Dead Cheap Windows 7 OEM/System Builder, Pricing Details Revealed
How would you like to buy Windows 7, all major editions, at prices half of those for the retail versions of the operating system? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal? Well, thats because it is, with the exception of a few small downsides.
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3.9.2009 Microsoft: The Windows OEM License Dies with Its Computer
Licenses for Windows come in various flavors from Retail to Volume, but perhaps the most common of all is provided by original equipment manufacturers together with operating systems preloaded on new computers.
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17.6.2008 Microsoft Didn't License GNU
Microsoft has revealed that its patent deal with Linspire doesn't cover the new version of the GNU General Public License (GPL), the company's latest effort to distance itself from the GPLv3.
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22.7.2007 New motherboard, new Microsoft Windows license?
Microsoft recently made a change to the licence agreement saying that a new motherboard is equal to a new computer, hence you need to purchase a new Windows licence.
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19.2.2006 Microsoft says: We're a hardware company, license us
NOT MANY people know this, but Microsoft is a hardware company, the firm said today, as it introduced a hardware licensing scheme.
Robbie Bach, head of the devices division at Microsoft said: "We've been a leading hardware innovator and supplier to the desktop peripherals industry for over 20 years."
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29.3.2006 Microsoft Responds To Vista License Concerns
Amid a rising tide of questions surrounding its end-user license for Windows Vista, Microsoft is attempting to quell concerns that a one-time-only transfer provision could put roadblocks in the way of enthusiasts who repeatedly upgrade their PCs.
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30.10.2006 Microsoft to License Office 'Look and Feel' for Free
With Office 2007 radically reorganizing the way users think and work with applications -- hopefully more for the better than for the worse.
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25.11.2006 Microsoft Is Touching Up Windows Vista's License
Microsoft announced that the Windows Vista end-user license agreement will be modified in order to include terms covering Windows Anytime Upgrade. The new Windows Vista EULA will be
made available tomorrow, and I will provide you with an update on the matter.
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18.3.2007 Microsoft Releases FastCGI for IIS Under Go Live License
FastCGI will ship in the upcoming Windows Server 2008 as a built-in IIS component for the first time.
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10.10.2007 Microsoft Would Lose Patent Rights Under New Linux License Terms
The final draft of GPLv3 states that companies that distribute open-source software cannot at the same time pursue patent claims against users of that software.
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3.6.2007 Cost of Vista Business License Offset by Savings, Says Microsoft
For a great many large businesses, "the move to the next Windows" has been an ongoing, daily affair for at least well over a decade. And up until recently, the reasons why this migration tends to proceed so slowly have been, to Microsoft, a complete mystery.
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15.6.2007 Microsoft can't afford to support OEM Vista?
Microsoft might have $7.6 billion in spare cash in the bank, but when it comes to supporting users who purchase Vista on a new machine, the software giant is all too ready to cry poor.
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15.5.2007 OEM licensing confusion starts at Microsoft.com
Last week, in the wrap-up for a post about WGA, I offered five suggestions Id like to see incorporated into Vista and especially into Windows 7.
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9.9.2008 Microsoft Windows Vista OEM Preinstallation Kit available
The Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) OEM Presinstallation Kit is now available. Microsoft's Worldwide System Builder team would like system builders to experience the updated OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) tools which will be used to preinstall Windows Vista.
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16.10.2006 Microsoft Confirms Windows Vista OEM BIOS Crack
Microsoft confirmed the fact that hackers have developed a valid Windows Vista crack designed to exploit the operating system's OEM BIOS activation.
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11.4.2007 Microsoft blacklists leaked Lenovo OEM Windows 7 Key
According to Neowin, Microsoft has responded to the latest Windows 7 cracking scheme by blacklisting the Lenovo OEM master key on computers that are not manufactured by Lenovo.
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31.7.2009 Microsoft issues warning to Volume License customers over Windows Genuine Advantage fail
Phil Liu of Microsoft has reported problems with the Windows Genuine Advantage authentication method for Volume License Key (VLK) customers and a temporary work-around.
