Windows 7: activation on 2 pcs once its released

I just ordered 3 copies of Home Premium for our computers, 1 legal copy for each computer.

One thing apple does right is the family pack for osx; 5 installs off of one disc for about 30% more than a single licence, as long as they're all under one roof. Of course there's no key or activation either, so it's basically the honour system anyway.

I really wish microsoft would do the same for 7 - at $80 a pc for home premium (thanks for the EU markup too) I can't afford to upgrade all 5 pcs, and I definitely won't be able to do it after it goes up to full price either.

It'd be nice if the retail copies would allow for 3 activations. Let the OEM copies be the "one machine, one activation" versions. My roommate and I both want Windows 7 Pro but spare money is a luxury right now.

What this does allow is to upgrade a qualifying OS without an available qualifying install medium, (a situation which can arise with machines that are supplied with pre-installed with an OEM OS). The other potential problem with the use of a qualifying medium is how the upgrade mechanism regards an upgrade DVD as qualifying medium, is it possible to use the Vista upgrade DVD for installing windows 7 or do you have to provide a full install medium.

As you rightly say the use of the double install method, without a qualifying OS llicence would be a breach of the licence terms. I personally believe that the use of a qualifying licence key would be a better upgrade mechanism as this could be checked as genuine.

The chosen system is open to abuse as I understand that any qualifying DVD can be used to install windows 7 so one DVD could be used to install more than one upgrade licence, again an abuse of the system.

Why MS choose to allow these loopholes will always be a mystery to me

The advantage of the double install method over installing the original OS, (XP or Vista), is that there is no detritus from the original OS left on the system

im going to go out on a lim here and say i think this will not happen. Why would they "limit" this? Say u get a virus, and you reinstall. Ok 2 activations. Ok, another virus down the road, or HDD falure, or MANY other things?
My opinion, they wont be doing anything to prevent this.

You have completely missed the point, I'm afraid. They are discussing the ability to activate the same copy of Windows on different machines at the same time without purchasing a separate license for each computer. I don't think there really is a limit to how many times you can activate the same copy of Windows on the same computer.

The good news is that Microsoft is going to release a "family pack" license for Windows 7 which will allow installations and activations on up to 3 computers. I believe it's supposed to be in the $150 range for the upgrade version of Home Premium.

Get a family pack?

Why should it change ? If you want two of something buy two....why should they "give" oyu a free lisence, or one even at a discount ? They are in buisness to make money, there is no obligation for them to do that at all

BUT, you can buy a "family pack" with 3 lisences.....OR you could buy a old copy od XP and then buy a upgrade to that......

There is no reason anyone should expect them to give away a free copy.

1 License per PC seems fair to me. Windows OS's provide a gateway to the digital world, with countless possibilities and compatibility.

If you would have ordered earlier, you would have gotten 2 for 1, because upgrades were half off

Some leaked info on Family pack pricing. Lets hope the prices stay reasonable.
Windows 7 Family Pack, Anytime Upgrade prices leak | Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report | ZDNet.com