OEM & Retail
- Thread starter Kerplunk
- Start date
Well it kinda explains the difference. In short FPP can be transfered from PC to PC as you buy a new one and has support from Microsoft along withthe box, manual etc. OEM is tied to a specific PC (it was originaly intended to be only pre installed on a new PC by the PC supplier), is not transfereable and the OEM that sells you the OS is responsible for providing the technical support for the product (hence it's cheaper).
OEM versions were never really designed to be sold direct to the general public, they were really for PC makers. Of course in terms of licensing what's the difference between a company building a PC and jo bloggs building one at home. OEM version started being sold to anyone buying hardware based on the theory they were building a PC and so were an OEM (I don't think MS ever specified how many PCs you had to build to be seen as an "Original Equipment Manufacturer", although the full name is a bit of a give away of the original intent).
The problem comes when people buy OEM expecting it to be identical to FPP just without a box (which without being rude seems a little niave given the difference in price you mention, now that's one expensive bit of cardboard!!
).
To be fair though it's usually a moot point. Most (not all obviously) people have a PC at some point with legit OS on it and then just buy the upgrade version moving forward (which i vaguely recollect gives you in effect FPP at OEM price).
OEM versions were never really designed to be sold direct to the general public, they were really for PC makers. Of course in terms of licensing what's the difference between a company building a PC and jo bloggs building one at home. OEM version started being sold to anyone buying hardware based on the theory they were building a PC and so were an OEM (I don't think MS ever specified how many PCs you had to build to be seen as an "Original Equipment Manufacturer", although the full name is a bit of a give away of the original intent).
The problem comes when people buy OEM expecting it to be identical to FPP just without a box (which without being rude seems a little niave given the difference in price you mention, now that's one expensive bit of cardboard!!
).To be fair though it's usually a moot point. Most (not all obviously) people have a PC at some point with legit OS on it and then just buy the upgrade version moving forward (which i vaguely recollect gives you in effect FPP at OEM price).
Last edited: