Windows 7 OEM Version?

[-Ryan-]

I've been looking online this afternoon to buy a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium OEM for my iMac. Is this not going to be available in the same way as it's been available for previous iterations of Windows? I'd really like to save the money, as I'd only ever want to install it on my iMac rather than ever transferring the license.

 

[tobylane]

You can't buy OEM, it's the quarter-price edition given to manufactures to mess with like adding all sorts of junk, then installing the image onto a hidden partition so they can effortlessly and expensively fix problems, without a chance of keeping your data.

Basically. OEM versions are not for sale. Including 7 for notebooks.

 

[thunderclap]

I've been looking online this afternoon to buy a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium OEM for my iMac. Is this not going to be available in the same way as it's been available for previous iterations of Windows? I'd really like to save the money, as I'd only ever want to install it on my iMac rather than ever transferring the license.

You can't buy OEM, it's the quarter-price edition given to manufactures to mess with like adding all sorts of junk, then installing the image onto a hidden partition so they can effortlessly and expensively fix problems, without a chance of keeping your data.

Basically. OEM versions are not for sale. Including 7 for notebooks.

Not true, Tobylane. OEM's are legal to buy if you plan on bundling it with a newly assembled computer. A lot of places sell them, but you have to be aware the Microsoft will not offer tech support for these products as they are intended to be sold by computer manufacturers. Basically, if you buy it you have to troubleshoot it yourself.

A lot of places online sell OEM's. My personal favorite place is NewEgg. They don't have Windows 7 OEM listed yet, though I'd suspect it will cost around $100 like Vista and XP.

 

[-Ryan-]

You can't buy OEM, it's the quarter-price edition given to manufactures to mess with like adding all sorts of junk, then installing the image onto a hidden partition so they can effortlessly and expensively fix problems, without a chance of keeping your data.

Basically. OEM versions are not for sale. Including 7 for notebooks.

This is wrong. Individuals can legally buy an OEM, but you have to provide your own technical support. Hence it's cheaper.

Thanks thunderclap. So you do think it will be released eventually?

 

[thunderclap]

Thanks thunderclap. So you do think it will be released eventually?

I do. Microsoft has always released an OEM so I don't see why Windows 7 would be any different.

If you can't wait I'd suggest buying Windows Vista Home Edition from NewEgg for $110. This version comes with a free upgrade to Windows 7. (And Vista SP2 is actually a pretty stable OS now, one you can put up with for a few months.)

 

[Jayratch]

bump- Will it work with VMWare?

I am looking to get a copy of Windows to run for work stuff. This is on my dime, since the company is willing to issue me a Dell to haul on trips instead of my Mac- I'm opting to put the "work machine" inside my Mac because I prefer my own hardware, and if I got the Dell I'd probably end up still bringing both.

The OEM of Win7 Home Premium is 99.99 at newegg, and the Pro is $134.99. The non-OEMs are about double that. However, I know that with VMWare Fusion, you basically install Windows through Boot Camp, then have to re-activate it through Fusion. I need this to work smoothly. Will the OEM version give me an issue with this? Would I have to be boot-camp only? Or worse yet, will it want to reformat my entire drive?

I guess if any of these possible downsides are the truth, then I'll be buying a copy of XP instead, hopefully get a better deal on it once 7 launches. The software I need to run is Windows-only, so I really do need to find a way to make it work, but as it's one program that I need only occasionally, it's certainly not worth a whole lot of expense.

 

[farmermac]

I am looking to get a copy of Windows to run for work stuff. This is on my dime, since the company is willing to issue me a Dell to haul on trips instead of my Mac- I'm opting to put the "work machine" inside my Mac because I prefer my own hardware, and if I got the Dell I'd probably end up still bringing both.

The OEM of Win7 Home Premium is 99.99 at newegg, and the Pro is $134.99. The non-OEMs are about double that. However, I know that with VMWare Fusion, you basically install Windows through Boot Camp, then have to re-activate it through Fusion. I need this to work smoothly. Will the OEM version give me an issue with this? Would I have to be boot-camp only? Or worse yet, will it want to reformat my entire drive?

I guess if any of these possible downsides are the truth, then I'll be buying a copy of XP instead, hopefully get a better deal on it once 7 launches. The software I need to run is Windows-only, so I really do need to find a way to make it work, but as it's one program that I need only occasionally, it's certainly not worth a whole lot of expense.

Take the free Dell from work. Download image on internet of whatever OS version is included with the Dell. Install using Dell supplied key on your mac with vmware or parallels. This is fully legit AFAIK so long as you dont use the Dell.

 

[The Flashing Fi]

Take the free Dell from work. Download image on internet of whatever OS version is included with the Dell. Install using Dell supplied key on your mac with vmware or parallels. This is fully legit AFAIK so long as you dont use the Dell.

No, it's not. Dell's use OEM keys. They are locked to that machine. Besides, he doesn't even own the machine, and if I was his boss, and I found out about it, I would consider him stealing from the company, and I would take the cost of the Windows key out of his paycheck, and possibly fire him.

 

[mags631]

Take the free Dell from work. Download image on internet of whatever OS version is included with the Dell. Install using Dell supplied key on your mac with vmware or parallels. This is fully legit AFAIK so long as you dont use the Dell.

If you are looking for legitimate use (under the license agreement), then this is not an option. The OS on the Dell will be an OEM copy of Windows and it will be tied to the Dell, specifically to the system board of the machine that the copy was first activated on (that's the big limitation with OEM copies of Windows).

In fact, Microsoft will probably see that you are reactivating the copy on another "machine" (albeit a virtual one) and may require you to call them. It will be a crap shoot if they will give you an activation code for the OS running on the VM.

 

[old-wiz]

No, it's not. Dell's use OEM keys. They are locked to that machine. Besides, he doesn't even own the machine, and if I was his boss, and I found out about it, I would consider him stealing from the company, and I would take the cost of the Windows key out of his paycheck, and possibly fire him.

You're right. It's a good deal cheaper and more ethical to either use the Dell machine or buy your own copy of Windows. If you boss were to find out, you could be out of a job, and that's not a good thing in the middle of a deep recession. Which would you prefer? Be out $100-200 or out of a job?

 

[diamond.g]

If you are looking for legitimate use (under the license agreement), then this is not an option. The OS on the Dell will be an OEM copy of Windows and it will be tied to the Dell, specifically to the system board of the machine that the copy was first activated on (that's the big limitation with OEM copies of Windows).

In fact, Microsoft will probably see that you are reactivating the copy on another "machine" (albeit a virtual one) and may require you to call them. It will be a crap shoot if they will give you an activation code for the OS running on the VM.

Supposedly the EULA states that you are allowed to run the OS virtualized on the licensed hardware. Although I am having a hard time finding the actual EULA as it isn't live on the MS site yet.

 

[richard.mac]

this is kind of related to the thread title. is the Windows 7 RTM build the same as the retail build? besides maybe some security fixes which can be downloaded in Windows update.

 

[The Flashing Fi]

this is kind of related to the thread title. is the Windows 7 RTM build the same as the retail build? besides maybe some security fixes which can be downloaded in Windows update.

Yes.

 

[richard.mac]

word.