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© Copyright 1996-2008 by Barry MacDonnell. All Rights Reserved.

Should you buy an OEM * version of WordPerfect from an Internet source?

* Original Equipment Manufacturer

There are several reasons why you should consider not buying an OEM version of WordPerfect Office, unless it comes bundled with a new computer (in which case it was virtually free of charge to you). Even then, you might want to read the rest of this page.

OEM versions -- the "CD only" software you often see for a few dollars on eBay, etc. -- usually are missing useful -- some would say, critical -- third-party, add-on utility programs.

To explain further:

The particular items that may be included in an OEM version vary from one computer seller to another. Most often, many add-on "utility" programs are omitted.

Why? OEM versions are packaged with computers because computer manufacturers want to add "value" to their products, and they want to do so as cheaply as possible. It's a matter of economics to them.

So it is the computer manufacturer, not Corel, who decides which utility programs they will bundle with WordPerfect on their computers. Since these add-on programs are licensed by Corel from third parties, omitting them saves the computer manufacturer money when they, in turn, license their OEM bundle from Corel.

Note that some program features might also be removed to produce something like a trial version, since Corel (or any software vendor) will want you to upgrade at some point to a regular version. They are, after all, in the business of making a profit. No profit, no company, no product.

This leads to another little-understood fact about of this business: OEM versions are not supported by Corel but by the computer manufacturer -- and they are notorious for denying support for a program they know very little about. Corel probably will refer you to the computer seller, who probably will refer you back to Corel. Around you go, trying to find help. (If you are caught in this loop, try WordPerfect Universe for help.)

On top of all of this is the fact that Corel-issued Service Packs (i.e., program "updates") many not be issued for some OEM versions. If you have one of those OEM versions you might -- or might not -- be able to update it to fix some bugs or improve some features.

And on top of all of that: Selling, buying, and/or installing OEM copies of WordPerfect Office, separate from the PC or peripheral for which the OEM copy was licensed, might constitute "...trademark infringement, copyright infringement and inducing copyright infringement, and may result in civil penalties against the seller as well as the End User" [from a post on a Corel newsgroup].

Moreover, as Jan Berinstein said on WordPerfect Universe:

"...Although none of us likes to spend money to upgrade software when we already have a workable version, there are a number of reasons why it's not a good idea to buy such questionable software. One of the best, in the case of WordPerfect, is that because of the dominance of the word processing market by MS Word, every such questionable sale of WordPerfect keeps money out of Corel's pocket and removes an incentive for them to continue to fund development of the product. In the short term, it might help your finances, but in the long term it hurts everyone, because it reduces competition in the market and could lead to the demise of an application most of us rely heavily on in our professional and personal projects."

In summary: Think of these OEM versions as "samples" of the program. If you like it you should uninstall it and upgrade to a retail (boxed) version. You will be much happier with the full product -- which still will be less expensive than competing products.

To see what is new and different in retail versions of WordPerfect Office, click here.

NOTE Most new computers have several such stripped-down OEM versions of software installed on them. For example, some come bundled with DVD-playing software, CD-buring software, music playing software, and so forth. All of these software vendors are doing what the computer maker asks of them: create an OEM version that is reasonably problem free -- as cheaply as possible. Consider the source, especially if buying online. Beware of sellers who promise to deliver a "legitimate" or "complete" product -- that is, a sealed box version. You should try to ensure that you are not buying a pirated version, or one that was already registered to someone else. It is better to buy from a reputable source such as Amazon.com or a brick-and-mortar retailer, even if the product costs more. Caveat emptor.