Which operating system ?

[Carl G]

Good morning all and Happy New Years
What is the difference between these 2 operating systems, If i go to WalMart
and buy XP Home upgrade or XP Home OEM ?
Is the upgrade Bootable to?
Thanks.

 

[Guest]

WalMart cannot sell OEM version. Didn't you mean to say "Russian Crooks"?

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi Carl,

I don't think Wal-Mart sells OEM versions on Windows by itself.
That would be illegal.

You don't mention what OS you are upgrading over!

And yes the retail upgrade version of WinXP is bootable and can be
installed on an empty drive or partition. It will ask for the
qualifying Windows disk to satisfy the compliance check.

Here are some article you may want to look at before making your
purchase.

Upgrading to Windows XP http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpupgrad.php

Windows XP Upgrade Advisor
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/advisor.mspx

Windows XP Home Edition Home Page:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/default.asp

Windows XP Home Edition System Requirements:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/upgrading/sysreqs.asp

Windows XP Home Edition: Check Compatibility:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/upgrading/checkcompat.asp

 

[Tim Slattery]

Good morning all and Happy New Years
What is the difference between these 2 operating systems, If i go to WalMart
and buy XP Home upgrade or XP Home OEM ?

The upgrade CD will switch a Win98, Win98SE, WinME or Win2K system to
WinXP. The OEM system will *not* do an upgrade, it will only install
on a disk that has no operating system on it. The OEM system also
includes *no* support from Microsoft (but you can always ask questions
here).

Is the upgrade Bootable too?

I think both CDs are bootable.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Carl,

XP retail upgrade may be used on any one qualified system (must have Win98
or WinME installed or generic disk available as a qualifier). An OEM version
is sold with hardware and is either preinstalled or permanently tied to the
hardware it is sold with. The OEM version cannot be moved to a new
installation.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Good morning all and Happy New Years
What is the difference between these 2 operating systems, If i go to WalMart
and buy XP Home upgrade or XP Home OEM ?
Is the upgrade Bootable to?
Thanks.

The WinXP Home Upgrade CD is bootable. It does have a prerequisite,
however. You must own a license for one of the earlier qualifying
operating systems listed on the box, and that license must permanently
dedicated to, and either be already installed upon, or at least
installed nowhere else, the machine that you intend to upgrade. If you
used an Upgrade version of WinXP Home, the license for the earlier,
qualifying OS will be subsumed (become an integral part of) by the WinXP
Home Upgrade license. Basically, you have no license to use the
Upgrade without there first being an earlier, qualifying OS license
_permanently_ in place on the computer, and that qualifying license
cannot subsequently be used anywhere else. For more information:

Upgrading to WinXP from Previous Versions of Windows
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/upgrading/matrix.asp

OEM licenses are "Full" versions, meaning that no earlier OS need be
present to perform an installation. 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 non-peripheral
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 on-line 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

Help us help you:



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

 

[Bruce Chambers]

WalMart cannot sell OEM version. Didn't you mean to say "Russian Crooks"?

Anyone can sell a non-branded OEM license as longer as they've been so
authorized by Microsoft and are in compliance with the OEM Resellers
Contract Terms. As long as the license is accompanied by a
non-peripheral hardware component, the Walmart sale is very probably
legitimate. (Although I must concede that Walmart is one of the last
places on earth I would even think of, when shopping for computers or
software.)

--

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

 

[Ken Blake]

In

Good morning all and Happy New Years
What is the difference between these 2 operating systems, If i
go to
WalMart and buy XP Home upgrade or XP Home OEM ?

There is no difference in the operating system itself. The only
differences are that the OEM version has the following
disadvatages:

1. Its license ties it permanently to the first computer it's
installed on. It can never legally be moved to another computer,
sold, or given away.

2. It can only do a clean installation, not an upgrade.

3. Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. You can't call
them with a problem, but instead have to get any needed support
from your OEM; that support may range anywhere between good and
non-existent. Or you can get support elsewhere, such as in these
newsgroups.

The Upgrade version is usually around the same price as the OEM
version, and if you qualify for it (own a previous version), it's
a much better deal, since it doesn't have the OEM version's
restrictions.

Is the upgrade Bootable to?

Yes.

 

[Steve N.]

WalMart cannot sell OEM version. Didn't you mean to say "Russian Crooks"?

According to their web-site Wal Mart sells XP Home Upgrade, XP Pro OEM
with a mouse and XP Home OEM with a mouse.