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5.10.2006 Microsoft Office 2010 Volume License Product Key (VLK) Requires KMS or MAK for Activation
Volume licensing customers for Microsoft Office 2010 suites and applications who install volume editions of Office client software will require activation, even with a volume license key (VLK).
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26.8.2009 Microsoft to Kill the Grace Timer and OEM BIOS Windows Vista Cracks with Vista SP1
With the advent of Windows Vista, cracks also became available being designed to bypass the activation process of the operating system.
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4.12.2007 The Vista license "loophole" that isnt
Software licensing is often hard to understand. But thats no excuse for so-called Windows experts to deliberately publish sensational stories that turn the facts upside-down.
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5.4.2008 Windows 7 Volume License and Trial Availability
Last month we made Windows 7 available to customers with Software Assurance and to MSDN and TechNet Subscribers. Today I am happy to announce two more ways for businesses to get Windows 7 for their deployment and evaluation.
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3.9.2009 Midori - Next operating system from Microsoft
Windows 7 and Windows 7 Server are not the only operating systems under development at Microsoft.
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30.6.2008 Vista License and Product Key Terminology Part 1
First part of mini serial of articles about Vista Licensing from
Steve Jobs blog.
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4.6.2007 Vista License and Product Key Terminology Part 2
Second part of mini serial of articles about Vista Licensing from
Steve Jobs blog.
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7.6.2007 Vista License and Product Key Terminology Part 3
Next part of mini serial of articles about Vista Licensing from
Steve Jobs blog - Vista Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
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Vista License and Product Key Terminology Part 4
Next article about Vista Licensing from
Steve Jobs blog - this is about Microsoft Product Activation (MPA).
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16.6.2007 Microsoft Showcases Platform Advancements in the 2007 Microsoft Office System
Second annual Microsoft Office System Developers Conference highlights opportunity for custom solutions development utilizing innovations in the 2007 release.
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23.3.2006 What about Windows 7 OEM pricing?
Microsoft still has yet to go public with its Windows 7 price list. But that hasnt stopped customers and partners from publicly hoping for the best (cheaper than Vista) and fearing the worst (any kind of increase over the cost of Vista).
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16.6.2009 2007 Microsoft Office System Is Golden
2007 Office system released to manufacturers; the company looks ahead to worldwide business availability.
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6.11.2006 Microsoft Turns Off Office System Users
Next week's launch of Office 2007 and Windows Vista will introduce a perplexing new feature: Reduced-functionality mode.
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21.11.2006Microsoft Releases WGA Bypass Tool to OEMs
With the introduction of
Windows Genuine Advantage
(WGA), a computer must be
validated as genuine prior to
receiving security patches
from Windows Update. Windows
must first be activated for
the validation tool to run,
however most system builders
do not activate computers on
behalf of the end user. This
poses a problem for system
builders who want to sell
systems pre-patched with
updates but not enable
automatic updates.
The
System
Builder Bypass tool
(sbbypass.exe) will allow
system builders to download
and install critical updates
on new PCs without the
requirement to activate or
validate. Download the System
Builder Bypass tool. Need to
be member of OEM system
builder site.
The
System Builder Bypass tool is
to be used to assist system
builders with building a new
PC, and thus requires sysprep
to be running in factory mode.
An internet connection is
required to download critical
updates.
neowin.net -
18.10.2006Microsoft recruits Altech for OEM distribution in Australia
Microsoft has struck an OEM distribution agreement with Altech Computers for its Windows Vista, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Server products lines.
The OEM partnership is the vendor's first in nearly 10 years.
Microsoft SME and partner director, Pip Marlow, said the two
companies had partnered closely over recent years.
The new relationship would expand its scope and enable Microsoft to deliver
more support to the local system builder market, she said.
"Altech is the destination for small system builders - they do a
phenomenal job supporting that part of the channel," Marlow said. Altech now shares OEM distribution rights with Ingram Micro and Synnex.
winbeta.org -
12.11.2007Microsoft sends harsh reality check to OEMs
Last week, Microsoft sent
certified letters to its OEM
partners regarding Vista's
anti-piracy technology -- or,
more accurately, what happens
if they dare ship a system
with a "non-genuine" copy of
Vista.
