TOPIC: WINDOWS VISTA
Buying OEM Vista?
27th January 2007A few days ago, I mused over buying OEM Vista if/when the time came for me to do an upgrade. Then, I came to the conclusion that OEM was a no-no unless you bought it installed on a system. In an article on the PC Magazine website, things seem not to be as cut and dried as that. Apparently, the perceived wisdom is that if you are building a system for yourself, and you agree to provide all support as the system builder to yourself as the system user, then everything is OK under the licence. Also, there appears to be a trend among resellers that it is not them who are subject to the terms of the licence, but the customers who purchase the OEM software. It is all just a little bit confusing. Draw your own conclusions…
Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor
27th January 2007
Following the arrival of Vista, some are probably planning to upgrade straight away; I think that I'll wait a while. As it happens, we are using Windows 200 at where I work and the ending of Microsoft's support for this now elderly workhorse is driving a deployment of Windows Vista across the company that is due to start in the summer, a rapid turnaround in IT terms. Given that it wants people to upgrade to keep its coffers full, Microsoft has made a tool available a tool to test for Vista readiness. Oddly, you have to install it after download. While I would have thought that a tool like this should run without installation, there you go. Running it tells you the best version of Vista for you and any actions needed on your part. Vista Business edition was suggested as best for me and the deficiencies included: hard disk space on my Windows drive, a pair of incompatible devices and a number of applications whose compatibility could not be guaranteed. Curiously, some Microsoft packages turned up on the last list. As regards hardware, my sound card and scanner are the offending items. Sound cards are cheap if that needs to be replaced, but I had onboard sound capability on my motherboard that can be instated if so required. Throwing away a perfectly good Canon scanner isn't my idea of sustainable living, so I have been on a trip to the Canon website to find out more. The good news is that a driver update sets everything in order, though there are caveats for Vista 64 bit. All in all, a Vista upgrade is a goer.
Vista is coming…
24th January 20072007-01-30 (next Tuesday) is given as the date for Windows Vista's launch to the wider world. It's an expensive beast, so I think that I'll wait for a while and take the plunge when all the hype has died down. When compared with retail prices, it appears that a TechNet Plus subscription would be a good move, particularly as it would be useful to have an awareness of up-and-coming Microsoft Technology for my work. However, what looks really tempting is the OEM option. There are caveats with this, especially since Microsoft changed the licensing arrangements so that OEM Windows should only be bought installed on a complete PC. This has always been the case with its server and office software, but buying a component such as a CPU or hard drive once was sufficient for OEM Windows. I suppose that I'll keep waiting then...
TechNet Plus subscription
19th January 2007I have a free subscription to Microsoft's Microsoft Learn but with the onset of Vista and the latest issue dangles a carrot in front of me: the idea of a TechNet Plus subscription. The trouble is that it is £283 per annum in the UK, not cheap. Nevertheless, that does rather neatly compare to the price of Windows Vista and that comes as part of the package. I think that I'll revisit the idea when upgrading time comes, and that will be a while after the Vista launch date of 30/1/2007. Given the security changes in the latest Windows incarnation, I'll wait to ensure that I will not be put out too much before making the jump.