Vista Ultimate OEM

Vista Ultimate 64bit Edition OEM for only £114.99! Pity its from the evil shop though.... However I maybe tempted to get Home Premium from there for £66.99

[www.overclockers.co.uk]


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2007 03:22PM by Ianwoollam.

I'm still getting the retail version (probably Upgrade at that). Makes much more sense if you frequently change hardware.

For those that don't know - the OEM is for system manufactures (and yes, you do count as one if you build your own), however it's so cheap as it's tied to the first PC it's installed on - more specifically the motherboard. If you wish to upgrade (even just the motherboard) you need a new license. Of course the usual activation rules also apply - 3 major changes in hardware and you need to reactivate, which I believe it allows you to do 10 times before having to call Mr. Gates.

Should do for me then, through me having Windows XP I've only changed my Motherboard once, so it would be cheaper to just get another OEM copy when I upgrade...

But how would OEM work with things like RAM, Video Cards, Hard Drives etc? As really they are the only parts I may upgrade alot, espeically the GFX card... CPU and Mobo usually stay the same


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2007 04:28PM by Ianwoollam.

You can change them as much as you like. You will need to call MS up once so many things have been triggered (Retail is the same in this context) and you've used up all the activations, but as long as you don't change the motherboard (RMAs not included) then you're fine and they'll let you activate anyway.

Doesn't the hardware you active it with expire after so long like it did with XP? After so many months the online activation would work again on any PC regardless of hardware.

Yep all hardware votes as they call it are reset after 120 days apparantly Seems like OEM's the way to go, after 3 motherboard changes it comes up to the retail price... no way I'll buy 3 new motherboards


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam

I've bought 4 in 3 years now (maybe 5 in 4), so Retail is definitely the way to go for me.

BTW, I think it's the OEM OcUK are getting in first, around the 15th, and they've said they'll dispatch that day... apparently they have permission, but it wouldn't be the first time they'd done it. Still... they're not gonna take on the might of Microsoft. They're a bit dim and lazy, but they're not completely off it.

They're a bit dim and lazy, but they're not completely off it.

Debatable

Anyway may just get that then! Then wait for the R600 and the AMD Quad Cores to come out


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2007 12:14AM by Ianwoollam.

Odd, I've never had a problem phoning microsoft with my OEM version and just say I had to format (which is sometimes true with a motherboard change). They've always been quite happy to give me the activation code

I got bitten by XP64 bit Professional ( never again) whats the support like for Vista in regard to 3rd party peripherals?




LS's Tip of the week
ESSENTIAL OILS aren't essential unless you're an engine, a gearbox or a twat

_tux_ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Odd, I've never had a problem phoning microsoft
> with my OEM version and just say I had to format
> (which is sometimes true with a motherboard
> change). They've always been quite happy to give
> me the activation code

You're still breaking the law though

Apparently no one did have an issue with MS reactivating OEM licenses, though if they did ask, all you had to say was the word RMA, and that was it - activated.

From what I've heard, they're not going to be as kind with Vista - whether that's just uninformed people shouting 'boo' or what, I've no idea - we'll just have to wait and see.

LS. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I got bitten by XP64 bit Professional ( never
> again) whats the support like for Vista in regard
> to 3rd party peripherals?

In my opinion XP 64 was a bit of a disaster. The good thing with Vista is they exist side by side (if you see what I mean) so driver support is much better. Chances are 32 bit drivers will be released first, but all the major manufactures I've seen have 64 bit drivers available. To be honest I can't imagine many 32 bit versions of Vista will be sold.

One of the requirements for driver WHQL certification is that manufacturers release both 32-bit and 64-bit drivers in a single package for testing. Failure to do so will mean no WHQL certification (which is a pretty big thing for any major manufacturer).

XP x64 wasn't too bad - it was initially, but after a couple of months all the major components had good drivers - it was things such as printers, scanners and very poorly programmed software that had so many problems, and Vista (both 32bit and 64bit) will be no different.

HP, Canon and Epson suck for new OS support. Canon have already said they have no plans to release drivers for many products for Vista. That's annoying, especially when you consider that the majority of profit for companies such as Canon come from consumables, not the actual peripheral they are selling.