The answer:
The system is crippled for 30
days, then hosed entirely
until you pony up for a
license. This is apparently
what Microsoft means when it
http://oem.microsoft.com/downl
oads/public/US/wgavista/genuin
e.pdf>warns of a "diminished
user experience."
This would be fine if
Microsoft were a reasonably
competent organization and
Windows Genuine Advantage
worked flawlessly. True
pirates deserve to be
punished. But Microsoft isn't
and WGA doesn't at least,
judging by the many letters I
got from Cringesters who
bought legit OEM copies of XP
from major manufacturers, only
to have WGA label them as
pirates. ..
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04.06.2007Windows Home Server wont launch on August 27
From the too-good-to-be-true
files: Windows Home Server
(WHS) is not going to launch
on August 27.
It sounds like the launch
of the product is still on
schedule for late
September-early October.
Long Zheng
of istartedsomething.com
discovered
WHS as
listed as generally
available as of August 27
(according to Microsofts
lifecycle support page last
week). But that date is not
what it seems, a Microsoft
spokeswoman said.
The only thing that
is available on Aug. 27 is
tech support for system
builders, she said.
Based on our RTM
(release to manufacturing)
announcement in July, the
software was released to OEMs
and is making its way out
through the distribution
channels. Were looking forward
to seeing system builder
products based on Windows Home
Server hit the market. But as
you know, Microsoft does not
release system builder or OEM
pricing. Well have more
information about the actual
system builder products when
we launch later this year,
the spokeswoman added.
Some
distributors outside the U.S.
already have
begun posting prices for
Windows Home Server,
starting at $150 per
system-builder copy,
according to Computerworld.
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19.08.2007Windows Home Server System Builder Software Price Decrease
Windows Home Server Team: On November 1, Microsoft will introduce a 30% price reduction of the Windows Home Server software for the System Builder
channel. After a successful year in the market, Microsoft is reducing the price of the System Builder version of Windows Home Server to provide
additional value to the system builder community and further promote the home server category. Momentum for Windows Home Server remains strong.
During the first year, Windows Home Server has been embraced by System Builders in over 50 countries. The list of hardware partners continues to grow
and third-party software developers have released or have announced more than 60 Add-in programs extending Windows Home Servers capabilities. Thanks
for all of the great support over the last year, and we look forward to working with you all in continuing to grow the home server marketplace!
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01.11.2008Windows 7 OEM prices unveiled, 50% off list price
ComputerWorld is reporting that online retailer Newegg.com has unveiled Windows 7 OEM pricing. Newegg.com has priced the OEM version of Windows 7
Home Premium at $99.99 which is a price reduction of 50% down from the recommended retail price of $199.99. Other savings are available for
Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate at $134.99 and $174.99, respectively. This is a saving of approximately 50% on each version from
the list price. OEM editions are priced lower as you typically do not get retail packaging, little official support and you're not able to
transfer the operating system license from one PC to another.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
29.09.2009Vista Won't End Windows XP Availability
I can't count how many times
people have asked me if
Windows XP would be available
on new PCs following Vista's
release.
In the
near term, the answer is as
much a factor of user demand
and OEM and system builder
policies. That said, Microsoft
will make Windows XP available
from 12 to 24 months after
Vista's general availability,
depending on the sales
channel.
According to Life-Cycle
Policy Website, Windows XP
Home, Professional, Tablet PC,
Media Center and 64-bit
editions would be available in
direct OEM and retail licenses
for 12 months following
Windows Vista's general
availability, which is
scheduled to be Jan. 30, 2007.
System builder licenses would
be available for another
12--or total 24--months from
Vista's general availability.
License
availability doesn't
necessarily mean operating
system availability. I presume
Microsoft will get Windows XP
off retail shelves as quickly
as possible after Vista ships.
OEMs are another matter. While
I generally like Windows
Vista, I agree with some users
of the "gold" code that say
the operating system feels
unfinished, like a work in
progress. Some customers
choosing to wait may ask OEMs
or system builders for Windows
XP.
