about to switch from xp pro to vista. i can buy a copy which is an oem or a copy which is an upgrade. the price difference is quite dramatic! why is oem cheaper? what is it?
2007-01-28 14:56:21 · 1 answers · asked by SivGiger78 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer.
They usually will make you buy a hard drive, and/or motherboard, etc. in order to purchase a Microsoft OEM operating system.
An upgrade will require that you already own a legitimate copy of a previous supported OS version.
Personally, I don't like Microsoft upgrades. I have seen too many buggy OS upgrades that needed to be wiped out and started fresh. I always buy the OEM version and start with a clean hard drive.
In this case - going to Vista - I would wait at least for Vista servce pack 1 to be made available.
From the Wikipedia Article:
"OEM, when used to describe software, is used to differentiate that version of the software which is bundled with other hardware or software from that same software package sold on its own as a retail package. The packaging and legal rights that come with the OEM versions of a software package generally differ from what is provided with the retail versions. The functionality of the software is often the same, but it is quite common for the OEM version to be a version with reduced functionality. (For instance the OEM version of Cyberlink PowerDVD supports two-channel audio but not multi-channel sound systems. A customer who wishes to play DVDs with multi-channel sound is required to pay to upgrade to the full version). OEM software may be licensed under conditions requiring that it be sold with computer hardware...."
2007-01-28 19:38:14 · answer #1 · answered by Cribbage 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