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What would be the difference between an OEM version of windows 7 and retail other than price?
I want to upgrade my computer to Windows 7 and get rid of vista, but I really don't want to pay $200+ for the software. The OEM looks like it should work fine for me. Any reason I should not use it?
2010-03-05 19:24:00
Plain and simple OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer and software labeled OEM can only be sold WITH hardware and it can not be transferred to another machine. I have seen some stores get around this by selling OEM software with a memory stick, hard drive or case.OEM does not offer support from the software creator but from the reseller a for instance would be DELL or HP. Let me know if you need further clarification.
2010-03-05 03:50:00
Cala, double check if it's an upgradeable version. Most OEMs cannot be used to upgrade from an older version, only as a full install. If you don't mind starting clean, then it's not an issue.
2010-03-04 22:27:00
I believe that the OEM version can only be used once and has no tech support from MS. The retail version can be installed on multiple computers (one at a time). This means you can install, then uninstall, then install again on another computer. Plus you can call or email MS for tech support if needed. Also you get a fancy box with the retail version ;).But yeah whatever you do make sure you get the 64 bit version if that's the one you want.
2010-03-05 19:25:00
You can reuse the OEM operating system but only legally on the same machine. The software is bound to the equipment you bought it with.
2010-03-04 15:47:00
The OEM versions do not come with all instructional documentation, coupons or whatever else they may cram into the fancy box. I don't think there's really any difference, you may want to research whether to get the 64bit or 32bit version though.