Microsoft Vista

[Airbozo]

Yes, OEM is the same physical disk with a different label (as far as I can tell). The license is just different. You might want to check, but according to my company's agreement, a hard disk alone does not fulfill the OEM license agreement. A mobo would or a processor might (still not sure and MS will not give us a definitive answer), or a lan card may as well. M$ is just vague enough on the agreement so those items are in doubt, but not specifically called out. The OEM agreement _used_ to indicate that the software could only be provided with a minimum of parts (mobo, case, memory and cpu). The license has changed over the years and it makes my head hurt to try and figure it out (the way M$ likes it), so this may have changed drastically.

[SgtM]

I've used (beta tested) Vista Ultimate. Basically, if you like XP&MCE, go with Vista Ultimate, it has all the bells and whistles.

[Silenced_Coyote]

I've used (beta tested) Vista Ultimate. Basically, if you like XP&MCE, go with Vista Ultimate, it has all the bells and whistles.

Isn't Vista Premium like XP & MCE too? I think Ultimate just adds the business features to what Premium has.

[onelegout]

All of the "Extra features" that vista "ultimate" has over home premium are a joke. There are only FOUR extra features according to microsoft, three of which (drive encryption, remote desktop, drive backup) can be replaced with readily avaliable third-party freeware applications which you can download in minutes for free!

The fourth extra (HD capability in movie maker) was free for XP's movie maker a month or so ago - I downloaded the software from microsoft's site which enabled me to create HDWMV files, but when I went to their site to find it to show you guys, it's been removed!

The other, extra-extra (And I'm not kidding here) is 'Texas hold-em'.....


So, what do you get for that extra £130 ($260USD) that you can't get in vista home premium?

Well..... errr...
I'll get back to you on that one.....
There must be SOMETHING.....



You get....
to use the word 'ultimate' when describing your computer.
That's all I can come up with.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SOMEBODY PLEASE PROVE ME WRONG!

On a side note, I ordered that 3-pack of vista home premium OEM and an 80gb WD Raptor at 10:20pm from dabs.com and received notification that it had been shipped with a tracking number, less than ten minutes after I placed the order!

It's 2:38 in the AM and I think I'm loosing conciousness.

[The boy 4rm oz]

I can pick up Vista ultimate OEM for $299.00 AUS.

[tybrenis]

I can get it mucho cheapo, cheaper than newegg. However, by the time I sell it to you guys, with paypal fees and stuff, newegg beats me by a hair.

[onelegout]

I'm just downloading a free, legal copy of vista business edition from my old college's software library. Their pathetic admin and bad organisation meant that they forgot to take me off the system, so even though I left I still have access to all their software, free, and legal, through MSDN Academic Alliance
I may even sell it to my friend for a little cheaper than it costs in the shops.....
100% profit FTW!
H

[Airbozo]

I'm just downloading a free, legal copy of vista business edition from my old college's software library. Their pathetic admin and bad organisation meant that they forgot to take me off the system, so even though I left I still have access to all their software, free, and legal, through MSDN Academic Alliance
I may even sell it to my friend for a little cheaper than it costs in the shops.....
100% profit FTW!
H

Since you are no longer a part of the university, downloading or even accessing their network _IS_ illegal, even though they "forgot" to remove your account. Also selling a copy of this software is illegal. Even giving a copy away is illegal. Careful there...

[onelegout]

Since you are no longer a part of the university, downloading or even accessing their network _IS_ illegal, even though they "forgot" to remove your account. Also selling a copy of this software is illegal. Even giving a copy away is illegal. Careful there...

Will be very careful. Technicaly I am still enrolled there, I just dropped off the 2 year course.
The software library is infact, a form of MSDN called MSDN Academic Alliance, and the user agreement that I signed with them gave me a contract for 2 years, so downloading it is legal, as is using it. I cannot however sell it, therefore I will be using the business edition that I downloaded from the college on my laptop, and selling the copy of home premium that would have been on the laptop instead - that way I'm keeping it all legal and earning a fair amount of money!
It will also benefit the buyer as he will get a brand new, cheap copy of home premium.

100% legal 100% profit ftw!
H

[public_eyesore]

for oem stuff, the local store makes you buy like ..... a fan. I think it is just some technicality thing. Anyways, I thought oem was the same as retail, but you don't get free support.