Windows 7: activation on 2 pcs once its released

Yeah. I mean I would even think it be reasonable to be able to buy an extra key for maybe a fourth of the price of the original OS price, being that people have multiple computers in their homes, heck, some people have multiple computers to themselves. I know tons of people who have a dekstop and a laptop. And having to buy two full price windows installations doesnt seem quite fair

agree 100%. If I didn't have a technet sub there's no way I could buy 7 for me and my family. I'd have to resort to underground tactics...lol

lol 'underground'... Whatever could that mean lol

I wouldn't know where to begin...

When you bought the PC's did the store give you two when you paid for 1?

No need to be an A**hole.

Everything old is new again. (?)

As far as I can recall, Microsoft has always had the one OS license for each PC requirement. (Non-OS products were different.)

XP introduced product activation in 2001 to enforce that.

Vista made the upgrade license much more restrictive than for XP in 2007. (The XP upgrade version could easily be installed on a blank hard drive. A Vista upgrade has to be launched from a running qualifying OS.)

I wish I knew what restrictions are on the Windows 7 upgrade version. The current preorder deals on upgrade versions are (relatively) attractive, but I worry that there may be even more restrictive installation requirements than for Vista.

Yeah, We're each going to buy our own $50 Home premium upgrade disk. seems like the easiest and best way, for us at least, to go

Just to correct one slight discrepancy in your post

Clean Install From Upgrade Vista - Vista Forums

As far as I am aware this system will also be possible for Windows 7 Retail

I was aware of the trick of running the upgrade from a demo version of Vista. (I've done it myself, as a convenience.)

It's not much of a time saver over installing the old OS, and then launching a clean install using the upgrade license. It permits installing Vista on a blank HD with an upgrade license without having a qualifying older OS. That would be a violation of the license agreement, I believe.