Small business setup. Windows 7 licencing question on 4 pcs. Msdn or retail?.
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Soldato
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You don't really want to run windows 7 on less than 2GB.
I know this, and was intending to upgrade ram anyway. But I have mixed messages from people saying it will be better sticking xp on and running that for a year or so before they upgrade rather than shell out on windows 7 licenses Then have to upgrade pcs, iv already suggested to him now about the xp route
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Personally i'd stick XP on and run them for a year, win 7 will have larger overheads than win xp. I've got 30 Dell Optiplex GX280's at work and with win 7 they ran dog slow. These were P4 3.2 Ht 1gb RAM, ran XP quickly, but win 7 crawled.
A licensing scheme is a bit pointless for 5 machines IMO, i'd either go with OEM licenses, or retail which will allow you to keep the software when you change machines. Go with win 7 pro if you do, as you can join it to a domain, and doesn't have the extra bits like media stuff in ultimate.
PS Don't forget your server cals as well if you go for a domain environment!
A licensing scheme is a bit pointless for 5 machines IMO, i'd either go with OEM licenses, or retail which will allow you to keep the software when you change machines. Go with win 7 pro if you do, as you can join it to a domain, and doesn't have the extra bits like media stuff in ultimate.
PS Don't forget your server cals as well if you go for a domain environment!
Soldato
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I thought you said they had servers, if so surely they will be domain joined?
They have a server yes, however at the moment it will just be used as a file server and backup server. They have no plans to place it on a domain with 4-5 machines at present. That said, there would be no ruling out plans of migrating to a domain at a later stage.
If there are file shares on the server, why not a domain? Will save a lot of faffing and future headaches IMHO.
Soldato
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You shouldn't use OEM licences. They'd install and work okay, but if they were ever audited they wouldn't be valid. Retail or a MS licensing agreement is the only legitimate option.
A server license would come with 5 CALS out of the box. If you required any additional CALs they'd need to be purchased.
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Just a query as to why the oem licenses wouldn't be valid?
OEM licences will be fine surely
What do you think the score is when businesses buy PC's from vendors like Dell, they are shipped with OEM licences
As for the putting the customer on a domain network, I will think about it, however, a lot of our customers in our main job are motor factors, and are running around the same amount of PC's, generally none of these networks are on domains. Our bigger customers with 8-9+ workstations are generally those that are on domains.
Is it really worth it for a business with this amount of workstations?
What do you think the score is when businesses buy PC's from vendors like Dell, they are shipped with OEM licences
As for the putting the customer on a domain network, I will think about it, however, a lot of our customers in our main job are motor factors, and are running around the same amount of PC's, generally none of these networks are on domains. Our bigger customers with 8-9+ workstations are generally those that are on domains.
Is it really worth it for a business with this amount of workstations?
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OEM licenses are only valid when sold and installed with a qualifying piece of hardware. They are most often used by large hardware vendors to get discount from Microsoft. The license they install dies with the machine they install it onto and hence they get the Windows licenses at rock bottom.
These Dell's will inevitably have an OEM license Certificate of Authenticity on them somewhere. Just use a Dell OEM copy of Windows XP and that code, and these machines are fully licensed.
Soldato
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There are only very limited circumstances where purchasing an OEM version of Windows is the correct option. Most of the OEM licenses sold through retail channels will be invalid. For an individual it probably isn't something to be worrying about, for a business it isn't worth the risk.
From the Microsoft OEM licensing website…
From the Microsoft OEM licensing website…
why do oyu need a dell ISO? W7 dell will still require a serial number... (i know i tried it on some dell 520's...)
just order 4x OEM windows 7,
ok since peopel say you cannot jsut buy oem serials, if busines owner sells you the PC's for 1p,
you take them appart and put them back together, you have now built 4 amchines and can install w7 oem and sell them back to the business owner for 4x oem software cost + your time
you take them appart and put them back together, you have now built 4 amchines and can install w7 oem and sell them back to the business owner for 4x oem software cost + your time
I don't, I would just use the standard Windows 7 ISO, if I was still going for Windows 7, however, we have decided to just stick with XP for these machines, as it will be better performing, then they can decide if they want to upgrade the PC's in a year or more.
Windows 7 will run on them, I tested it on weekend, however you could tell they will run in to issues of it being slow.
Soldato
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That would class as refurbishment which brings you under a different part of MS licensing. Using an OEM license still wouldn’t be valid.
the dell 520's will take 3ghz dual core P4d's with 4MB cache the 2.8ghz ones are dirt cheap on the bay...