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24.12.2006New Motherboard = New Windows
License
Microsoft recently made a
change to the licence
agreement saying that a
new motherboard is
equal to a new computer, hence
you need to purchase a new
Windows licence.
Here is what
Microsoft has to say:
"An upgrade of the
motherboard is considered to
result in a "new personal
computer" to which Microsoft?
OEM operating system software
cannot be transferred from
another computer. If
the motherboard is upgraded or
replaced for reasons other
than a defect, then a new
computer has been created and
the license of new operating
system software is
required ."
The reason Microsoft
gave for this term is that
"Microsoft needed to have one
base component "left
standing" that would still
define that original PC. Since
the motherboard contains the
CPU and is the "
heart and
soul" of the PC, when
the motherboard is replaced
(for reasons other than
defect) a new PC is
essentially created."
Microsoft sent a
memo to its OEM partners
asking them to enforce this
new policy, every time they
upgrade a computer for a
client.
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19.02.2006Microsoft block Windows 7 OEM key hack
Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Advantage team
have responded to this week's news that a Windows 7 Ultimate
licensing hack had been identified.
After a Lenovo OEM Windows 7 image leaked and was used to extract a license key, Microsoft have worked with the manufacturer to blacklist the rogue
key and replace it - on genuine Lenovo PCs bought with the new OS - with a working version.
winbeta.org -
31.07.2009Office Pro side by side comparison for OEM, Retail, and Volume License. Download yours today.
winbeta.org -
19.09.2007OEM Microsoft Office and OEM Microsoft Windows licensing
OEM Microsoft Office and OEM
Microsoft Windows licensing is
a topic that seems to again be
generating questions and there
are plenty of people out there
who are illegally taking
advantage of others to trying
to make a quick profit by
selling counterfeit or
unlicensed software.
Here are the facts
and answers to many of the
points of confusion around OEM
Microsoft Office and OEM
Microsoft Windows licensing so
you are informed and can
protect yourself from the
scammers out there...
winbeta.org -
02.08.2007Windows 7 Ultimate cracked and activated with OEM master key
Windows 7 has yet to even be released officially to the general public, and already the dodgy folk on the Internet have fully cracked and activated
the Ultimate version, with help from a leaked Lenovo OEM DVD .ISO file. The news comes from website My Digital Life who state that you can already
pass Windows Genuine Advantage validation offline, OEM style. The leaked .ISO was originally posted on a Chinese forum, which was then downloaded in
order for people to get hold of the boot.wim, and in turn retrieving the OEM-SLP key, plus the OEM activation certificate. Microsoft uses the same
digitally signed OEM certificate, which has an .xrm-ms extension, as that in Windows Vista.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
29.07.2009Office 2007 Referral Payment Pilot Irks Some Partners
Microsoft's plan to pilot
test an Office 2007 referral
payment program with a limited
number of large system
builders has some smaller
partners miffed. The Referral
Payment Pilot Program for
Office Ready, which begins
Jan. 30, is open to large
system builders that
pre-install the Microsoft
Office Ready image on PCs sold
to resellers. Once end users
activate the license on their
systems, the system builder
then receives a referral
payment, according to a
document viewed by CRN. As
part of the program, partners
are assigned a unique Referral
Tracking Code (RTC) during
enrollment that's injected
into their pre-installed
Microsoft Office Ready PC.
When a customer activates a
license, the partner will be
assigned a credit through that
system, the document said.
Enrollment began Jan. 2.
Microsoft executives
acknowledged that the pilot
initially will be available
only to some large system
builders, but they said that
if the program works, it may
be rolled out to the entire
channel within months. Those
selected to participate in the
pilot will likely see a higher
attach rate of Office sales,
which has always been a sore
spot for the channel,
according to industry
observers. "We have not heard
about Microsoft's offering of
referral dollars to system
builders for getting Office
2007 activations," said James
Huang, marketing director at
Amax Information Technology, a
Fremont, Calif.-based system
builder. "If it is true, it
will be another way for system
builders to earn more revenue
from Microsoft product
sales."
neowin.net -
25.01.2007Windows Home Server has been released to manufacturing (RTM)
Woo-hoo! We did it. Today we
are announcing that Windows
Home Server has been released
to manufacturing (RTM). We
have finalized the software
and now handing it off to our
OEM partners.
