Transfering programs

Raziel078

So my brother's grad program made them all buy a laptop that is loaded with useful software and horrifically overpriced. My brother hates the laptop and is trading laptops with my sister. But he wants to keep all the programs on the laptop, the $450 over market price for system and software he paid does not apparently include system discs though.

So is there a way to transfer all the programs on his old laptop to the new one? Without just cloning the HDD, because the one with all the stuff on it is a tablet and the new one is not.

edit: not the os just the programs, like matlab and what not

Tejs

Are you neglecting the cost of software licenses when saying his tablet PC is $450 overpriced with respect to other market tablets? If you're just comparing hardware specs computer VS computer, depending on the amount of software he got, that could be a bargain or a rip off.

That said, you might be able to do it, but the only method I know of is trial and error. Try and copy program directories to the new computer and see what has dependencies that you didn't find (registry, services, drivers, etc)

Usagi

He got Matlab for that little? Oh to be a student!

The answer is he got a fucking deal and that laptop is in no way "horrifically overpriced", Matlab and other similar softwares can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars per license (which is annually renewable)

Because that stuff is expensive they make it terrifically difficult to transfer licenses, so the answer is probably not and he should just live with the laptop

Raziel078

Oh no friends, I looked up the price of everything on that damned laptop. The cost of everything, Hardware and Software on the open market is $1750 + or - $200. He paid $2350. I even called customer service for a bunch of the companies and double checked the prices. So don't get in my face and tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. Plus, the laptop wasn't even new. The University bought them all refurb.

So if everyone is done politely calling me stupid, you're all pretty sure there isn't a way to transfer the programs without system discs?

edit: I suppose that should actually be $1850 + or - $100

Dunadan019

call up the tech support at the school and ask them if they have images of the baseline laptop and ask them if you can load that onto a different laptop.

if that doesn't work, ask them if there is anyway you could load the programs onto another computer.

also, when asking for advice over the internet, don't get all worked up when people give you their input. they aren't saying you're stupid, they're saying you're probably wrong.