DSP vs OEM

[Dolby]

Which is the correct one that I can use on ANY computer?

I remember when buying my Windows 7 paying twice the price - but I can install it over and over and on any PC hardware. I think the one version can only be used on a certain PC - and you can't install it easily if you upgrade or something?

 

[CataclysmZA]

DSP is tied to your motherboard and requires a new license when you're changing boards. OEM needs to stay on one machine and must be bought together with select hardware, but can be bought separately and transferred over to another rig if you use the Microsoft Phone Activation line to reactivate it when you're done installing it on another rig.

Retail licenses don't have this hassle, but OEM is cheaper. Microsoft has finally given thumbs-up to the guys who choose to rather use OEM licenses, though, and says they won't make life too hard when transferring from one machine to another.

 

[Necuno]

DSP is tied to your motherboard and requires a new license when you're changing boards. OEM needs to stay on one machine and must be bought together with select hardware, but can be bought separately and transferred over to another rig if you use the Microsoft Phone Activation line to reactivate it when you're done installing it on another rig.

Retail licenses don't have this hassle, but OEM is cheaper. Microsoft has finally given thumbs-up to the guys who choose to rather use OEM licenses, though, and says they won't make life too hard when transferring from one machine to another.

DSP, how exactly is it tied down to your M/B? Isn't DSP retail

OEM btw is part of the system builder agreement, you sell OEM with a pc and that's the only way it is suppose to be sold.

 

[CataclysmZA]

DSP, how exactly is it tied down to your M/B? Isn't DSP retail

OEM btw is part of the system builder agreement, you sell OEM with a pc and that's the only way it is suppose to be sold.

When I was selling licenses to customers, DSPs themselves were only dealt with when it came to buying Office 2007/2010 with the licenses stuck on those plastic cards. DSP keys were only on those cards and for the OS, we only sold Windows 7 Starter on my work's pre-built machines with a DSP license. DSPs cannot be legally transferred unless its replacing the motherboard with the exact same model, or loading it onto another system that has the exact same board.

OEM is still part of the System Builder agreement, where you have to buy a motherboard or hard drive or computer along with the OEM copy to qualify for the sale. But since no company I know follows that rule, even most online retailers, you can buy an OEM copy on its own without any hardware attached to the sale. Very few PC shops even put the sticker on the chassis itself anymore, making it easier to upgrade or swap licenses onto a new computer.

Which is why you'll see that the retail copies on Incredible Connection's shelves never change - most people just don't buy them!