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[Saran]

OEM is not a Microsoft product for practical purposes,
Think of OEM as manufactured, sold and supported by the manufacturer
and not Microsoft.
Except for a few limited cases, Microsoft does not support OEM.

The actual operating system IS a Microsoft product, else there is no
reason to put "Microsoft" all over it for one thing.

They made the OS. The OEM version is essentially the same as Retail,
it's main difference is it's intended to be preinstalled. The OEM
supports what *they* give you - the hard ware, preinstall/bundled
software, and the OS as they pre-installed it, but not the OS overall
and in depth. Trust me, I work with OEM's quite often in my line of
work. I know how the majority of them work.

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Sadly, Saran, you are incorrect. The fact of the matter is that when an OEM
signs a contract with Microsoft to distribute Windows, the OEM agrees to
accept 100% of the support burden, including supporting the copy of Windows.
This is one of the reasons why OEMs get Windows for pennies on the dollar.
They could buy retail copies and accept no burden of support but then they'd
have to pass that higher cost on to the buyer. This is also why we often
recommend against buying an OEM copy of Windows from an online/storefront
outlet unless you the buyer are prepared to forfeit your support, since as
soon as you buy that OEM copy you become the OEM and must provide your own
support.

 

[Saran]

Sadly, Saran, you are incorrect. The fact of the matter is that when
an OEM signs a contract with Microsoft to distribute Windows, the OEM
agrees to accept 100% of the support burden, including supporting the
copy of Windows.

hat's the key word right there. For that "copy of windows" which the OEM
supplies the customer. But the operating system itself, the core and
such, is microsoft's responsibility. The OEM is not as knowledgable, nor
as qualified as MS for that kind of support.

The OEM is responsible for technical support *pertaining* to windows on
the OEM's given setup that you purchased, but not the core operating
system itself. One still gets system level support, updates, extra, from
microsoft. I know this from working in this industry and from workign
and having been working wit hvarious OEMs.

It's a close and very confusable difference and I understand that it's
one of those things that can be hard to differentiate.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

It is actually very clear.
If you have problems, contact the OEM.
The OEM is responsible the the OEM Windows they sold with the
computer.
If that system (Hardware, software, including Windows) fails to
perform, it is the OEMs responsibility to fix it.

"But the operating system itself, the core and such, is microsoft's
responsibility."
You may want it that way, but that is not the case.
If you want that, you need to pay extra for retail.
That is one of the many reasons you pay less for OEM than others pay
for retail.

Exceptions as already stated with updates and a few others.

Your opinion, my opinion and anyone else's opinion are not relevant.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

"but not the OS overall and in depth."
Then that is an issue between the customer and the OEM.
What are the specifics of the OEM warranty?

It seems you want Someone else to pick up warranty where YOUR choice
of supplier fails to meet your expectations.
It seems the problem is what your supplier will give and what you
expect them to give.
Back to the specifics of the warranty.
Exactly what what does your specific warranty say?

If you want Microsoft support, you need to forgo the significant
savings you get when purchasing OEM and pay extra for retail.

 

[RScotti]

Your video card is probably using shared RAM bringing it down to 894 MB's