machin05 Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 Hi all, Quick question, hopefully. We have a Microsoft EES license which covers us to upgrade whatever version of Windows operating system comes with our machines. We want to buy some new PCs for our library but the model we're looking at doesn't come with any version of Windows pre-installed at all. What is our cheapest, and legal, option for getting Windows 7 Pro on these machines. Viglen, our EES provider, were next to no help and simply said we don't recommend buying PCs without Windows!
FN-GM Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 (edited) For education starter edition is the one to go for , if you can get it. If not home basic. Microsoft Volume Licensing - Windows 7 - Qualified Operating Systems tab If you can find some Vista or XP or even 2000 licences might be cheaper again. Edited February 6, 2014 by FN-GM
andyturpie Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 Unfortunately, the OEMs still have to supply with a Windows COA (as far as I am aware, correct me if I am wrong). We moved from RM to Viglen for kit and they are the ones who told us at the time of the new EES agreement and gave us the option to purchase with Vista basic at the time, which knocked a heck of a lot off the overall price.
localzuk Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 Unfortunately, the OEMs still have to supply with a Windows COA (as far as I am aware, correct me if I am wrong). We moved from RM to Viglen for kit and they are the ones who told us at the time of the new EES agreement and gave us the option to purchase with Vista basic at the time, which knocked a heck of a lot off the overall price. No. OEMs do not *have* to supply Windows anything. Microsoft are just a software company, not some form of legislative body. A company can provide a PC with no OS. In that situation, if you want to use your EES agreement to get Windows of your choice on it, you have to buy a Retail edition of Windows. 1
FN-GM Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 Unfortunately, the OEMs still have to supply with a Windows COA (as far as I am aware, correct me if I am wrong). We moved from RM to Viglen for kit and they are the ones who told us at the time of the new EES agreement and gave us the option to purchase with Vista basic at the time, which knocked a heck of a lot off the overall price. No you don't. What if you want to run Linux on them??
andyturpie Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 No you don't. What if you want to run Linux on them?? My mistake, I am sure I remember years ago when a certain OEM refused to sell a customer a machine without a windows OS (as you say the customer wanted to run linux) - I was presuming that MS and the OEMs would have had some sort of agreement drafted up?
andyturpie Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 No. OEMs do not *have* to supply Windows anything. Microsoft are just a software company, not some form of legislative body. A company can provide a PC with no OS. In that situation, if you want to use your EES agreement to get Windows of your choice on it, you have to buy a Retail edition of Windows. Are you saying to comply legally with EES only one purchase of a retail edition is needed? That could save a packet on my next 450ish station refresh...
Norphy Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 No, that's not the case. You get only get Windows upgrade license on any MS license scheme and for that license to qualify, the PC needs to have an eligible Windows license on it already, be it Windows XP Home, Vista Starter or whatever. I think @localzuk is saying that if you buy a PC with no OS installed then want to use your EES upgrade license, you'd have to buy a retail Windows license for that PC to qualify.
localzuk Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 My mistake, I am sure I remember years ago when a certain OEM refused to sell a customer a machine without a windows OS (as you say the customer wanted to run linux) - I was presuming that MS and the OEMs would have had some sort of agreement drafted up? Some suppliers used to have contractual obligations that every machine they sell has to have an OEM sticker. However, I believe this was ruled illegal a while back. Are you saying to comply legally with EES only one purchase of a retail edition is needed? That could save a packet on my next 450ish station refresh... No. I'm saying every device you wish to use an EES upgrade license on has to be legally licensed with a qualifying OS. So, if you have 450 machines which didn't come with Windows at all, you need Windows Retail licenses for every device. 1
andyturpie Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 Some suppliers used to have contractual obligations that every machine they sell has to have an OEM sticker. However, I believe this was ruled illegal a while back. No. I'm saying every device you wish to use an EES upgrade license on has to be legally licensed with a qualifying OS. So, if you have 450 machines which didn't come with Windows at all, you need Windows Retail licenses for every device. Dang - I got my hopes up there. In my discussions with OEMs though, they have always supplied me with their cheapest option licence when quoting for kit. I am suprised that the OP is having trouble with Viglen.
