P
Polaris20
Active member
NL5 said:You can't install ANY version of XP on more than one computer.
Yes, you can. Just not at the same time. The full version can be installed on different computers, i.e. you buy a new computer, you can use the full version on the new computer. Not the case with OEM, which can only be used on one computer (as many times as you want to reinstall on that particular computer).
There is NO benefit to the retail version other than the fancy box and the manual - Who reads the manual anyway?
Except that the license is transferrable to a new computer, which is a pretty big benefit, seeing as how in MS's eyes, new motherboard = new computer. So if you have an OEM version of Windows, and you get a new motherboard and reinstall that same OEM version, then technically you just violated the EULA. You may get away with reactivating it, but you're still in violation, according to MS.
Read the EULA sometime. I had to, for work. It's enlightening.
There may be tighter restrictions on # of harware changes for OEM vs. Retail, but I have never heard of it before.
Yup, really tight. One motherboard for OEM, and that's it.