there. I don't see them as my competition; if I did I wouldn't mention them in the first place.

In my opinion there is plenty of business here on the island to go around. I am an IT Professional with 10 years of experience working for IBM Global Services. Take your pick.

My comments are not slanderous, they are my opinion and as Matt Codes states there are already a few threads on here mentioning issues with their service.
For example, I bought a hard drive there 2 days ago for a customer of mine (rush job) and when I mentioned I wanted their 640GB Western Digital with 16mb On-Board Cache (not the 8mb version) the guy scratched his head with a blank look. I had to go through their stock of hard disks with him, find one and point out the difference. Another one of my customers called me from Banana IT last night asking me why they told him he needed the Home Edition of Windows 7, when he wanted the professional edition for a machine in his office. They wouldn't sell him it! He walked out in the end very frustrated. Go figure....

In the end time always tells and people always talk about service they have received... This is a small island.


Matt.

I PM'ed Matt regading getting a CMOS battery. Not only did he reply quickly but he then sent me a picture of the CMOS battery, where it was and how to get a cheap replacement batery from the 7/11 and do the job myself as well as giving me a cheap quote for him to do he job if I felt this was above my capabilities. I can't see the company you say he's slandering doing the same. I for one am grateful of his honest opinion. Thanks Matt
I also give people " advice " about diving. Like if money is the main thing then go with X company, but you will be in a group of 10 and just another number. You want small groups but pay more then go with X company, so I dont suppose you will be diving with me then
OH and Matt I will be in touch about the battery as my soldering skills need some honing

Lom

I dont think he is slandering them at all. Perhaps you just have a little chip (pardon the pun) on your shoulder.

He is just stating an opinion, and he actually recommends them for purchasing hardware.

I went to the new Banana store a few days ago in Lamai. The prices were quite reasonable (I was after an external HD), but when it came to any kind of technical advice it was like talking to a brick wall.

a customer bought a computer there two days ago with windows 7 but not activated

now i understand the reason

I too defend Matt's comments... and don't see them being slanderous ... but he was trying to be helpful... Good for you Matt, & thank you too, for Sponsoring this site.

But let's not get this out of control... we'll get the reputation of that city in the north of Thailand... with negativity on TV !!!!

There seems to be two employees at B.IT in my judgement... who seem to have some idea at what they are doing... I have been in enough to know who they are... But they are not always there, perhaps out on service calls... or if lucky their one day off a week... ?

I never did hear back from B.IT head office, when I emailed them about poor service and the managers attitude... perhaps I need some one to write it in Thai!

It's a bit like going to Sirenson, there are knowledgeable staff there too. ... others hopeless... I know who to talk to there too... I think part of the problem with some stores is that the employees work at least 11 hour days for very little pay... Highly skilled people would probably not be working in a large chain of stores.

I usually get a phone number of any good shop employee... that comes in very handy sometimes... they are general willing to make a "house call" for a "tip" ... I don't mind doing that.

Well .... we sure got this tread off topic!

This post has been edited by samuijimmy: 2009-10-29 22:47:39

Just what is the method of checking for pirated software.
Here in Thailand police even the revenuers can not just come into a NON Public residence or business with out probable cause or a warrant from the court.
They must have a police person with them? With identification.

Now if you let them in or invite them than they can look and check. Do they have to tell you what they are looking for?

The days of the police or any one barging in with out PROBATE cause or with out a warrant are gone.
Never let any one into your home or business with an explanation of what they want and whe they are.
The Software Alliance are not the police. They get leads, usually from a disgruntled employee (rewards offered by the Software Alliance)
Please correct me if I am wrong, but if you are a residence, a private office (not open to the public) challenge any one who wants to "look around".
That is your permission to "look around". Believe it or not you do have rights, with out a warrant from the court and accompanying police.
You don't have to let them in.
I had this problem in the past and refused entry to my office to the revenue department (group of 6) who wanted to check my records. I said no, see my book keeper, never heard another word.

If you are open to the public or invite them in you have a problem if they find "anything"

Maybe a legal person can confirm my past experiences.

By the way I bought a legat copy of XP from Micro Soft, due to the power and other problems I needed to reload
the program over a year, on the 3rd reload it refused access and told me to call Microsoft and explain why I was installing it again.

