2006-07-28 06:45:45 · 5 answers · asked by Kyote 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
OEM is only to be sold with the purchase of hardware (usually a computer system) OEM means original equipment manfacturer. OEM comes with abosolutely no free support from Microsoft. If any free support is available, it is through the manufacturer of the equipment that you purchased. Otherwise, you must pay Microsoft for support. A retail box has support from Microsoft included with it, and can be bought separately of any hardware. If someone is offereing you an OEM copy to buy by itself, it is illegal distribution of that software.
2006-07-28 06:49:33 · answer #1 · answered by Blunt Honesty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OEM is simply a cd with a serial number. It will work fine. The only catch is stores are only allowed to sell it if the customer buys it with hardware since it's meant for computer retailers. The retail box is the consumer version that people who aren't building a computer can buy. With it you get manuals. Additionally, the OEM version might have less customer support options such as call in or shorter warranties.
The CD version is probably the retail version except with multiple CD's instead of a single DVD. You can determine whether its the retail or OEM, usually by the price. The OEM is always cheaper.
2006-07-28 06:52:03 · answer #2 · answered by polloloco.rb67 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OEM is the just the disk and a serial number. The CD version is the retail box version but its probably on cds instead of one dvd. The retail box version comes in a really pretty box with all sorts of instructional booklets and guides and stuff.
2006-07-28 06:48:19 · answer #3 · answered by bombhaus 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As far as I know retail box and cd version are the same thing, OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer. I guess that means it is straight from the factory.
2006-07-28 06:52:49 · answer #4 · answered by s c 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Please be aware that while Works is by Microsoft, documents created in Works do not just open up in Office Suite applications. For example, a word processing document created in Works must be saved in Rich Text Format in order to be read on a machine with MS Word.
If you are a student or an educator, go to the local college bookstore and purchase the educational version at a fraction of the cost--and get the full Office Suite.
2006-07-28 08:03:19 · answer #5 · answered by williamh772 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