Can a consumer legally buy a Windows XP OEM License?

  • Thread starter Thread starter lldeja
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lldeja

I'm not an official system builder, but I do build my own computers.
Can I buy Windows XP OEM from a MS reseller without the purchase of any
hardware? Or do I need to be officially considedred an OEM or a System
Builder? And when I buy the OEM software from a reseller, do I need to
purchase hardware from them as well?
 
I'm not an official system builder, but I do build my own computers.
Can I buy Windows XP OEM from a MS reseller without the purchase of
any hardware? Or do I need to be officially considedred an OEM or a
System Builder? And when I buy the OEM software from a reseller, do
I need to purchase hardware from them as well?

The sale of an OEM licence is *NOT* valid without an accompanying item of
*NON* peripheral hardware (e.g. a hard drive, CPU, motherboard or graphics
card). So, if you're going to be building a system anyway, you could
purchase the OS at the same time as one of the above items and the licence
would be deemed valid.
 
So then Microsoft wouldn't like it, but they sure don't seem to mind
people doing that. It puts me into a difficult situation where I do
want to purchase rather than pirate, but just don't have the money for
retail, and I'd already purchased my hardware a while back without the
software. There seems to be so many legit OEM software resellers out
there (in addition to the ones selling pirated software) that don't
require additional hardware purchase - I wonder what Microsoft thinks
of them.
 
I'm not an official system builder, but I do build my own computers.
Can I buy Windows XP OEM from a MS reseller without the purchase of any
hardware? Or do I need to be officially considedred an OEM or a System
Builder? And when I buy the OEM software from a reseller, do I need to
purchase hardware from them as well?

OEM's are required to sell OEM software with hardware in the USA. While
many vendors will sell OEM without hardware, the OEM website
specifically has rules about selling WITH hardware purchase.

If you look on the WalMart website, they sell OEM Windows XP, but it
requires a purchase of at least a Mouse to qualify.

Now, sure, you can purchase a OEM Windows XP CD with valid key from many
places, and you could also purchase one of those China based CD's with
all of the Adobe/MS products on it for $89, but now, if you read the MS
site, or just what you've read here, you're informed and can't claim
ignorance at least.

In the final analysis, it's up to you as to how you make the purchase.
 
Leythos said:
OEM's are required to sell OEM software with hardware in the USA. While
many vendors will sell OEM without hardware, the OEM website
specifically has rules about selling WITH hardware purchase.

If you look on the WalMart website, they sell OEM Windows XP, but it
requires a purchase of at least a Mouse to qualify.

Now, sure, you can purchase a OEM Windows XP CD with valid key from many
places, and you could also purchase one of those China based CD's with
all of the Adobe/MS products on it for $89, but now, if you read the MS
site, or just what you've read here, you're informed and can't claim
ignorance at least.

In the final analysis, it's up to you as to how you make the purchase.

What fool would pay $200 for XP Pro OEM? Is Walmart really getting anyone to
buy it at that price and if so could they send me those people's names, I've
got some land just east of Miami to sell....
 
James said:
What fool would pay $200 for XP Pro OEM? Is Walmart really getting
anyone to buy it at that price and if so could they send me those
people's names, I've got some land just east of Miami to sell....

If that land is in the Bahamas, I might consider it. :~}
 
*I'm not an official system builder, but I do build my own
computers.
Can I buy Windows XP OEM from a MS reseller without the purchase of
any
hardware? Or do I need to be officially considedred an OEM or a
System
Builder? And when I buy the OEM software from a reseller, do I need
to
purchase hardware from them as well? *

I bought an OEM awhile back and got a piece of wiring with it. I
believe it was from Price Grabber. If someone asks, you installed it.
 
So then Microsoft wouldn't like it, but they sure don't seem to mind
people doing that. It puts me into a difficult situation where I do
want to purchase rather than pirate, but just don't have the money for
retail, and I'd already purchased my hardware a while back without the
software. There seems to be so many legit OEM software resellers out
there (in addition to the ones selling pirated software) that don't
require additional hardware purchase - I wonder what Microsoft thinks
of them.

You have more than two choices:
1. Buy a retail copy and know that MS loves you.
2. Buy an OEM copy (with or without hardware). Ths is not piracy. It is
completely legal.
3. Buy a pirated copy.
 
In the SB license, I don't see anything that says you have to actually
use the hardware that you've purchased with the software. All it says
is that in order to distribute (sell) the software, you have to
distribute it with a non-peripheral hardware device.
 

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