Open License We strongly recommend the Open License version of Microsoft Office and not the retail or OEM version. In past years the versions were the same. But with the introduction of Office XP, Microsoft began including something in the retail and OEM version called "Office Activation Wizard". This feature has the ability to disable your software when it is triggered by "suspicious activity".

For example, if you upgrade your harddisk and reinstall Office XP, that would be considered suspicious activity. You can call an 800 number to learn how to reactivate your software after it has been disabled, but I suspect the hold times will become intolerable in the next few years when Office XP is no longer the hot new product that it was.

If Microsoft's past history is our guide, you can expect the phone number to be disconnected someday. The only trouble with the Open License version is you can't buy it in single units or through retail stores. So, we've become a Microsoft Open License reseller.