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Win98 free update part 99 – it was possible, once

Rather than writing this story over and over again, next time I'm coming back as a cockroach...

We thought we'd finally nailed down the Microsoft UK free update to Win98 SE story a couple of hours ago, but no, there's more. It was possible to get a totally free update, without paying postage, for an OEM version, but now it isn't. The latest information we had from Microsoft said that the company would be picking up the tab for anybody who'd applied before the post and package pricing details went up on the site yesterday. The message put up yesterday, and pulled again today, said - wrongly - that OEM users would have to contact their OEM for upgrade Ts & Cs. Today's revised message added the price, and removed the OEM prohibition, while in the interim staff at the Microsoft Connection had been telling OEM callers to contact their OEM. But (and frankly, we're getting really sick of the buts in this story series) we've been contacted by a user who'd got his copy of Win98 on an OEM machine, and who has just this morning received a Win98 SE Update - for free. A mistake, or was there a Microsoft policy change somewhere along the line? The original MS release certainly didn't differentiate between retail and OEM buyers, and certainly didn't mention paying money. Maybe the early bird catches the worm, and the rest of you are too late. "When I first heard of the upgrade offer," say our informant, "I faxed the form plus my receipt from Dan [overseas readers, this is a UK computer outfit with a silly name] - this was before the OEM/retail distinction was made clear. This morning, what should turn up but a copy of Windows 98SE, no delivery charge, no nothing." Anybody else who got the freebie, let us know, and we'll either update the story again, or just jump out of the nearest window. ® Free Win 98 parts 1-98 MS UK Win98 SE free offer not very free really MS UK extends free Win98 SE upgrade to OEM PCs

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