Oem or retail Vista

[Deathrow]

I want to buy 64bit vista, now from what I understand the Oem can only be installed on 1 machine. Which is fine, I only plan to use it on 1 machine. However what stops it from been "1 machine"? eg new hard drive? new processor? new internet connection? move house? etc..

 

[brian]

i thought it was 2 computers. but the serial number has to be registerd and it is checked

 

[Deathrow]

So at what point would it be useless? If I bought a completely new pc even if I uninstalled it on the old pc?

 

[StrangleHold]

OEM and Retail are the same, the OEM just does not have support, only the System Builders edition is tied to the computer thats its installed on. Retail and OEM can be installed on another computer, but only one at a time.

 

[Deathrow]

When you say support, what kind of support? As this can range from telephone, live help, instruction manual, windows update etc.

 

[Deathrow]

*Bump*

 

[ThatGuy16]

Yeah, you dont get an instruction manual and "customer service" like live chat support...

But you do get all the windows updates..all in all you come out <$100 cheaper with OEM, just no live chat support basicly. I cant think of a time you would realy need it anyway.

 

[spanky]

Basically OEM is for builders who know what they are doing, and Retail is for your average joe blow.

 

[Geoff]

Everyone thinks OEM is different then retail, but the OS and media itself is exactly the same, you just dont get the box and manual that comes with it, you still have the same licensing privileges with both.

 

[Luchman]

Are you sure?

I was under the impression (and I think I got that impression from CF) that with OEM Vista (not XP), you could only install it once to one computer. If you were to change out the motherboard, that would constitute as a "new computer" and it would ask for a new, different, license. Where as with retail, you could uninstall/install Vista as many times as you'd like. However, the easy way around it I have heard, was when the OEM asks you for a different license, just call up microsoft and tell them some b.s., like you just replaced a hard drive or something, and they'll no questions give you another license number.

 

[StrangleHold]

OEM and Retail are the same without support for the OEM, System Builders edition is tied to the computer its installed on.