The
evaluation version (with 120
day evaluation period) and the
system builder version are
also heading into the
distribution channels and will
be available in the next
couple of months. French,
German and Spanish versions
will be finalized shortly, and
OEM products will hit retail
shelves this fall.
We're also excited to
announce Iomega and
Fujitsu-Siemens Computers
(FSC) as new OEMs planning to
ship Windows Home Server
products later this year.
winbeta.org -
16.07.2007Source: AMD Athlon Price Cut Coming
AMD Monday will slash prices
by as much as 30 percent on
its Athlon 64 X2 dual-core
microprocessor series,
according to a system builder
with a long-standing business
relationship with the chip
giant.
The system
builder, who preferred to
remain anonymous, said
manufacturer prices for the
top-of-the-line Athlon 64 X2
6000+ would drop from
$241-per-unit to about $170.
The price of an Athlon 64 X2
4000+ would be cut from about
$90 to $69, he said.
AMD would not comment on
price cuts for its Athlon
line.
"AMD does not
comment on rumors or
speculation," the company
said in a statement. ..
winbeta.org -
06.07.2007July 1: No more Office 2003 for OEMs
Its only been six months since
Microsoft launched Office 2007
at retail. But as of July 1,
2007, Microsoft wont be
making the OEM version of
Office 2003 to its PC
partners, aka "OEMs."
Eric Ligman, Senior
Manager of Small Business
Community Engagement with
Microsoft, reminded OEMs and
customers of the pending
cut-off date in a blog posting
dated June 18:
"After June 30, 2007 ,
OEM
Microsoft Office 2003 will no
longer be availble from
Microsoft. Some authorized
OEM Microsoft distributors may
have some remaining inventory
left for a short time after
June 30th; however, Microsoft
will no longer be shipping OEM
Microsoft Office to
them." ..
winbeta.org -
18.06.2007Is it OK to use OEM Windows on your own PC? Don't ask Microsoft
Ed Bott: If Microsoft expects its customers to take license agreements seriously, it has a responsibility to communicate the terms of those agreements
to its customers clearly and unambiguously. As I noted
earlier this month, Microsoft does a
generally poor job of explaining its complicated rules for how Windows licensing works. But I deliberately left one type of Windows license off that
list, because it deserves its own special place in the Corporate Communications Hall of Shame...
winbeta.org -
16.11.2009Windows Live Community Builder
Harvey Sanchez, Online Services Lead Microsoft: With Windows Live Community Builder, businesses or non for profit organisations or anyone looking at
creating a community service can now achieve deeper and more engaging connections with their community through customised, branded online
experiences.
Whether they want branded, familiar email services for their community or a members only area on their web site,
complete with calendaring, contacts, and mapping features; Windows Live Community Builder has what they, their administrators, and their technology
partners need. Its easy to get started and painless to maintain and it includes the peace of mind that comes from the technology, experience, and
market leadership theyd expect from Microsoft.
All you have to do is to go to
http://parther.live.com/communitybuilder and get started.
winbeta.org -
19.11.2007MS: It's Okay to Buy Vista OEM Software
Microsoft has given the go
ahead for users to buy the
low-cost OEM copies of Windows
Vista now appearing on sites
like Newegg.com; however, they
would be expected to adhere to
the licensing terms just like
any other computer
manufacturer...
betanews.com -
30.01.2007Microsoft blacklists leaked Windows 7 OEM key
Microsoft has responded to pirates by blacklisting the Lenovo OEM key that leaked earlier this week. On Tuesday Neowin reported that pirates were
able to modify their BIOS and activate copies of Windows 7 Ultimate with a Lenovo OEM master key. Microsoft have worked with Lenovo to blacklist the
master key before Windows 7 starts shipping with new PCs in October. According to Alex Kochis, Director of Genuine Windows at Microsoft: "we've
worked with that manufacturer so that customers who purchase genuine copies of Windows 7 from this manufacturer will experience no issues validating
their copy of Windows 7.
Read full
story.....
neowin.net -
31.07.2009
