Needless to say I am completely befuddled by all this licence talk. I have an OEM copy of Vista Premium 64 which I bought off ebay about 6 months ago but haven't yet installed. I am close to building a new rig which I am intending to put this copy of Vista on. Can someone tell me in laymans terms whether MS will activate it or not, and will I be able to use windows update as per normal to download security updates etc. Note this is all I ever want, I have never once directly rung or emailed Microsoft for O/S support in any form, shape or other. Also, I do not plan to change mobos or anything for at least a couple of years, by which time I will almost certainly get WIndows 7 or whatever it is at the time.
Windows Licensing for Hobbyists
- Thread starter Burnsy2023
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End of the day the average PC Gamer won't care about the license. To them it's no different to a game or software purchase in ways.
He or she will buy an OEM copy because it's WAY cheaper and in the next 12months may upgrade mobo once and just re-activate Windows when it prompts thinking nothing much of it as it activates without any questions.
If MS released a new Windows version over a longer period of time compared to Vista>7>Vienna then the price of a retail pack does seem fair but 2yrs apart between OS revision is not worth paying double for especially with the tens of different versions of Vista and now Windows 7 as well.
He or she will buy an OEM copy because it's WAY cheaper and in the next 12months may upgrade mobo once and just re-activate Windows when it prompts thinking nothing much of it as it activates without any questions.
If MS released a new Windows version over a longer period of time compared to Vista>7>Vienna then the price of a retail pack does seem fair but 2yrs apart between OS revision is not worth paying double for especially with the tens of different versions of Vista and now Windows 7 as well.
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Technically you shouldn't be using an OEM product, but it most likely will activate and get updates as normal.
If i actually cared about your opinion then i would write something lengthy, instead you can just have a
Don
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In his defence there are cracks that allow for dx10 support in xp. It's software, not hardwire (unlike HDMI sockets). Google it and you'll find them. How legal it is to do it and whether they work particularly well I really don't know.
Don
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If i actually cared about your opinion then i would write something lengthy, instead you can just have a
Oh sorry - didn't like what I had to say?
Typical software thief - full of false justification for their actions and "fingers in the ears" time when they are about to hear something they don't like.
Everything I have to say in my posts is the truth.
It really doesn't require you to make a reply - I'm not quoting opinion, I'm just quoting how the licensing works.
Man I cannot believe I'm classed as a thieving scum
Oh well *upgrades motherboard and saves a LOT of £*
Yup - if you like to steal your software then I'd class you as a thief.
I hope you don't think I was aiming "thieving scum" only at yourself - personally I feel anybody who thieves anything is scum.
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stoofa, dude, I think it might be worth toning down a little just to make sure you dont' fall foul of the personal attack rule 
Well Microsoft's business practices are hardly ethical, how many times have they been dragged into court over their uncompetitive behaviour? if people had a choice to buy a different OS they probably would, even pirates would probably avoid Windows if games weren't tied to DirectX, it's the single reason I can't use Linux.
Additionally, Microsoft have sold millions of people games consoles known to be defective and offered an extended warranty only for one of the many known failures - I would call that theft... and so too is phasing out a perfectly good OS and forcing people to pay unreasonable amounts upgrading to a new one whenever demand falls.
Microsoft are a very un-ethical business, just because they operate barely within the law doesn't make what they do right.
I'm sure some people who pay full price for a retail license are far worse human beings than those who choose not to, some probably go around calling people they have never met scum for example because they don't like that they're being taken for a mug and others aren't.
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There's no reason they couldn't release DX10 on XP for their current paying customers other than to force idiots (us) to upgrade, Microsoft sell software not hardware and as such they didn't need to release a new product, if they do decide to release new product it should be optional and sold on its merits not by dirty tactics.
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It was built for the new graphics driver and display model introduced in Vista - hence attempts to make it work on XP have resulted in woeful performance. You can't make it work well without essentially converting XP into Vista.
I find it hilarious that people like stoofa are still adamant that people are 'thieving' if they're not sticking to the license.
So, how does it work when your motherboard breaks, and you can't get a replacement that's the same board? Should you buy a new license? No way, you'd be stupid for even considering it.
You and your ultra-legitimacy talk is only harming your wallet, it's not helping anyone. If you want to burn your money, then go ahead, but you need to shut up with the 'thief' talk.
The only reason you're saying it's theft is to make out that it's far worse than it actually is.
Theft is what the ignorant call it, who are just trying to cry foul and insult other people.
But in reality, it's not theft, no matter how you want to phrase it, it's not theft. What it actually is is copy right infringement, which, while illegal, isn't theft.
Oh, and before you try and use your obvious favorite of 'well you're just a dirty thief so you would say that', don't assume just because I'm disagreeing with you.
In the last year, I've spent over £3000 on software, including 30PS3 games, 50 blu-rays, a few hundred PC games, and various windows softwares, as well as the fact that I own various legitimate copies of windows including 2 MS server 08s, windows vistas, 2 XPs.
So, how does it work when your motherboard breaks, and you can't get a replacement that's the same board? Should you buy a new license? No way, you'd be stupid for even considering it.
You and your ultra-legitimacy talk is only harming your wallet, it's not helping anyone. If you want to burn your money, then go ahead, but you need to shut up with the 'thief' talk.
The only reason you're saying it's theft is to make out that it's far worse than it actually is.
Theft is what the ignorant call it, who are just trying to cry foul and insult other people.
But in reality, it's not theft, no matter how you want to phrase it, it's not theft. What it actually is is copy right infringement, which, while illegal, isn't theft.
Oh, and before you try and use your obvious favorite of 'well you're just a dirty thief so you would say that', don't assume just because I'm disagreeing with you.
In the last year, I've spent over £3000 on software, including 30PS3 games, 50 blu-rays, a few hundred PC games, and various windows softwares, as well as the fact that I own various legitimate copies of windows including 2 MS server 08s, windows vistas, 2 XPs.
Thats is covered in the agreement that it has to be deemed a reasonable replacement, so obviously you couldnt go from a Athlon 939 to a i7 socket IIRC
The only way for stopping people from using OEM software is to make it unavalible to buy from shops. And only allow companies/people that have a special license to buy OEM software.
I dont see anything changing for us in the next few years anyway, people will still buy and use OEM software even though the EULA has changed.
I dont see anything changing for us in the next few years anyway, people will still buy and use OEM software even though the EULA has changed.
Exactly.
To be honest for the lone home user who isnt someone who sells stuff on a regular basis its nothing to be worried about anyway, its not as if the microsoft hardmen are going to come and kick your door in.
If you are a business and sell pcs for a living then there is no change, you use OEM as you are selling to unrelated people.
All this is for is to clarify what they meant originally, and as burnsey said it IS annoying to those who have small business's and bought OEM on the understanding that they were fully licensed and now find they may not be.