Re: OEM, Retail Software?

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

There are some very important reasons that an OEM license costs so
much less than a retail license. OEM licenses are very limited:

1) OEM versions must be sold with a piece of hardware (normally
a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC, although Microsoft
has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP) and are
_permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are installed. An
OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another
computer under any circumstances. This is the best reason to avoid
OEM versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of (even
stolen), you cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC.

2) Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. If you have
any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse is to
contact the vendor of the OEM license. This would include such issues
as lost a Product Key or replacing damaged installation media.
(Microsoft does make allowances for those instances when you can prove
that the OEM has gone out of business.) This doesn't mean that you
can't download patches and service packs from Microsoft -- just no
free live or email support for problems with the OS.

3) An OEM CD cannot perform an upgrade, as it was designed to be
installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive.

4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, HP, Compaq, etc., it will most likely only install on
the same brand of PC, as an additional anti-piracy feature. Further,
such CDs are severely customized to contain only the minimum of device
drivers, and a lot of extra nonsense, that the manufacturer feels
necessary for the specific model of PC for which the CD was designed.
(To be honest, such CDs should not be available on the open market;
but, if you're shopping someplace like eBay, swap meets, or computer
fairs, there's often no telling what you're buying until it's too
late.) The "generic" OEM CDs, such as are sold to small systems
builders, don't have this particular problem, though, and are pretty
much the same as their retail counterparts.


Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"Gary" > wrote in message
...
> Could someone help me please with a question concerning
> the difference between OEM software and hardware and
> Retail software and hardware? For example I've seen XP
> Home edition OEM and XP home edition Retail for sale.
> Please tell me the difference. Thanks in advance. Gary

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

There are some very important reasons that an OEM license costs so
much less than a retail license. OEM licenses are very limited:

1) OEM versions must be sold with a piece of hardware (normally
a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC, although Microsoft
has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP) and are
_permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are installed. An
OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another
computer under any circumstances. This is the best reason to avoid
OEM versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of (even
stolen), you cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC.

2) Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. If you have
any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse is to
contact the vendor of the OEM license. This would include such issues
as lost a Product Key or replacing damaged installation media.
(Microsoft does make allowances for those instances when you can prove
that the OEM has gone out of business.) This doesn't mean that you
can't download patches and service packs from Microsoft -- just no
free live or email support for problems with the OS.

3) An OEM CD cannot perform an upgrade, as it was designed to be
installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive.

4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, HP, Compaq, etc., it will most likely only install on
the same brand of PC, as an additional anti-piracy feature. Further,
such CDs are severely customized to contain only the minimum of device
drivers, and a lot of extra nonsense, that the manufacturer feels
necessary for the specific model of PC for which the CD was designed.
(To be honest, such CDs should not be available on the open market;
but, if you're shopping someplace like eBay, swap meets, or computer
fairs, there's often no telling what you're buying until it's too
late.) The "generic" OEM CDs, such as are sold to small systems
builders, don't have this particular problem, though, and are pretty
much the same as their retail counterparts.


Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"Gary" > wrote in message
...
> Could someone help me please with a question concerning
> the difference between OEM software and hardware and
> Retail software and hardware? For example I've seen XP
> Home edition OEM and XP home edition Retail for sale.
> Please tell me the difference. Thanks in advance. Gary

[Gary]

Thank You Bruce Chambers
>-----Original Message-----
>Greetings --
>
> There are some very important reasons that an OEM
license costs so
>much less than a retail license. OEM licenses are very
limited:
>
> 1) OEM versions must be sold with a piece of
hardware (normally
>a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC,
although Microsoft
>has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP) and
are
>_permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are
installed. An
>OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable
to another
>computer under any circumstances. This is the best
reason to avoid
>OEM versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of
(even
>stolen), you cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC.
>
> 2) Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions.
If you have
>any problems that require outside assistance, your only
recourse is to
>contact the vendor of the OEM license. This would
include such issues
>as lost a Product Key or replacing damaged installation
media.
>(Microsoft does make allowances for those instances when
you can prove
>that the OEM has gone out of business.) This doesn't
mean that you
>can't download patches and service packs from Microsoft -
- just no
>free live or email support for problems with the OS.
>
> 3) An OEM CD cannot perform an upgrade, as it was
designed to be
>installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive.
>
> 4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific
manufacturer, such as
>eMachines, Sony, HP, Compaq, etc., it will most likely
only install on
>the same brand of PC, as an additional anti-piracy
feature. Further,
>such CDs are severely customized to contain only the
minimum of device
>drivers, and a lot of extra nonsense, that the
manufacturer feels
>necessary for the specific model of PC for which the CD
was designed.
>(To be honest, such CDs should not be available on the
open market;
>but, if you're shopping someplace like eBay, swap meets,
or computer
>fairs, there's often no telling what you're buying until
it's too
>late.) The "generic" OEM CDs, such as are sold to small
systems
>builders, don't have this particular problem, though,
and are pretty
>much the same as their retail counterparts.
>
>
>Bruce Chambers
>
>Help us help you:
>http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>----
>You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't
ever count on
>having both at once. -- RAH
>
>
>"Gary" > wrote in message
...
>> Could someone help me please with a question concerning
>> the difference between OEM software and hardware and
>> Retail software and hardware? For example I've seen XP
>> Home edition OEM and XP home edition Retail for sale.
>> Please tell me the difference. Thanks in advance. Gary
>
>
>.
>

