But how are you supposed to know? Microsoft allows any online retailer to sell OEM System Builder software with no indication of its terms and conditions.
A consumer is expected to read the license agreement printed in tiny type on the outside of the OEM System Builder software package and then translate its dense legalese into plain English PDF here :.
Last year, in a post titled OEM licensing confusion starts at Microsoft. A document containing this graphic was available just last year, in fact: [Update: Some people reading this article seem a bit confused.
The following language was not actually part of the Windows license agreement. Instead it was contained in official documents Microsoft distributed to help explain the license terms for its partners.
But that document is now gone. In fact, over the past two years, someone at Microsoft has deliberately and methodically scrubbed all traces of those documents from the web. Only a few traces of that language have survived, as in this blog post from the Microsoft Small Business Community blog.
They've been replaced with a single page at Microsoft's OEM Partner Center, which tries to stomp out the idea that end users can purchase and use this software. What is Microsoft doing to clarify these terms to resellers and end-users? In addition to announcing this clarification to the System Builder channel, Microsoft is working with online retailers to post language on their websites explaining the licensing rules for OEM System Builder channel software.
Whoever was in charge of that effort has some 'splainin' to do, because no such language is available on any of the online retail sites I checked.
I used Microsoft's own "decision engine" to shop for a single copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, bit edition. When I tried to search for a fully licensed copy of Windows 7 Ultimate using Bing, I couldn't find it anywhere. Following the links from those Bing results led to pages at ZipZoomfly. None of those pages contained any licensing information not even a link to the Microsoft OEM license and none of them showed the actual product package.
The listing page at Newegg. This software is intended for pre-installation on a new personal computer for resale That scenario was repeated on every site I visited. If you're confused by all this information or lack thereof , you might do what several would-be buyers did and visit Microsoft's Windows 7 forums, where you can get your questions answered by Microsoft support engineers and MVPs. These Microsoft Answers forums generally do a good job on technical questions.
That's because a usual OEM buyer will secure these in bulk separately. There may also be restrictions on the warranty. When compared to a retail warranty, the length offered might be reduced or non-existent. This is because it's expected that the system manufacturer will provide it. Since buying an OEM part makes you the manufacturer, you may find it impossible to receive direct support. Windows is the most common example of OEM software and is often snapped up by people building their own machines, but there are also OEM versions of security suites, system utilities, and productivity software.
When you buy this software, you are usually provided only with a sleeve that contains the software and a license key. Don't expect to receive any documentation. In fact, most OEM licensed software comes with no tech support. OEM software is usually licensed on a per-system basis, which means that you can't install it on another computer.
In theory, this means that an OEM version of Windows is tied to the specific computer build you install it on usually to the motherboard , but Microsoft is famously kind-hearted about this. Re-activating Windows just requires contacting Microsoft customer service. You might need to do this to remove the Windows 10 watermark. But Microsoft doesn't have to do that, and other companies might be more restrictive.
It's a risk you take with OEM products. It costs less, but you might have to re-purchase the software if you replace your PC or upgrade the motherboard. Buying OEM hardware or products is perfectly safe and legal, but you need to be aware of the risks. You can usually save a decent amount of money with OEM products, but you might find yourself entirely without support if you run into an issue.
That could be fine if you're technically minded; if you're not, the retail version might be the better choice. The amount of discount you can get will vary depending on the product and retailer. For example, OEM anti-virus software is usually 25 percent to 50 percent cheaper. Some utility software enjoys similar discounts. The main issue you'll run into is public availability. OEM parts are often packaged in plain brown boxes or wrappers with no branded text on them, whereas retail items are packaged for display and with the consumer in mind.
However, when online shopping began to boom, this changed. Bland packaging can bring in big savings. Foxconn is the largest OEM company in the world, by scale and revenue, manufacturing electronics and parts for companies such as Apple, Dell, Google, Nintendo, and more.
The most obvious example is Microsoft and its Windows operating system. Overwhelmingly the largest PC operating system on the market, OEM editions of Windows are purchased in bulk by companies that assemble desktops and laptops. These copies often come in just a sleeve, without any form of documentation. This is because these versions of Windows are designed for the sole purpose of companies such as Dell and HP installing them on the drives of PCs built for retail purchase.
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