Re: For discussion - Microsoft OEM licences

Gaz wrote:
jasee wrote:
Rob Walker wrote:
That's the point of OEM software. It is for system builders
to bundle with PC's or Servers. It is a licence for that machine
ONLY and this is reflected in the price MS charge for it. You can
upgrade that PC (except motherboard) and replace any component due
to hardware failure (including motherboard).
I work for a MS OEM system builder and when you actually look at the
OEM licensing it's not really *that* unfair. If you want a 'full'
copy of XP that can be moved from PC to PC when you upgrade you need
a full retail version which is much more expensive than the OEM
equivalent. I'm not defending Microsoft's pricing but at the end of
the day if you don't like it use Linux instead.

Its not *that* much cheaper than full retail to the small system
builder (if
you look at places like ebuyer), maybe it is if you're buying in
great quantity, and, the end user can't phone microsoft for support:
well you can,
but they'll refer you to the oem supplier.

ISTR if you bought it for a pc, you were (originally) allowed to
install it
on a laptop as well.

Not that different from full retail? You are joking? inc vat its
about £60 for an oem home, but over £160 for a full retail.

I suppose to be 'fully' legitimate you might have to consider a non upgrade
retail version.
However as a repairer/redistributer of pcs, they probably come with an o/s,
therefore legimately upgradable.

Ebuyer's prices (ex vat)
OEM home £48.45
Retail (but upgrade) £69.13.
(Not that different really if you really want to save money)
OEM pro £75.41
Retail (but upgrade) £110.60
(More than I had thought)


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Relevant Pages

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