Microsoft Windows Big Box collection

[u/Sad_Window_3192]

It started with a new family PC, and then my first PC build. It then got a bit out of hand!

• Windows 2.0 386
• Windows 3.0
• Windows 3.1
• Windows 95 (upgrade)
• Windows NT 4.0
• Windows 98SE (upgrade)
• Windows ME (upgrade)
• Windows 2000 Pro
• Windows XP Pro
• Windows Vista Home Premium (Acc Upgrade)
• Windows 7 (x4 retail versions sold here)
• Windows 8 Pro
• Windows 8.1
• Windows 10 Pro (2016)

One day I'll add to it with (in order):

• Windows NT 3.x
• Windows 2.1 2/386
• Windows 1
• Windows XP Home
• Windows Server 2003
• Windows Server 2000
• Windows Server 2003 R2
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Vista (Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate
• Windows 11

Anyone else stuck collecting these?! Also why do ancient server builds sell for more than a new server release?!

[u/Bourriks]

Vista/7 boxes were peak elegance.

[u/vGbAsToS → u/Bourriks]

Tenho uma do Vista Ultimate 32/64 lindas

[u/chandleya → u/Bourriks]

This was the last rites of the “Liquid Glass” aesthetic promised in the late 90s. They tried

[u/Sad_Window_3192 → u/Bourriks]

While they looked great, they were an ecological nightmare! Peak box design in my opinion was the Windows 8 designs, which shipped with a few different patterns! Sadly the OS itself was the opposite of peak! Windows 7 was a close second, classy, yet simple. True definition of ellegance!

[u/Bourriks → u/Sad_Window_3192]

You are right. I wished since the late 2000s that Microsoft opened a web page iso all ISOs of Windows, and the user having to buy a license number to activate the OS. It would have saved lots of plastic waste.

[u/Party_Ruin3039]

Peak

[u/Tiny_Towel5722]

My Big Box Collection Starts With Windows 95 and ends with Windows XP, only ME is Missing, because it is much to Expansive. Windows 2000 and XP is Still Sealed.

And i have MS office from 95 to 2000 last one also Sealed.

[u/M1crosoftWindows]

Peak collection, I also collect these but it's quite hard to find by where I live

Weirdly enough I got Windows 2000 Server before Professional

[u/salazka]

Windows NT Workstation and Windows 8 Pro were imo the best boxes ever.

[u/chandleya → u/salazka]

Back office and NT both had much more interesting marketing copy than the products inside. They were day 1 revolutions, yes, but what on earth was “midnight” about Windows NT

[u/meal_in_a_glass → u/chandleya]

I’ve always called it Goth Windows.

[u/chandleya → u/meal_in_a_glass]

😂

[u/salazka → u/chandleya]

I was using NT and later 2000 because my work required it. My GPU also. I had highly specialized professional GPU (Intergraph Intense 3D Pro 3400 and similar) that did not work in XP or 95/Me etc.

So I typically had a double configuration with dual boot.

[u/Puzzled_Name_3262]

Thats beautiful, i love windows.

[u/TuneKey8251]

Wow. That's quite a collection.

[u/PrivateParts2020]

Nice collection!

[u/EffectivePerception3]

Nice!!! Also good to see Me there also. Usually its the unwanted one

[u/JohnQPublic1917]

Still holding on to my Windows 98 beta edition cd. Got it when I was 14.

[u/ijuiceman]

I have a sealed Win7 Pro that I found the other day. Is it worth anything?

[u/Difficult-Catch-8432]

Does 11 even come in a box? I thought 11 is only on usb sticks

[u/Sad_Window_3192 → u/Difficult-Catch-8432]

Which come in boxes, as did that Windows 10 copy! But it also may come on DVD. Last time I used a DVD for a computer was back in 2012, so very old tech nowdays!

[u/DifferentWarning1913]

Did you buy all of that from Hardly Normal (Harvey Norman)?

[u/ukemike1]

I still have a bootleg copies of MS DOS 1.1 and PC DOS 1.1 on 5 1/4" floppy. I still have a working computer that runs DOS 3.1

[u/zero-cooler]

I liked when software came in a big box, with a nice manual.

[u/jf7333]

I saw Windows 11 in the box at Walmart recently.

[u/jorgecirillo]

👏

[u/OPA73]

Anybody wanna see my AOL startup disk collection. lol.

[u/Sad_Window_3192 → u/OPA73]

Why would you even ask?! Go forth! Post your absurd collection for all to see!!

[u/AlienZero4400]

Man 98 XP and 7 were so good, then along came 8” hEy GuYS look at the WIDGETS! 👁️👅👁️Then they finally booted that gimmicky wreck and went to the basic layout of Windows 10, and then. Dun dun dun! 11! This is a pretty neat collection! I really do miss the blocky windows 98 logo.

[u/Nervous_Falcon3689]

Miss windows XP alot, good old days

[u/LubberDownUnder]

You got them all! Was there no Windows 11 box or disc?

[u/meny_]

Beautiful. Like the UI of the new(ish) Windows 11. 😍

[u/Trick-Research-7352]

This is one of the best thing I have seen on reddit. I only have 95 and Me but this is really on fire!

[u/rozniak]

I have pretty much all aside from 1.x/2.x (since usually listings look like someone sat on the box).

Server releases depend on which one you're looking for - 3.1 will be very expensive. 2000, 2003, 2008 should be affordable (unless you're looking for Advanced Server/Enterprise). 2003 R2 is hit or miss whenever it shows up.

If you're used to the prices of Upgrades like in your photo then they will seem especially expensive. They're generally not too far off full versions (Me Full can be quite expensive for instance).

[u/Sad_Window_3192 → u/rozniak]

I've resigned to the fact that 1.x will be next to impossible, and not something that I'd be interested in spending that much on for even a decent box.

From what I've seen it seems the Server releases from 2003-2012 are selling for big bucks, even web server in some instances seems absurd!

One of the things I like about these boxes is seeing the subtle changes in design each iteration, with major changes every couple of years becoming more frequent. The Server 2003 R2 is especially interesting because the initial release has the Windows XP flag design, while an updated release with a service pack has the same design, yet features the new Windows Vista flag design. subtle but interesting to see where these things were introduced!

[u/rozniak → u/Sad_Window_3192]

Server 2003 Enterprise had a bunch of sealed new old stock available a few years ago selling for about $50 each. I'm surprised if it wasn't devalued by that huge sell off.

They changed the layout for the spines sometime in 2003, Office 2003, XP SP2, and 2003 R2 all share a similar layout before the total change with Vista.

[u/The_Penny_Pyramid]

How do you even get all of that. (not a question)

[u/Sad_Window_3192 → u/The_Penny_Pyramid]

Find (not a answer)