Building a system - OEM or retail

I'm going to sound like a total idiot here, but what is the difference between the OEM and retail?

One of the benefits of building your own is qualifying for an OEM disc. You would have to be crazy to then pay full retail. Most home builders i know use pirated copies, anyways.

This is the rules to qualify here in Oz.

*** Please note that any OEM operating system can only be sold with at least FIVE internal system hardware***

At least here in the USA, there are licensing differences:

• OEM is licensed to a single computer permanently and cannot legally be installed on a second machine (although you are allowed to upgrade components of that original computer, so you've got considerable leeway). If you sell the computer, the OS goes with it -- forever legally married to the nuts and bolts.
• Retail is licensed to a single user for use on one computer at a time and can be moved to a completely difference computer as long as it is removed completely from the previous one. If you sell the computer, you can keep the OS and re-use it. (The second owner of your old hardware is then responsible for his own copy of the OS.)

There are a few other details, including who provides support, but that's the essence of the two licenses.

Considering how many copies of various versions of Windows I own legally, I usually opt for the retail upgrade version. It's less expensive than the regular retail version and I get to call M$ should the need arise.

ikilledkenny said:

I'm going to sound like a total idiot here, but what is the difference between the OEM and retail?

Hi there
1) OEM usually (significantly) cheaper

2) You can't re-install OEM on a new machine . It's tied to the specific hardware.

Of course whilst there's no STCPUID (Store CPU ID ) instruction yet available in the CPU instruction set you can re-install on an Identical machine or with limited upgrade such as more memory or a different video card. Mobo and CPU must be the same of course.

Retail --

1) More expensive (significantly).
2) You CAN transfer to a new machine. You'll have to activate again by phone and enter a load of numbers manually that the person from the call center gives you.

So "You pays your money and takes your choice".


Hi WEH you beat me to it.


As for calling Microsoft for support -- it's usually the same horror story calling ANY support center by phone these days.

Zillions of useless options -- press 1 for this, 2 for that etc
hideous music
long waits
people at the other end with terrible English -- at least I can't understand but Eng is not my first lang anyway - but even native speakers have the same prob.

You get much better info on boards like this -- Support for a Product is usually VEY LOW on my list of purchasing requirements -- if the support lines are busy it shows there's problems with it. If you research first you can skip the "Excellent support" spiel in the advertising blurb.

BTW sometimes you can skip the whole hideous telephone call center mecahnism by simly calling "SALES". It's amazing if you want to BUY something how quick you actuall get through to a "Real Human".


OT but is there a SINGLE person on Earth now who actually LIKES telephone call centers.


jimbo