[Gary]

Thank You Bruce Chambers
>-----Original Message-----
>Greetings --
>
> There are some very important reasons that an OEM
license costs so
>much less than a retail license. OEM licenses are very
limited:
>
> 1) OEM versions must be sold with a piece of
hardware (normally
>a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC,
although Microsoft
>has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP) and
are
>_permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are
installed. An
>OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable
to another
>computer under any circumstances. This is the best
reason to avoid
>OEM versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of
(even
>stolen), you cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC.
>
> 2) Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions.
If you have
>any problems that require outside assistance, your only
recourse is to
>contact the vendor of the OEM license. This would
include such issues
>as lost a Product Key or replacing damaged installation
media.
>(Microsoft does make allowances for those instances when
you can prove
>that the OEM has gone out of business.) This doesn't
mean that you
>can't download patches and service packs from Microsoft -
- just no
>free live or email support for problems with the OS.
>
> 3) An OEM CD cannot perform an upgrade, as it was
designed to be
>installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive.
>
> 4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific
manufacturer, such as
>eMachines, Sony, HP, Compaq, etc., it will most likely
only install on
>the same brand of PC, as an additional anti-piracy
feature. Further,
>such CDs are severely customized to contain only the
minimum of device
>drivers, and a lot of extra nonsense, that the
manufacturer feels
>necessary for the specific model of PC for which the CD
was designed.
>(To be honest, such CDs should not be available on the
open market;
>but, if you're shopping someplace like eBay, swap meets,
or computer
>fairs, there's often no telling what you're buying until
it's too
>late.) The "generic" OEM CDs, such as are sold to small
systems
>builders, don't have this particular problem, though,
and are pretty
>much the same as their retail counterparts.
>
>
>Bruce Chambers
>
>Help us help you:
>http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>----
>You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't
ever count on
>having both at once. -- RAH
>
>
>"Gary" > wrote in message
...
>> Could someone help me please with a question concerning
>> the difference between OEM software and hardware and
>> Retail software and hardware? For example I've seen XP
>> Home edition OEM and XP home edition Retail for sale.
>> Please tell me the difference. Thanks in advance. Gary
>
>
>.
>

[Gary]

Thank You Ken.
>-----Original Message-----
>
>"Gary" > wrote in message
...
>> Could someone help me please with a question concerning
>> the difference between OEM software and hardware and
>> Retail software and hardware? For example I've seen XP
>> Home edition OEM and XP home edition Retail for sale.
>> Please tell me the difference. Thanks in advance. Gary
>
>
>The differences between XP OEM and Retail are the
following:
>
>1. The OEM version can be used for a clean installation
only. It
>will not upgrade a previous operating system.
>
>2. The OEM license binds it permanently to the first
computer
>it's installed on. You can never move it to another
computer.
>
>3. Microsoft doesn't support OEM versions; you have to
contact
>your OEM supplier for any help you may need.
>
>--
>Ken Blake
>Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>.
>

[Gary]

Thank You Ken.
>-----Original Message-----
>
>"Gary" > wrote in message
...
>> Could someone help me please with a question concerning
>> the difference between OEM software and hardware and
>> Retail software and hardware? For example I've seen XP
>> Home edition OEM and XP home edition Retail for sale.
>> Please tell me the difference. Thanks in advance. Gary
>
>
>The differences between XP OEM and Retail are the
following:
>
>1. The OEM version can be used for a clean installation
only. It
>will not upgrade a previous operating system.
>
>2. The OEM license binds it permanently to the first
computer
>it's installed on. You can never move it to another
computer.
>
>3. Microsoft doesn't support OEM versions; you have to
contact
>your OEM supplier for any help you may need.
>
>--
>Ken Blake
>Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>.
>

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

You're welcome.

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"Gary" > wrote in message
...
> Thank You Bruce Chambers

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

You're welcome.

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"Gary" > wrote in message
...
> Thank You Bruce Chambers