Retail pricing for the different products starts at $399 for the Windows Server 2003 Web Edition, Microsoft's Web server product that requires no CALs. The standard server product, known as the Standard Edition, is priced at $999 and includes five user or device CALs. The enterprise server product, the company's Enterprise Edition, costs $3,999 and includes 25 user or device CALs.

Pricing for additional Windows Server 2003 user of device CALs is $199 for five and $799 for 20. Additional Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server user or device CALs are also available at $749 for five and $2,669 for 20.

Windows Server 2003 licenses for external users accessing the server software are available for $1,999, while an additional license for external users accessing Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server will cost $7,999?but both of these products are only available through Microsoft's volume licensing programs.

Microsoft customers said charging for each Windows client to access Terminal Server in .Net Server 2003 appears to be another attempt to push customers not yet running Windows XP to upgrade.

To encourage users to upgrade, Microsoft said it is offering a free Windows .Net Server 2003 TS CAL to those customers who already have Windows XP Professional, have their Windows desktop under an Enterprise Agreement or Software Assurance plan, or buy Windows XP Pro before the server is available.

Those who do not upgrade but still want or need to use the Terminal Server functionality will have to pay for this access, Microsoft said.

Anyway ...... ... Some cie with i am working are changing to Linux .......... MS ask too many $$$