Within a year, Vista x64 will be where things are. That's only of concern to those who are intending to buy OEM, as the OEM versions only have either 32-bit or 64-bit, whereas retail has both.

The next version of Windows is rumoured to have no 32-bit support at all.

gav Wrote:
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> The next version of Windows is rumoured to have no
> 32-bit support at all.

It's the way to go, and by the time that comes around any 32 bit processors will probably not be powerful enough to run the OS anyway. I know Microsoft isn't offering any 32 bit support for their next Windows Server release.

gav Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> XP x64 wasn't too bad - it was initially, but
> after a couple of months all the major components
> had good drivers - it was things such as printers,
> scanners and very poorly programmed software that
> had so many problems, and Vista (both 32bit and
> 64bit) will be no different.
>



Yeah this was no more in evidence when i took the plunge to have my system wiped after a year of XP64 Bit incompatibilty.

I bought a logitech webcam 5000 ( an awesome bit of kit webcam wise)






spent countless times emailing them about xp64 bit support only to be ignored, went on forums posing the question about 64bit support only to be told it cost thousands to write a driver etc

Gave up and went back to XP32 ( after spending £50 on a webcam with no support )

Cost nothing to switch back as i had the original 32bit CD from a previous system.

Got the webcam running a treat, went round to mates that also had 64bit XP and told him what i'd done.

Thought it'd be better to download him the latest 32bit driver for the webcam before i wiped his system, went to the download section of the logitech downloads site in Novemember 2006 and guess what greeted me?

A 64 bit XP driver and a vista driver

grrrrrrrrr




LS's Tip of the week
ESSENTIAL OILS aren't essential unless you're an engine, a gearbox or a twat



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2007 02:42AM by LS..

Yeah its an annoying situation I mean at least when XP was released you were sometimes able to botch in Windows 2000 drivers, but with 64bit, no solution but to just rewrite the whole driver

I've got a feeling though that seen as 64bit is becoming more mainstream (Don't see any new 32bit processors on sale nowadays :/) there will be alot more drivers on the go, as you say with the Logitech Webcam... even better if what Neil says is true!

Going off topic a bit here but there is something I wanted to ask, whats the likeliness of the Quad Core processors changing socket again for both Intel and AMD in say the next year? even though these new motherboards have only just come out!


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam

Ianwoollam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Going off topic a bit here but there is something
> I wanted to ask, whats the likeliness of the Quad
> Core processors changing socket again for both
> Intel and AMD in say the next year? even though
> these new motherboards have only just come out!

I think the Intel Quad Cores use the same socket, but you might need a bios update, I'm not sure. No idea what AMD are planning though. Isn't there quad core a double socket dual core?

intel quad core will work the in the current LGA775 motherboards but you will normally need a bios upgrade as glyn said.

heres a link to the AMD stuff: [en.wikipedia.org]

"AMD has confirmed that AM3 processors will work in AM2 motherboards; however, AM2 processors will not be compatible with AM3 motherboards. This is because AM2 chips lack the proper memory controller for DDR3 memory"

BIOS upgrades aren't an issue for either Intel P965 or nV 6x0i boards, as they've been designed from the ground upwards for multi-core. If they do need an update, it's because the manufacturer buggered things up. Intel P975 and other older chipsets will likely need updates. :D

Of course, the problem with BIOS updating is that sometimes you need an older, compatible chip to actually flash the BIOS - the older P975 chipsets suffered from this, as they weren't designed for Core 2, just for the old dual-core P4s.

AMD is a little trickier than Intel. They have the normal quad-core CPU on the maps (for AM3), but at the moment it's heading towards socket F, which is a board with 2 CPU sockets and 2 heatsinks. It has some advantages over the current Intel solution (2 chips, each with 2 cores under 1 heatspreader) - namely the way it uses the hyper-transport bus for access to RAM, but of course more disadvantages (heat, power, bulk).

One complication is that of the home Vista versions (Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate), I think it's only the Ultimate license which allows 2 individual CPU sockets.

There were rumours of a new Intel socket in 2007, but I've seen nothing to suggest we're moving from socket 775 anytime soon. It will happen though.

Gav, I thought socket F was only for the Opterons so is aimed at the server market?