Enough said.

yes it is true. i want to upgrade my windows for my cctv computer but where can i buy an origional copy. how can i be sure it an't fake

1. Farang 62 does have a point, but TIT ( This is thailand ) is always pretty ding dongy anyway

2. if the MS people come, all they have to do to see if your windows or office was valid, is to check out this website from microsoft

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/default.aspx?displaylang=en

it has an area to validate windows or office. if not that they could always trying using a WGA and put on the computer, then restart and see if the screen turns black

3. I do know for a fact that a few places in the bophut area have been checked already.

4. As someone in the Hospitality industry I can tell you pretty much every hotel, business owner contracts his / her computer problems or computer setup through another outside person. The majority do not have a IT person working in the hotel or the business

5. The majority of people only know enough about computers to use word, excel, internet and print. they dont know if their windows is a real or fake copy anyway if they do find out usually the price for a real one makes them go for a copy.

6. Regarding Banana IT, it turns out thats a franchise company. Which explains a lot. Have a few Banana IT's in bangkok to.

7. I can't understand microsoft in a way, you try to sell windows in thailand at US prices, Business that have money can afford licenses but its no surprise majority of users use pirated copies. For some people 3000 - 7000 baht just for a single windows license is really to high from a thai perspective anyway. 4000 for a real or 400 for copy. Microsoft will never win the piracy war. Majority of thais make less than 20,000 baht a month. at 4000 baht a license thats 20% of your income gone. If a windows license in the US where to take up 20% of a single monthly income microsoft wouldn't get very far.

8. If your business is low tech and all you just need is internet, email, word, excel, and to use printers like a epson LQ 300. Linux would be a better alternative. I know because I've set it up quite a few times. This would be a better option that hiding your computers away while their here. I guess just make sure you buy lots of paper billing if your hiding your computers though

If they have good prices/hardware on Samui, that's pretty good in itself. You can't expect to get a lot of handholding from discount retailers - to expect that seems sort of like expecting that when you take a book out of a library that the librarian will teach you how to read.

good time to bust out the linux distro install disks methinks.

why clamping down heavy now! microsoft must have hired investigators to clamp down on windows. i mean they are such a large company they have the money to do anything.

i know they have a how building that specialises in pirate software. i know that everytime u logg on with pirate software they send stuff to your computere that slows your system down. they are real B@srds! butthey do it because they can not because they need to.

This post has been edited by BigC: 2009-10-31 00:17:05

OpenOffice is worth considering as well...

Windows7 is also very nice OS. I've been using it since the first beta's.

Funnily enough, I've installed it on a lot of machines over the past days... 8)

Matt

The easiest way to buy a genuine copy of windows is to buy a cheap copy. Download Windows Genuine Advantage that checks if the copy you have is a good one. It will tell you it is a fake. Simply click the resolve now button and give MS your card details and they email you a key and you get a CD /DVD sent to you in the post. No mark up and you know for sure you are geting the real deal. A mate paid 8,500 baht for " Genuine Vista " only to find out it was a fake! I'm thinking of giving 7 a try as everyone seems to rate it.
PS I find the people who slag off widows tend to be the people who use fake windows. They cannot update automatically so leave themselves open to problems. The main thing you need on your computer is the operating system so ALWAYS pay for proper sofware. Been running Vista Ultimate for 2 years and NO major problems at all
Sometimes it pays to pay

This post has been edited by H2oDunc: 2009-10-31 08:24:48

Well the microsoft police are in Chiang Mai too

Software raid

Microsoft police raided internet points and restaurant in KPG in the last few days, making difficult for the tourist to find and internet shop open. Fine for an illegal OS is 60.000 baht...

Just a question: Why this happens in the very same days of the world's launch of the new OS Windows 7?

Great money spinner, at random, happened, happens and will happen again!

and who the heck is MS-"Police"?

are they the same guys who have been around as "Music-Piracy-Police" just recently...?

In the late nineties they been around in 3 Volvo limousines, one of them sported on the front screen
: "here comes the law!"

it doesn't "pay" to use a copied OS, if one can't afford a MS-System, switch to the free Linux and Open Office!

Talk with my friend yesterday, said the internet shop he goes to closed down at least for a few days while their still probing around for copies, I wondered one thing,

Have any of you actually seen any of these guys. I guess just need to be on the look out for some thai police men and some other men coming to your door.

You know after there gone it will be back to normal as usual. I figure the people aren't actually teaming up, to counter piracy their doing it for something else. Think about it. You raid 3 computers for fake copies charge them 60,000 + baht per fake copy so you get 180,000 baht and lets say you have 4 people come check, think about its 40,000 per person could take a share. I smell something rotten here and it ain't the garbage.

As far as some school goes. I say get someone to introduce some linux distros to schools. kids learn things faster and they'd be able to adapt to using linux anyway. I do realize though that majority of people aren't used to using linux anyway. in the long run will benefit the school system more.

Inconsequential post removed.

Microsoft police? Only in Thailand..
Italy has more Windows fake than Thailand but fortunately all new pc have an original OEM copy...