chazzy2501 Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 Yes in education we are lucky to be able to upgrade from Windows Starter edition. This isn't the case for Business. I mention this because the KMS server doesn't like them so you may have to break out your MAK keys. Can retail copies of Windows be transferred to new PCs? (would it be cost effective in the long term?)
machin05 Posted February 6, 2014 Author Posted February 6, 2014 Cheers for the replies folks. Having trouble finding a supplier for Windows Starter Edition. Anyone know a reputable seller? Just to clear something up - am I allowed to buy OEM?
localzuk Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 Only if you buy it with a PC in the first place. It is legal to buy it, but it wouldn't comply with the license.
chazzy2501 Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 Windows starter really only came with Atom PCs with a 1gigabyte of ram or less. (Made for Netbooks)
tmcd35 Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 Not sure what the current oldest edition supported for upgrades is, but I have heard of schools in the past purchasing copies of Windows 3.1 off eBay for this very reason. Just a thought... (Just needs to be original, retail and with CoA sticker as far as I'm aware)
machin05 Posted February 6, 2014 Author Posted February 6, 2014 Windows 98 2nd Edition, by the looks of this - Microsoft Volume Licensing - Windows 7
mpe Posted March 4, 2014 Posted March 4, 2014 No. OEMs do not *have* to supply Windows anything. Microsoft are just a software company, not some form of legislative body. A company can provide a PC with no OS. In that situation, if you want to use your EES agreement to get Windows of your choice on it, you have to buy a Retail edition of Windows. Your original point still holds. What Microsoft might claim is the case and the "law of the land" need not be the same thing.
Arthur Posted March 4, 2014 Posted March 4, 2014 Some suppliers used to have contractual obligations that every machine they sell has to have an OEM sticker. However, I believe this was ruled illegal a while back. The stickers aren't mandatory, but given that the OEMs get huge amounts of money to plaster them all over PCs, it wouldn't make financial sense to refuse (unless you are Apple of course). The stickers work in three ways. First, they tell consumers what's inside the PC, and the well-known brand names are meant to inspire confidence. Second, they show that the PC manufacturer has met the requirements of a logo programme. Some of these are commercial but they can be useful. For example, the Windows 7 logo programme required PC makers to make sure these systems ran 64-bit Windows 7. This eased the transition from mainly 32-bit to mainly 64-bit sales. (See below.) Third, PC manufacturers get some sort of kickback for using stickers, generally in the form of support for advertising or promotions. (In other words, Microsoft and Intel will pay part of the cost of advertising the product on TV or in magazines, as long as the sticker logos are shown.) PC manufacturers can, of course, design PCs however they like, with any specifications they like, and they can install any software they like. Apple does. So can any manufacturer who wants to ship Unix/Linux/Android/whatever machines, or sticker-free Windows machines. Microsoft and Intel cannot tell PC manufacturers what to do. However, they can and do use the logo programmes to ensure minimum specifications, improve the quality of components, and encourage the use of preferred techologies. (With Windows 7, these included a 64-bit OS, Bluetooth v2.1, PCi Wireless Host Controllers, Wake on LAN and other things.) These benefit consumers and promote compatibility without preventing PC manufacturers from innovating. So they do perform useful functions. And if you don't like the stickers, they are designed to peel off. (Source) AMDs research shows that consumers hate the stickers (duh). But they're not going away, for one simple reason: There’s big money involved. Intel, Microsoft, Skype and whoever else is represented by the stickers actually pay the computer companies for the billboard space. That’s why HP, for example, would tolerate gumming up its laptops' good looks with crass ads. Apple refuses to put Intel stickers on its computers, even though there’s Intel inside. In doing so, it leaves millions of dollars a year on the table. (Source)
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