3 x licenses with Windows 7

Dolby

Dolby

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I heard with Windows Vista and Windows 7 RC, you could (legally) use 1 x license keys on 3 machines? Is that true?

If so, will Windows 7 retail allow you to do the same thing?

When Windows 7 is launched, I'd like to load it *legally* on *both* my desktops.

At the same time, I'd like to buy Office 2007. What if they release a Office 2010 within the year .... do I lose out? :/
 
You SHOULD be able to install Windows Vista OEM software on 5 different machines LEGALLY so I don't know why Windows 7 should be any different.

You would lose out the office suite but then again... Look at the gap between '03 and '07... And Microsoft is lazy so no chance of Office '10 coming out.
 
Dolby said:
I heard with Windows Vista and Windows 7 RC, you could (legally) use 1 x license keys on 3 machines? Is that true?

If so, will Windows 7 retail allow you to do the same thing?

When Windows 7 is launched, I'd like to load it *legally* on *both* my desktops.

At the same time, I'd like to buy Office 2007. What if they release a Office 2010 within the year .... do I lose out? :/
Click to expand...

Personal or company? If company, get office on Open License, you get free upgrades for two years.
 
You cannot install Vista on three or five machines. There was a special running that allowed you to install Vista on several machines at home; but it is not a default licensing agreement. You definitely cannot install OEM on 5 machines legally :) Open licenses do not allow you access to free upgrades. Its called software assurance and you pay for it.

Vista business does however allow you legally run 4 virtualised copies of the OS....
 
Dolby said:
I heard with Windows Vista and Windows 7 RC, you could (legally) use 1 x license keys on 3 machines? Is that true?

If so, will Windows 7 retail allow you to do the same thing?

When Windows 7 is launched, I'd like to load it *legally* on *both* my desktops.

At the same time, I'd like to buy Office 2007. What if they release a Office 2010 within the year .... do I lose out? :/
Click to expand...

MS is aware that as the new software release date gets closer; so people stop purchasing new software in anticipation of the new release. They therefore run specials, where if you buy the previous version within a certain time, you can upgrade for free. Look out for this when you choose to buy....
 
Awesome - thanks ...

As for the earlier question, it's home ... but seriously spending R3000+R3000+R3000 for software seems excesive. I thought they'd at least allow you to use on 2 machines - laptop and desktop owned by the same person :/
 
Well the RC is free, there are only a few keys that literally everyone is using. So there's no limit or legality problems with installing it on as many PC's as you want.

The final version depends on what the terms are, probably the same as Vista if you want to find out from microsoft.com.
 
I know with the Student edition of office you can install is one 3 machines in your home - I think its the same with Vista Home editions.

Office 2010 will have some major enhancements, but the changes I have seen was more for corporate customers, so I don't how Office 2010 will affect John Doe on the street.

I say upgrade your copy of office. I don't think it would be really worth it to wait till end of next year!
 
MielieSpoor said:
I know with the Student edition of office you can install is one 3 machines in your home - I think its the same with Vista Home editions.
Click to expand...

That was the Vista Family program, you could buy Vista and then pay something like $50 to install the software on two additional machines. It was only in the US/Canada and only for a limited time. Win 7 may have something similar.
 
Mac OSX has this, it's called a Family Pack and for a tiny fee allows you to install the same operating system on 3 Macs.
 
I got this from MS :

Windows 7 is an operating system and unfortunately the EULA regarding product use for Operating Systems is the same for all packages. One operating system license can only run on one computer any given time and nothing more than that, as opposed to applications like Office that do allow you two installations. I’m afraid you would have to buy two licenses for the two computers that you have.

How dumb :/
 
McGuywer said:
So you can install Office on two PC's?
Click to expand...

No. Well actually yes. MS licensing is not the easiest to understand :)

You can install office (except Student Edition, this can be installed on three PCs, for three different users) on a PC and a mobile device - but only one user is allowed access, to one device, at a time. The idea is that if you have a desktop at home and a laptop that you carry around, you will normally only use one at a time.

It becomes illegal if you had two PCs, and different people were using them, at the same time....
 
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