Stay on Top of Recent Windows Licensing Changes

jimbo45 · 11 Aug 2014

Hi there

What Ms needs to introduce is say a FAMILY license -- say a "semi volume license" to be able to be used on up to 5 machines. This makes it very simple for irrespective of the hardware being used to have in the home a "Standard" copy of Windows which is easily repairable when it breaks as it does inevitably if you have any kids using computers.

It's much easier to deal with a "Standard" image than 5 different versions etc -- and also it helps the person setting it up to be able to experiment a bit before doing the final activations.

Even "Singles" rarely have just ONE computer in the home any more -- in W.Europe I think the average is about 4 per household !!.

Cheers
jimbo

Lady Fitzgerald · 11 Aug 2014

alphanumeric said:

...If you want transferability your better off buying the Retail version.

I agree. Now if only M$ would make Retail available longer like they do with OEM.

andrew129260 · 11 Aug 2014

alphanumeric said:

If you want transferability your better off buying the Retail version.

If you can find it. That is the problem. I had to buy oem cause retail seven was not available.
They should not force you to buy oem when the product is still in a very decent lifecycle. I understand a year or so from the end date to stop selling retail ones, but we still have 6 years before windows 7 is unsupported.

jimbo45 said:

Hi there

What Ms needs to introduce is say a FAMILY license ...

Agreed. There was the windows 7 family pack with 3 retail licenses. That was nice when it existed.

alphanumeric · 11 Aug 2014

If it's Windows 7 store bought (not preinstalled) stand alone OEM version, then a call to Microsoft "should" be all you need to do to transfer it to another PC. Assuming you give the right answers to the questions asked that is. It may be the same deal with a store bought (not preinstalled) Windows 8 OEM version that you install yourself. You'll have a product code that is not embedded in the BIOS. The only time I moved an OEM version of Windows 7 to another PC, the hardware was so similar that I didn't even have to reinstall or activate it again. I didn't have to do anything except install new sound drivers.

windude99 · 11 Aug 2014

If they would discount the retail copies of Windows 7 to match the System Builder versions, people wouldn't buy the system builder version. They should do away with the System Builder/OEM copies and just sell retail.

lehnerus2000 · 12 Aug 2014

Licensing was a complete nightmare when we had to do it during my Networking course.
"I want to buy your product. Why is it so difficult? Don't you want my money?"

alphanumeric · 12 Aug 2014

It's complicated because somebody is always looking for a loop hole to try and get something for nothing. Like buying one copy of something and trying to use it multiple times on multiple PC's. The honest always suffer as a result of the dishonest.

lehnerus2000 · 12 Aug 2014

I suspect it also has something to do with up-selling too.
"Buy your licensing the way the 'Big Boys' do."

It was very difficult to find any info, even at MS sites!
I would have thought that if you searched for that info, MS would be desperate to make it the first item on a search results page.

They could just have a page that lists their products (they don't produce very many programs) and the cost of a license for each.
Multiply that by the number of users and then send the cash.

It would take almost no time to work out how much to pay, even if every individual program required one (e.g. server access license, Word license, Excel license, Outlook license, etc.).

In the exercise we did, it was easier to buy a server with additional license packs, than it was to find out how to do it based on MS info.

jimbo45 · 12 Aug 2014

Hi there

There's the same confusion now with Windows 8.1 ENTERPRISE which apparently is being made available to INDIVIDUALS. While this could be a good move - what about the WINDOWS TO GO that one can create from W8 Enterprise. Does this mean an individual running a Windows to Go system on different hardware will need to Activate each time - is W8 Enterprise going to be a VL licence for INDIVIDUALS (not corporates). If not then what's the point over the PRO version. I'd only get the Enterprise version because of the WINDOWS TO GO FEATURE. If I can't use this on several computers then it's a waste of time.

Cheers
jimbo