Windows 7: Question about Windows 7 retail full single license versus 3 pac .

I think this a pretty easy question for most of you but I need to understand better what I'm doing.
If I am reading the single license correctly it's only good for 1 pc at a time. Meaning that I can install it on another pc when I stop using the first one. This I should be able to do many times as the need arises. This also seems to be a more cost effective way of a small family/home builder doing it.

Conversely, the 3 pac lets me run up tp 3 pc's at a time and before I can add a fourth physical pc I need to stop using one of the other 3? Also cost effective, but perhaps not for a hobbyist like me.

Am I interpreting this correctly?



Any recommendations as to what reputable company is selling for the best price?
Thanks for any help.
H.

Welcome
Yes you are correct, bottom line is one computer at a time.
For most purposes the use is unlimited; BUT if you get greedy and change computers excessively, MS may question it.

For a hobbyist like me, a Microsoft TechNet subscription lets me run multiple PCs & multiple versions of OS's at the same time

Well I thing the license for one PC means "installed on one PC at a time". Just "not using" it doesn't qualify. Then to install using the same key on anther PC would require activation. If the key is already in use, one machine will become "This copy of windows is not valid".

That is 100% correct. I may have understood the terms used and installed interchangablly, incorrectly.

Yes, if you activate on a second system, the first one becomes deactived.
I am not sure how the 3 pack handles that. How it determines which one to deactivate.
I am not aware of any tool that you can use to deactivate a pc.

Product Key Number - Uninstall and Deactivate in Windows

Well, isn't that interesting. You learn something new all the time around here.
And that is probably what I would do if I had the 3 pack to deactivate the system I was getting rid of and activate the new one.

Edit:
However, I am assuming that it's a single license for 3 PC's, not 3 individual licenses in the Family 3 Pack. So, my point could be moot.

Amazon has the best price right now I've seen on Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade family 3-pack, three licenses for less than the price of one. http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Wind...7155990&sr=8-1

But remember these are Upgrade licenses so you need a qualifying XP/Vista for each one to use it. This can be the preinstalled OEM license or a retail license you are not using, and it doesn't need to be installed: Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

Ya, it is 1 key and you use it on up to 3 machines. I recently upgraded 2 machines to Win 7 for a friend and used the Family Pack.