Hello, I have just bought a copy of Windows XP Home OEM from Amazon in France, for a computer I want to build for myself. However, the wording on the licence worries me. I'm afraid I might not be able to install it once my build is completed. The box says (my translation): "If the licence applies to a desktop operating system [which is the case] it also has to be pre-installed on the system's disk drive with the pre-installation OEM kit (OPK)". I've been to Microsofts' webpage, and it seems that OPK is a kit for builders-resellers who want to install trial versions of Office on their clients' PC's, on top of Windows. The label with the Product-ID mentions that my version is an "XP OEM". Amazon's bill says the same. However, another label on the box says "OEI" instead of "OEM". I'm not a reseller, and I'm building this PC for myself. Will I be able to install and use my copy of Windows? I hope I'm not supposed to buy this pre-installation kit in order to make Windows work -- which I would probably be unable to do, since I understand you need a reseller's contract with Microsoft to do that. I'm in France, but I understand Microsoft's licensing rules are the same in the UK and here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
OEM is original equipment manufacturer and considering you are manufacturing the pc you can use an OEM copy of windows, I think. I have installed numerous OEM copy of both XP and Vista onto different machines and you should be able to just install it just like you would install any retail copy of an operating system without any thing special, all you should need is the PC and the copy of windows and its licence key.
really, just think of it as exactly the same as the retail version but without the fancy packaging. that's all it really is. You won't have a problem (look deeper and yes there are differences in licenses but it doesn't affect the vast majority of us)
Many thanks to you, Wongy and Sotu. This is my first build ever, and I was a bit nervous about having made a wrong move. If anyone else sees something fishy in my description however, please feel free to tell me. I don't want to be forced into Vista, and I'd have about five days left to buy another copy of XP (assuming I would choose to shell out 72 € a second time for exactly the same product, which, frankly...).
no problem mate, you asked nicely! vista is ok if you go that way, but as an owner of it....it's just not worth it imho.
Vista sure is worth it if you've got a computer capable of it. And by "worth it" do you mean it's too expensive? Like a too low value? Vista Home Premium is actually cheaper than XP Professional... Of course there's no way you should go Vista if you haven't got a good computer. 2GB of memory is the bare minimum and 4GB is needed for it to run smoothly.
is vista cheaper now? i didn't realise that. what i meant by not worth it was in terms of upgrading to vista from xp or buying a prebuilt system and choosing vista or an xp downgrade. if you're building from scratch then i guess monetary wise vista is cheaper. i suppose in this situation it's like comparing hardware. from what i gather games run slower in vista than they do in xp and if you want better performance then go for xp, even if that does cost a bit more. you'd pay more for better hardware and you'd do the same for software. it's just odd that the better performing software is xp...have i made myself clear or made a mess?
Well XP is designed for the hardware of 2001 and Vista is for the hardware of 2007. Vista just takes advantage of what's in there. Imagine year 2001, computers had usually 128MB of memory. Try running XP on that and see which is slower, XP or NT4 (which was released in 1996 and is designed for the HW of that year). You get what I mean? Vista is heavier because it has more/better features and nowadays PCs are capable of them.
OEM version means you can only install it on ONE computer if that pc fries you arent allowed to install it on another when you install windows and authenticate it microsoft takes system info of your pc and assigns it to that product code if you try to authenticate it on another pc you won't be able to, if its a very diff spec machine, you'll have to call up microsoft and bulls*@t then about say changing your motherboard and they will reset the licence Don't try to udnerstand licence agreements, you need a fecking degree. Another way DRM screws the consumer. Well done for not getting vista. anyone got a Winxp PRO key they want to sell?
yeh, get what you mean. unfortunately alot of casual users don't see more/better features, just a new gui! so i stick with my argument that it's not worth it.
So Joe Public being allowed to buy a single copy of the OEM version (that will suit the majority of people, who keep a motherboard two years or more) at almost half-price is "screwing the consumer"? You expect all the privileges of the retail box at no extra cost? What planet are you from?
