Where can I buy Vista OEM from?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nigel Molesworth
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Nigel Molesworth

I've got several PCs that I want to install Vista on. I'm not sure if
I qualify for a multiple user licence, so I would like to go for the
full OEM version if this is going to be available.

Where can I buy Vista OEM from? UK and US vendors would be handy.
 
Nigel Molesworth said:
I've got several PCs that I want to install Vista on. I'm not sure if
I qualify for a multiple user licence, so I would like to go for the
full OEM version if this is going to be available.

Where can I buy Vista OEM from? UK and US vendors would be handy.
Click to expand...

Well most places that sell software will be selling it. Some vendors you
can preorder from now in time for January 30th.
You will of course need two copies for two computers. Perhaps if you look
around you might find a shop having an offer for two copies.
 
Technically, yes. But not in the EU countries! My XP OEM has been installed
several times on various 'upgraded' PCs
 
Brian said:
Technically, yes. But not in the EU countries! My XP OEM has been
installed several times on various 'upgraded' PCs
Click to expand...
Presumably you mean it only runs on one pc at any one period of time.
Otherwise you're pirating every other copy you install.
 
Sorry, I meant to say that it's activated every time over the internet. I've
only ever had it installed on one PC at a time. I'm no Captain Jack Sparrow
:-)
 
Brian W said:
Sorry, I meant to say that it's activated every time over the internet.
I've only ever had it installed on one PC at a time. I'm no Captain Jack
Sparrow :-)
Click to expand...

That has changed with Vista. For OEM copies, you are allowed no moves and
only one hardware change IIRC.

There was the similar constraint on retail copies but that was relaxed after
protests. You should be able to move retail copies 'several' times and you
should be able to change hardware 'several' times.
 
Nigel Molesworth said:
I've got several PCs that I want to install Vista on. I'm not sure if
I qualify for a multiple user licence, so I would like to go for the
full OEM version if this is going to be available.

Where can I buy Vista OEM from? UK and US vendors would be handy.
Click to expand...

A number of UK retailers are taking pre-orders including Aria.co.uk.

There has been word suggesting the MS will allow you to buy upto 2
additional licences of Home Premium for a smaller fee ($49-$99) if you first
purchase a retail copy of Vista Ultimate. This hasn't been confirmed yet, so
it may be worthwhile holding back.
 
CJM said:
That has changed with Vista. For OEM copies, you are allowed no moves and
only one hardware change IIRC.
Click to expand...

I seem to recall that XP OEM licences cannot be moved, yet mine has been
moved several times and still activates.
 
Like CJM said, things have changed with Vista. I heard that the critical
hardware characteristic with Vista OEM and activation is the hard drive.
 
Final details are still being worked on but I did some inquiries and this
program will indeed be a part of Anytime Upgrade. An announcement is
imminent, whatever that means. I take it to mean before Jan 30. I have not
seen where the two additional licenses would be anything but Ultimate. In
fact you might not even need two new product keys. All that may happen is
an increment to your activation limit on MS's activation servers. In that
case the two new instances would have to be for Ultimate.
 
So you're allowed to upgrade the capacity of your HDD once then if you do it
again you have buy Vista Retail?
 
CJM said:
That has changed with Vista. For OEM copies, you are allowed no moves and
only one hardware change IIRC.

There was the similar constraint on retail copies but that was relaxed after
protests. You should be able to move retail copies 'several' times and you
should be able to change hardware 'several' times.
Click to expand...

Do you have a link to the EULA?

--
Priceless quotes in m.p.w.vista.general group:
http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/kick.html

"Good poets borrow; great poets steal."
- T. S. Eliot
 
Only the system drive is a factor in the hardware hash. If you have to
replace it you need to reinstall everything and reactivate.
 
Which is not an issue. If one needs to call MS UK activation centre and tell
them the HD broke and has been replaced there's no reason why activation
would be refused.
 
Colin Barnhorst said:
Final details are still being worked on but I did some inquiries and this
program will indeed be a part of Anytime Upgrade. An announcement is
imminent, whatever that means. I take it to mean before Jan 30. I have
not seen where the two additional licenses would be anything but Ultimate.
In fact you might not even need two new product keys. All that may happen
is an increment to your activation limit on MS's activation servers. In
that case the two new instances would have to be for Ultimate.
Click to expand...

There's a thread later on that includes a link that confirms what I said:
'Family Pack Licence in the works'
 
Brian W said:
I seem to recall that XP OEM licences cannot be moved, yet mine has been
moved several times and still activates.
Click to expand...

One of the key changes is enforcement - it's very discretionary.

And the hardware changes that trigger reactivation are based on a points
system, and IIRC the mobo and HDD are the two big components that may
trigger activation on their own. In many cases, a telephone call will sort
it out, but not always. It is MS's assertion that if you change the HDD,
then the mobo, the the gfx card, then the RAM, etc..., then you no longer
have the original machine that the OEM licence is assigned to and thus
activation will be refused. It's a cynical and narrow-minded approach, but
word is that they are likely to enforce it more.
 
That has changed with Vista. For OEM copies, you are allowed no moves and
only one hardware change IIRC.
Click to expand...

Is there a definitive source for this? I upgrade parts of my PC every
year or so, so this would be a real bummer.
 
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