Deactivation is a myth! :)
All 'deactivation' does (slmgr /upk) is uninstall the key from *most* of the places in a given PC - it has absolutely NO effect on MS's activation servers or records. It can also in some circumstances bollix the licensing that remains and make the system unstable.
I haven't read the thread through yet - just thought I'd throw this in since it seems to be a hot (and very much misunderstood) topic.
Link?
You may find buried in the details that it's actually OEM. Some are ordering without realizing this.
This is the link I got in their email : Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - Newegg.com
Code # EMCPWWF45 makes it $89.99
This shows the sale : Newegg.com - 48Hrs Only - $109.99 23" 1080p LED-LCD Monitor, $59.99 1TB USB 3.0 Ext. HDD and MORE
Scroll down a bit to see Win7.
Again, OEM is all you are going to find unless a local retailer has one buried in a dark, dusty corner (and that is as likely as getting rich off the lottery). And the OEMs aren't going to be around much longer, either, so I wouldn't wait too long. The fact that there have been so many sales on OEMs lately tells me that the retailers are wanting to clear out their stock.
Well I know a person that owns a PC shop and says that I must buy a retail version otherwise it probably wouldn't be legal. I talked to Microsoft Support (from India) and says that it's legal to install any copy of Windows 7. I already bought a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate for $165 at the suggested site AddRAM posted and arrived. Thanks buddy!
From the horses mouth:
Lance Painell, Microsoft:
“Fundamentally, if a consumer is building their own PC, and we know a lot of enthusiasts do, then the OEM product is obviously a good product to do that,” Painell assured me.
“If they build their own PCs and they understand the complexities of setting up a PC from bare tin then by all means they’re welcome to take the OEM product and install it on a PC. It is designed to be installed on a new-built PC.”
Level of support
If you buy a boxed copy of Windows 7, you’ll get 90 days of free support, via email and telephone, from the moment you activate it. You're also entitled to installation support, while chat support - we're told - will be available "in the future".
And what do you get if you buy the OEM version? “The simple answer to that question is none,” explains Microsoft’s Painell, “because what typically happens with OEM products is that the [PC maker] supports the installation of that product and the end-user. That’s one of the core differences between OEM and FPP [Fully Packaged Products].”
Instead, you must fall back on the Microsoft Knowledge Base, forums and friends.
Check out the lifecycle pages - MS always allow sale of OEM licenses for a period (2 years I think) after the release of a new OS, to ease transition, but Retail licenses stop as far as they are concerned on the release date of the new OS.
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