VISTA is on its way!!

Macro · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:40

64bit is the way to go without a shadow of a doubt. As almost all drivers, including 32bit are being redone for Vista I'd expect 64bit drivers to start to appear pretty quickly after general availability. The problem with 64bit XP was that all the 32bit drivers already existed so there wasn't much of an incentive for manufacturers to start work on 64bit drivers for an OS with only a year to go before it got superceeded.

The only possible problem with the 64bit drivers is for old kit, manufacturers may prefer you to buy a new model rather than write brand new 64bit drivers for old hardware.

It's only a guess but i'd say by the end of 2007 Vista Home Premium 64bit will be the default OS for most people.

Burnsy2023 · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:42

no_1_dave said:
The amount people upgrade now days it would be pointless getting OEM. I would definitely need the retail version

Depends...

The terms of what defines a 'device' is similar to that of XP, and therefore your still licenced unless you change your MB. Now what you need to think of is, are you going to change your MB more then twice before then next release of windows comes up? If you are, go retail, if not stick with OEM.

Burnsy

vapor matt · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:45

well i changed 2 optical drives and installed 2 aditional drives the other day and XP asked me to re activate my XP which i went through all the menu's ect ect by phone, so its not just your motherboard. and ive had it before when upgrading a GFX card.

DDave · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:45

Shame the cheapest delivery method for retail costs £8 , seems a bit steep for a bit of software.

Burnsy2023 · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:46

vapor matt said:
well i changed 2 optical drives and installed 2 aditional drives the other day and XP asked me to re activate my XP which i went through all the menu's ect ect by phone, so its not just your motherboard. and ive had it before when upgrading a GFX card.

Yes, you had to reactivate. But you could reactivate. If you change your MB, you're no longer licenced and MS shouldn't allow you to reactivate your product.

Burnsy

edit: Look in the sticky, there is a very imporant difference between being licenced and the activation system.

OzyOly · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:47

vapor matt said:
well i changed 2 optical drives and installed 2 aditional drives the other day and XP asked me to re activate my XP which i went through all the menu's ect ect by phone, so its not just your motherboard. and ive had it before when upgrading a GFX card.

Same here. Upgraded my HD and RAM only though.

MarcLister · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:47

burnsy2023 said:
Not quite. The clause whaich states non-peripheral hardware was changed.

A system builder must distribute the OEM licence with a fully assembled system.

Burnsy

So what does this mean? I can get Vista Home Premium x64 OEM on its own? Or is the list of qualifying hardware longer?

OzyOly · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:49

DDave said:
Shame the cheapest delivery method for retail costs £8 , seems a bit steep for a bit of software.

Yeah but city link are good. If you had it any cheaper you can't guarantee that the package will survive the final fling over the garden fence with royal mail as your delivery option.

Gibbo · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:50

DDave said:
Shame the cheapest delivery method for retail costs £8 , seems a bit steep for a bit of software.

Well would you really want to have £300 worth of software shipped 1st class with no insurance?

Cheap shipping is only for low value goods.

Burnsy2023 · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:50

MarcLister said:
So what does this mean? I can get Vista Home Premium x64 OEM on its own? Or is the list of qualifying hardware longer?

The list of qualifying hardware is shorter.

1) "4.1 We grant you a nonexclusive right to distribute an individual software license only with a fully assembled computer system. A "fully assembled computer system" means a computer system consisting of at least a central processing unit, a motherboard, a hard drive, a power supply, and a case."

What this means exaclty isn't obviously clear. However, if an etailer does sell you an OEM licence, you'll still be legal. The above quote is fromthe SystemBuilder licence and not the OS EULA.

Burnsy

OzyOly · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:51

Gibbo said:
Well would you really want to have £300 worth of software shipped 1st class with no insurance?

Cheap shipping is only for low value goods.

My mail man is greedy, I'd never see the package.

agw_01 · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:51

The prices seem very respectable. I'll probably wait 6 months or so for them to iron out any major bugs and will then take the plunge.

Vista definitely sounds impressive, I'll give it that.

MarcLister · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:54

burnsy2023 said:
The list of qualifying hardware is shorter.

1) "4.1 We grant you a nonexclusive right to distribute an individual software license only with a fully assembled computer system. A "fully assembled computer system" means a computer system consisting of at least a central processing unit, a motherboard, a hard drive, a power supply, and a case."

What this means exaclty isn't obviously clear. However, if an etailer does sell you an OEM licence, you'll still be legal. The above quote is fromthe SystemBuilder licence and not the OS EULA.

Burnsy

Hmm so buying the OEM DVD on its own is OK?

vapor matt · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:55

Yes, you had to reactivate. But you could reactivate. If you change your MB, you're no longer licenced and MS shouldn't allow you to reactivate your product.

Burnsy

edit: Look in the sticky, there is a very imporant difference between being licenced and the activation system.

I agree! but what iam saying is you can blag it, ive had my OEM XP since launch and have changed proberly 10 M/boards in that time, they always reactivated it no problems! and its registerd with microsoft. with Vista it will be very strick. you might get away with it once or twice but they have evry right to ask you to pay for another license. so with vista unless you plan to keep the same M/board ect for 5 years! then OEM is fine. if you change hardware a lot like most of us do on this forum then the extra for retail is worth it for hassle free activation.

OzyOly · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:57

MarcLister said:
Hmm so buying the OEM DVD on its own is OK?

Gibbo said he would do it so don't cause a fuss. You are supposed to buy something major like a mobo or HD when buying OEM, but just put your order down and see. I can't see then refusing your money because you didn't buy any hardware with it unless they are in risk of a bollock-bashing from M$.

OzyOly · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:58

vapor matt said:
I agree! but what iam saying is you can blag it, ive had my OEM XP since launch and have changed proberly 10 M/boards in that time, they always reactivated it no problems! and its registerd with microsoft. with Vista it will be very strick. you might get away with it once or twice but they have evry right to ask you to pay for another license. so with vista unless you plan to keep the same M/board ect for 5 years! then OEM is fine. if you change hardware a lot like most of us do on this forum then the extra for retail is worth it for hassle free activation.

And considering how many of us there are, OCUK will be very happy.

pcknight · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:58

Home Premium is the way to go.

OzyOly · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:59

pcknight said:
Home Premium is the way to go.

Yup

NathanE · 2 Jan 2007 at 18:59

I don't think OCUK is classed as a 'system builder' in Microsoft's eyes. That term is used for very very big competitors of OCUK that I won't mention.

If Microsoft truly didn't want OEM copies ending up being sold seperately then they wouldnt shrink wrap them seperately, would they... They'd just send out a box of CDs and licenses - so that when OCUK (or whoever) built a system for a customer they could pick out a CD and a license and bung it in the box of the PC.

dirtydog · 2 Jan 2007 at 19:04

Gibbo said:
Well would you really want to have £300 worth of software shipped 1st class with no insurance?

Cheap shipping is only for low value goods.

The insurance is for your (the retailer's) benefit because you are the ones responsible if it doesn't turn up, not the buyer. Also surely you could send it Special Delivery for well under £8, even including packaging costs :shrug: