Operating System

[MDSilverado]

I am considering my first home built. I use my PC mostly for business applications. I like an especially fast PC becasue I hate waiting for anything and move very quickly when working between Acrobat, Word, Outlook, Excel and Autocad. So not very taxing aplications, but as I say I need the machine to launch and move between applications very quickly. So, to my question, as I look at the cost to build it seems the operating system is a major portion of the cost. Where is the best place to purcahse and operating system at a reasonable cost. I currently use Vista and want to upgrade to Seven in October. When I see posters list their builds I dont see any consideration of the operating system cost? Buying an operating system retail is a huge portion of the build price from my perspective and a determiing factor in wether I build or not?

Please let me know your thoughts???

 

[cgleckman]

I am considering my first home built. I use my PC mostly for business applications. I like an especially fast PC becasue I hate waiting for anything and move very quickly when working between Acrobat, Word, Outlook, Excel and Autocad. So not very taxing aplications, but as I say I need the machine to launch and move between applications very quickly. So, to my question, as I look at the cost to build it seems the operating system is a major portion of the cost. Where is the best place to purcahse and operating system at a reasonable cost. I currently use Vista and want to upgrade to Seven in October. When I see posters list their builds I dont see any consideration ofthe operating system cost? Buying an operating system retail is a huge portion of the build price from my perspective and a determiing factor in wether I build or not?

Please let me know your thoughts???

If you are buying soon, your in luck, you can get Windows Vista Premium for around 100 bucks and it includes a FREE upgrade to windows 7 when it comes out.

Here is a link: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders w/ Tech Guarantee - OEM ll

 

[Outlander_04]

many builders will have retail versions of windows they re-use

others its best not to ask where they got theres from

and oem vista 64 with the "free" upgrade is $110 which isnt too bad . The oem limitation should restrict it to a the pc for life but compared to retail cost for the same item I think its good value
The retail and oem are the exact same thing with only the license being different btw

 

[cgleckman]

many builders will have retail versions of windows they re-use

others its best not to ask where they got theres from

and oem vista 64 with the "free" upgrade is $110 which isnt too bad . The oem limitation should restrict it to a the pc for life but compared to retail cost for the same item I think its good value
The retail and oem are the exact same thing with only the license being different btw

Just so you understand, that means you cant change the MOTHERBOARD, and even if you do, if you call microsoft a lot of times they will allow you to reuse the disk. So really your saving money and not really losing anything in the process.

 

[MDSilverado]

Just so you understand, that means you cant change the MOTHERBOARD, and even if you do, if you call microsoft a lot of times they will allow you to reuse the disk. So really your saving money and not really losing anything in the process.

I other wrods if I call MS and say my motherboard got fried...they should/could let me move the OS?

 

[cgleckman]

I other wrods if I call MS and say my motherboard got fried...they should/could let me move the OS?

In theory yes. However I have been told if its been longer then 3 years they wont do it for some reason but I can't verify that. What I do know is my friend bought a new comp 6 months ago or so .. his mobo died and he got it replaced last week and he called and they let him reinstall or gave him a new key or something (not quite sure how that worked). I do know you need the original receipt of purchase and it cant hurt to keep any paperwork that comes with the OEM version... such as the part that has the cd key on it.

 

[Outlander_04]

MS have been letting me shift my oem XP around for the last 5 years

Its been on 3 mb's and had 3 hard drive swaps , all of which are theoretically excluded by the license

BUT

It probably pays to think of transferring vista or 7 as a privilege and not a right .
I think MS are concerned about piracy , and not so much about a single pc home user who they cut a lot of slack

 

[notzaar]

many builders will have retail versions of windows they re-use

others its best not to ask where they got theres from

and oem vista 64 with the "free" upgrade is $110 which isnt too bad . The oem limitation should restrict it to a the pc for life but compared to retail cost for the same item I think its good value
The retail and oem are the exact same thing with only the license being different btw

Doesn't OEM also mean you are not entitled to tech support through MS? Not a big deal for some system builders but worth noting.

 

[Outlander_04]

Doesn't OEM also mean you are not entitled to tech support through MS? Not a big deal for some system builders but worth noting.

I cant think of any technical support MS could give you that you couldnt get by searching on google

..... but I guess you are right . Some people might prefer to have someone talk them through an issue on the phone
[ assuming they have phone support , that is ]