Steve

 

[Carl G]

Hi Bruce
Why wouldn't you buy software from a place like WalMart ?
Just curious here.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hi Bruce
Why wouldn't you buy software from a place like WalMart ?
Just curious here.

Oh, I meant nothing against Walmart. It's just not the kind of store
where I'd think to look for software or computers. When I go looking
for software and/or computer components, I look for stores that
specialize in such products. I think of Walmart when I need a 20-pound
bag of dog food or laundry detergent, an area rug, or a pair of cheap
jeans for my kid to tear up playing.


--

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

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Oh, I meant nothing against Walmart. It's just not the kind of
store where I'd think to look for software or computers. When I go
looking for software and/or computer components, I look for stores that
specialize in such products. I think of Walmart when I need a 20-pound
bag of dog food or laundry detergent, an area rug, or a pair of cheap
jeans for my kid to tear up playing.

I should add, though, that I seriously doubt Walmart will be able to
provide any decent sort of support for the computers and software that
they sell. If they are indeed selling OEM licenses, then they also have
to provide all technical support for those licenses. That thought
_does_ make me shudder.


--

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

 

[Steve N.]

Oh, I meant nothing against Walmart. It's just not the kind of
store where I'd think to look for software or computers. When I go
looking for software and/or computer components, I look for stores that
specialize in such products. I think of Walmart when I need a 20-pound
bag of dog food or laundry detergent, an area rug, or a pair of cheap
jeans for my kid to tear up playing.

They often have some very good deals on tech and electronics stuff
there. I got a good deal on an Olympus digital camera recently and the
photo guy actually knew what he was talking about, too.

Happy New Year Bruce!

Steve

 

[Carl G]

Thanks for all the come backs on my question.
Thanks for the reply Bruce, i know what you mean. (i don't buy my dog food
there either)
Thanks again

 

[Andrew]

Hi Bruce
Why wouldn't you buy software from a place like WalMart ?
Just curious here.

Wal-Mart requires that some vendors change the lyrics or the program content
to make them more "family oriented". It means that you may, or may not be
getting the software the rest of the world is getting. I personally never
buy any software from Wal-Mart, at any price, for this reason.

 

[Carl G]

Hi Andrew
You sound kinda uptight against WalMart.I am not there favorite customer
either, but i don't see much difference between walmart or newegg or
tigerdirect orextreemgear,or any othe more or less chain store.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Good morning all and Happy New Years
What is the difference between these 2 operating systems, If i go to WalMart
and buy XP Home upgrade or XP Home OEM ?

OEM is restricted:
You cannot do an upgrade - it has to be a clean install. The Upgrade
will also do a clean install if you have a proper CD of the qualifying
windows to show it

OEM carries no support from MSoft - that is up to the vendor; consider
how much Walmart is likely to provide

OEM is licensed solely to the machine where initially installed and may
not be transferred on to a later machine.

OEM will probably not include 'ValueAdd' items. Notably Backup, but
that is probably not worth bothering with

 

[Greg R]

Wal-Mart requires that some vendors change the lyrics or the program content
to make them more "family oriented". It means that you may, or may not be
getting the software the rest of the world is getting. I personally never
buy any software from Wal-Mart, at any price, for this reason.

Hmm, I don't think Wal-Mart would require vendors of windows xp to
make xp family oriented including Microsoft.

Plus I think they are afraid to sue each other both have tons of
lawyers. They is why wal-mart can get away with selling an xp-home
oem and xp-home pro with a mouse.

Wal-mart does have some good software. The price is about the same
elsewhere.

I found out target stores have an more selections and more in stock.


Greg R

 

[Greg R]

OEM will probably not include 'ValueAdd' items. Notably Backup, but
that is probably not worth bothering with

Thats only for the home version not the pro version.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

Hmm, I don't think Wal-Mart would require vendors of windows
xp to
make xp family oriented including Microsoft.

Plus I think they are afraid to sue each other both have tons
of
lawyers. They is why wal-mart can get away with selling an
xp-home
oem and xp-home pro with a mouse.

No, anyone can sell OEM copies of Windows with a mouse, not just
Walmart. Microsoft's rules for buying OEM copies of Windows used
to be that you had to buy it with a new computer, new computer,
or new hard drive. Those rules have been relaxed substantially,
and the rule is now "with hardware." Any piece of hardware, even
a power cord, qualifies.