difference in buying a retail box os versus just the oem version

[Creekview]

trying to solve the mystery once and for all,, what is the
difference --windows 2000 oem version and the retail box
version. Why would I want to pay around $270 for the
retail box version and not the $140 OEM and buy extra
licenses for additional computers as needed?
What are the differences and issues between the two
versions.

 

[Bob I]

An OEM licence DIES with the first PC it is installed on. A Retail
license can be moved from the dead/discarded PC and used on the
replacement.

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

trying to solve the mystery once and for all,, what is the
difference --windows 2000 oem version and the retail box
version. Why would I want to pay around $270 for the
retail box version and not the $140 OEM and buy extra
licenses for additional computers as needed?
What are the differences and issues between the two
versions.

Hi

From a previous post by Bruce Chambers for WinXP, goes for Win2k as well:


From: Bruce Chambers ([email protected])
Subject: Re: oem, retail?
Date: 2004-01-14 19:22:38 PST

<quote>
Greetings --

The primary differences lie in the terms of the licensing. 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 main reason some people
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. The only
legitimate way to transfer the ownership of an OEM license is to
transfer ownership of the entire PC.

2) Microsoft provides no free support for OEM versions. If you
have any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse
is to contact the manufacturer/builder of the PC or 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 telephone or email
support for problems with the OS.

3) An OEM CD cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an earlier
OS, as it was designed to be installed _only_ upon an empty hard
drive. It can still be used to perform a repair installation (a.k.a.
an in-place upgrade) of an existing WinXP installation.

4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, Dell, Gateway, 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 manufactured by
Microsoft and sold to small systems builders, don't have this
particular problem, though, and are pretty much the same as their
retail counterparts, apart from the licensing, support, and upgrading
restrictions.


Bruce Chambers
</quote>



--
torgeir
Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of the 1328 page
Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/scriptcenter/default.mspx

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----


Hi

From a previous post by Bruce Chambers for WinXP, goes for Win2k as well:


From: Bruce Chambers ([email protected])
Subject: Re: oem, retail?
Date: 2004-01-14 19:22:38 PST

<quote>
Greetings --

The primary differences lie in the terms of the licensing. 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 main reason some people
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. The only
legitimate way to transfer the ownership of an OEM license is to
transfer ownership of the entire PC.

2) Microsoft provides no free support for OEM versions. If you
have any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse
is to contact the manufacturer/builder of the PC or 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 telephone or email
support for problems with the OS.

3) An OEM CD cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an earlier
OS, as it was designed to be installed _only_ upon an empty hard
drive. It can still be used to perform a repair installation (a.k.a.
an in-place upgrade) of an existing WinXP installation.

4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, Dell, Gateway, 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 manufactured by
Microsoft and sold to small systems builders, don't have this
particular problem, though, and are pretty much the same as their
retail counterparts, apart from the licensing, support, and upgrading
restrictions.


Bruce Chambers
</quote>



--
torgeir
Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of the 1328 page
Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/scriptcenter/de fault.mspx


.I do appreciate this information. Reason for asking is

that my church wants 4 new computers and instead of buying
4 separate os's- just one and 3 licenses to install on the
other 3. They don't want to buy name brand computers, we
want to build them. Now, to make sure I understand- if
one of the machines just dies etc.... i would not be able
to get a new harddrive, motherboard etc... and reinstall
the os or would i have to buy another license each time????

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

I do appreciate this information. Reason for asking is
that my church wants 4 new computers and instead of buying
4 separate os's- just one and 3 licenses to install on the
other 3. They don't want to buy name brand computers, we
want to build them. Now, to make sure I understand- if
one of the machines just dies etc.... i would not be able
to get a new harddrive, motherboard etc... and reinstall
the os or would i have to buy another license each time????

Hi

For an OEM OS license, you would need to buy another license each time
you replace a computer. For a retail OS license, you could transfer it
to the new computer.

For the repair part (if a computer dies):

Many times this question has come up: If you need to repair/rebuild an
existing computer, when is it defined as "new" regarding the OEM OS
license? As I understand Microsoft's view on it, it is the motherboard
that defines the computer. So as long as you don't change the
motherboard but everything else, the OEM license can still be used on
the computer. If you change the motherboard on a computer with an OEM
license (unless it is for replacing a defect motherboard with the same
brand/type) , you will need to obtain a new OS license.


--
torgeir
Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of the 1328 page
Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/scriptcenter/default.mspx

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----
time????

Hi

For an OEM OS license, you would need to buy another license each time
you replace a computer. For a retail OS license, you could transfer it
to the new computer.

For the repair part (if a computer dies):

Many times this question has come up: If you need to repair/rebuild an
existing computer, when is it defined as "new" regarding the OEM OS
license? As I understand Microsoft's view on it, it is the motherboard
that defines the computer. So as long as you don't change the
motherboard but everything else, the OEM license can still be used on
the computer. If you change the motherboard on a computer with an OEM
license (unless it is for replacing a defect motherboard with the same
brand/type) , you will need to obtain a new OS license.


--
torgeir
Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of the 1328 page
Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/scriptcenter/de fault.mspx


.
Thanks again. One more question and I'll leave ya' alone

for awhile,,,, do you have any sites that sell the os's
with the oem and extra licenses that you trust or have
good reps' for online sales?

 

[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 main reason some people
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. The only
legitimate way to transfer the ownership of an installed OEM license
is to transfer ownership of the entire PC.

2) Microsoft provides no free support for OEM versions. If you
have any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse
is to contact the manufacturer/builder of the PC or 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 telephone or email
support for problems with the OS.

3) An OEM CD cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an earlier
OS, as it was designed to be installed _only_ upon an empty hard
drive. It can still be used to perform a repair installation (a.k.a.
an in-place upgrade) of an existing WinXP installation.

4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, Dell, Gateway, etc., it will most likely only install
on the same brand/model of PC, as an additional anti-piracy feature.
Further, such CDs are often 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, eastern European web sites, 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 manufactured by Microsoft and sold to
small systems builders, don't have this particular problem, though,
and are pretty much the same as their retail counterparts, apart from
the licensing, support, and upgrading restrictions.


Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

Thanks again. One more question and I'll leave ya' alone
for awhile,,,, do you have any sites that sell the os's
with the oem and extra licenses that you trust or have
good reps' for online sales?

Hi

I hope someone else can jump in and give you some advice here,
because I have no experience in this area.



--
torgeir
Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of the 1328 page
Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/scriptcenter/default.mspx