Quote from c0nv1ct :

I know that the Vista Ultimate retail version allows reinstalls. But OEM version i'm not sure about. But if you have an OEM version from buying a retail PC from DELL/HP/etc, the disk will likely just be a re-imaging tool, not an actual Vista OEM disk. Re-imaging shouldn't be a problem.

Yep, retail versions do come with the installation media, but I don't have 450€ extra cash for Ultimate Retail...

Quote from c0nv1ct :

So, if you build your own PC, and buy an OEM version with it. The smart thing to do would be to make a norton ghost image, or something similar, after you install and activate it.

Its extra work that should be unecessary for a home PC. They are just making things more difficult for legitimate owners, while pirated copies will not have issues with this at all.

Indeed. One can propably use a pirated version with less extra work, frustration and money of course. illepall

I apologise for making a double post, and giving finnish only links, but for spankmeyer's and everyones instance, it was not false information.

Vista OEM must be activated within 30 days from installation, and can only be activated once. If you change components (Im not sure of which components do count here, I hope it's just the mobo) of your PC, Vista must be activated again.

http://keskustelu.suomi24.fi/s ... posting=22000000021826425
http://www.tietokone.fi/uutta/ ... ews_id=28641&tyyppi=1

It's not a pain in the ass for end users only - retailers are in a difficult situation too. A computer shop that sells clone PC's will basically have to buy a new OEM license for the customer, if motherboard breaks under warranty time. I work in a retailer shop and we have no plans to start selling Vista OEM's with our clone PC's yet.

I hope that things are going to change, at least in Europe.

So what does Vista really offer those happy with XP?
Enhanced security - that should have been the leaking holes plugged in XP in the first place.
Shut down and start up in 2 secs. Whoo!
Sexy new desktop and 3d icons. Yippee doo
Enhanced control over what media/quality it lets you download. No thanks.
They estimate only 15% of XP users will upgrade to Vista by end 2007. Most will get it as part of a (perhaps necessary) new pc upgrade.
Why do we have to pay £100 for the basic version and the US pay $100? How do they justify this, thats nearly double the price for us. Grrr.

Quote from al heeley :

So what does Vista really offer those happy with XP?

nothing worth the money, at this point.

I am running on XP until..
a) I build myself a new PC that can run Vista (requires 4gb of ram in my books) properly, and that happens next year.
b) Someone writes decent FFB drivers for Linux, and that won't propably happen.

I'll stick with XP until I have to use Vista to run games in DX10 mode. Maybe someone can/will port DX10 to XP (stranger things have happened).

Also, with Microsoft's pricing scheme it's highly likely I'll work hard to get a cracked, free version. If it was sensibly priced I wouldn't have any qualms with paying for it, but it isn't, so I do. Simple. Naughty, but simple.

I'll stick to XP until Vista is ready. And with ready, I don't mean "until you can buy it". As an MSDN subscriber I have some legitimate Vista codes to use within the firm I work for, and two computers (both theorically with Vista compliant hardware, both working eight hours a day, both perfect with XP) were experimenting random crashes on different occasions, ranging from minor glitches to application errors and blue screens. It is true, however, that some people aren't experimenting such errors. For my (limited) experience Vista needs at least a good service pack, and lots of software packages need an update to work with Vista.

The MSDN subscription is a useful thing indeed
But I won't install Vista. Even if I had Vista-ready hardware I wouldn't, because I don't like the idea of having DRM integrated in the kernel. I have yet to see an example of DRM actually working without problems.
LFS runs perfectly with Windows XP, so I couldn't bother to update. And I don't have a graphics-fetish like most of the people have nowadays, so DX10 isn't convincing at all for me.
I'd rather abandon new versions of LFS than upgrade to Vista.

Vista's running a-ok on my P4 2.53ghz, 1gb PC2700, Radeon 9600XT system. Aero and everything.

So far I like it quite a bit. It is indeed quite a bit slicker than XP, and it does feel more stable. Haven't had any crashes or anything yet, and all of my programs work fine (aside from Nero 6, which is disappointing). I thought I was having issues with the software for my MS Sidewinder FF (gave me an error when I tried to config) but it's working perfectly under LFS.

so far.

Quote from frokki :

I apologise for making a double post, and giving finnish only links, but for spankmeyer's and everyones instance, it was not false information.

Vista OEM must be activated within 30 days from installation, and can only be activated once. If you change components (Im not sure of which components do count here, I hope it's just the mobo) of your PC, Vista must be activated again.

http://keskustelu.suomi24.fi/s ... posting=22000000021826425
http://www.tietokone.fi/uutta/ ... ews_id=28641&tyyppi=1

It's not a pain in the ass for end users only - retailers are in a difficult situation too. A computer shop that sells clone PC's will basically have to buy a new OEM license for the customer, if motherboard breaks under warranty time. I work in a retailer shop and we have no plans to start selling Vista OEM's with our clone PC's yet.

I hope that things are going to change, at least in Europe.

I understood they gave up that initial license idea. Now you can actually activate it more times.

Here's my (fast and crappy) translation of the last link (only partial)

"... Microsoft received so much user complains that they are now returning the license terms to level of Windows XP.

In Windows XP user is required to activate it. But as long as the old computer is removed from the net, you can move the same Windows OS into a new computer 5 times. And with the help of customer service as many times as you like.

Microsoft says that in Windows Vista the licensing returns to the same principle now, which means that moving (the OS) is not limited in practise."

I'm not absolutely sure, but I guess that 'moving' thing is same as reinstall and activation.