re: Microsoft License question
After many years of rebuilding, reloading, and working with computers, I don't buy an "upgrade" of anything unless it's horribly expensive. In the old days, installing an upgrade meant installing the old software first. After a disk wipe, this gets to be a real pain. Nowadays, some upgrades simply ask you to put the old version's CD in to check it, which is a lot better.
Still, especially for an operating system, I would cough up the extra for the CD and all. It's nice to have it all there. Of course, I can deduct it. Might be a different story for others.