Vista - System Builders or retail version?

[ChePibe]

I am the proud new owner of a wonderful new MacBook Pro (which I love so dearly it hurts).

I will need to install Vista on my Mac shortly, and want to know if the much cheaper System Builders version will work as in install or if I must purchase the more expensive retail version.

If it makes any difference I will be purchasing Vista Business in order to be able to run it in a virtual environment at a later date if necessary.

Thanks in advance!

 

[janey]

great, I forget what kind of restriction system builder had. although if you're planning to use it later on another computer, don't go in that direction.

newegg.com has pricing.

 

[ChePibe]

I have no plans of using it on a different computer - just the MacBook Pro. If I have to upgrade, I'll just sell Vista along with the laptop and pick up another copy.

 

[mikes63737]

I think the only limitation is that you cannot transfer the license to any other computer (the retail one lets you if you call Microsoft).

XP won't work for your needs? XP is much better overall.

 

[korndog2003]

If you only going to us it on the mac than get the oem system builder, if you are planning on gettin a new computer get retail.

Oem lets you install on only one pc permanantly, retail let you install on as many computers as you want but it can only be one at a time.

You usually can call microsoft so you can intall oem on a differnet pc.

The OEM version is the best bet for you and its half the price. Just when you get it unplug your internet, intall and do the phone activation, then it isn't locked down to the macbook.

 

[janey]

If you only going to us it on the mac than get the oem system builder, if you are planning on gettin a new computer get retail...

it's actually not OEM but system builder, slightly different things.

 

[ChePibe]

Ok, so if I understand correctly, I can install the System Builders version, activate by phone, and then be able to use it on a different computer if I had to? Is that correct? That seems like a pretty wide (and pretty obvious) loophole not to cover up, even for Microsoft.

 

[janey]

Ok, so if I understand correctly, I can install the System Builders version, activate by phone, and then be able to use it on a different computer if I had to? Is that correct? That seems like a pretty wide (and pretty obvious) loophole not to cover up, even for Microsoft.

no, it's the opposite. system builder is tied to one computer and only one computer. any major upgrade to the computer "changes" it, so you can no longer use it anymore, even if you went to Microsoft to try to reactivate it. It's the tradeoff for getting cheaper pricing.

 

[ChePibe]

The only planned upgrade I have is bumping the RAM up to 4 GB in a few months - is that a big enough change to activate something like that?

 

[CaptainCanuck]

If you have the time, you could always try to win a copy athttp://club.live.com, a live search game/contest hosted by Microsoft where you can win prizes, including a full-version of Windows Vista Ultimate.

It took me about nine days to rack up the 6000 points to order it.

A word of warning, though, I'm still waiting for my copy to be sent. They've been backed up for the last couple weeks since more and more people have gotten into it. However, MS does pick up the tab on shipping as well, so its literally a free copy of Vista Ultimate.

I guess its getting to the point where MS has to give Vista away.

 

[ReanimationLP]

If you have the time, you could always try to win a copy athttp://club.live.com, a live search game/contest hosted by Microsoft where you can win prizes, including a full-version of Windows Vista Ultimate.

It took me about nine days to rack up the 6000 points to order it.

A word of warning, though, I'm still waiting for my copy to be sent. They've been backed up for the last couple weeks since more and more people have gotten into it. However, MS does pick up the tab on shipping as well, so its literally a free copy of Vista Ultimate.

I guess its getting to the point where MS has to give Vista away.

Dude, thanks for the link! Screw Vista, I'm after the 360.

 

[CaptainCanuck]

No problem.

Just to let you know, there hasn't been enough tickets for the XBox released yet (I think there's only about a maximum of 31,000 so far), and even then only part of those are currently available.

However, you might want to consider racking up enough points to buy a couple copies of Vista and eBaying them to buy the XBox. You can order a maximum of 5 copies, so it's more than achievable if you're willing to put in the time.

But like I said, the company running things for MS has been severely backlogged for about two weeks now. It could only get worse once there's enough tickets available for the XBox.

 

[Zer0]

You wont need to reactivate it for ram upgrade. Also you dont get MS support on system builder edition.