Vista - Vista Retail vs Vista OEM

So I'm ready to purchase Vista Home Premium from my neighborhood computer
store (Microcenter in Cambridge, MA) and I'm confused with the options. I
can buy Vista upgrade for $129.00 or Vista Full for $159.00 or Vista OEM for
$129.00. Looking at the different options
1) What is involved if I purchase the upgrade and I want to rebuild (fresh
install) my machine down the road. Do I need to install XP MCE first then
Vista or can I install Vista directly by inserting the XP DVD to prove I
actually qualify for an upgrade.
2) If I want to do a fresh install, what is the actual difference between
the full retail vs the OEM besides the $30.00 difference?

Thanks,
~alan

Retail provides you with installation support, OEM doesn't.
as far as the products themselves go, just consider OEM to be the
Equivalent of Full.
"~~Alan~~" <alan.shepro-NOSPAM@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:%237PL8iZYHHA.1296@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> So I'm ready to purchase Vista Home Premium from my neighborhood computer
> store (Microcenter in Cambridge, MA) and I'm confused with the options. I
> can buy Vista upgrade for $129.00 or Vista Full for $159.00 or Vista OEM
> for $129.00. Looking at the different options
> 1) What is involved if I purchase the upgrade and I want to rebuild (fresh
> install) my machine down the road. Do I need to install XP MCE first then
> Vista or can I install Vista directly by inserting the XP DVD to prove I
> actually qualify for an upgrade.
> 2) If I want to do a fresh install, what is the actual difference between
> the full retail vs the OEM besides the $30.00 difference?
>
> Thanks,
> ~alan
>
>

Don't forget the licensing restrictions: you aren't supposed to move the OEM
version between machines (e.g. when you upgrade your hardware).

Thack

I have no plans to upgrade my hardware short of adding more memory or adding
a disk drive maybe.

Can I do a fresh install with a Vista Upgrade as long as I have my original
XP DVD?

~alan

"Steve Thackery" <thack@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:uauXMcaYHHA.4008@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Don't forget the licensing restrictions: you aren't supposed to move the
> OEM version between machines (e.g. when you upgrade your hardware).
>
> Thack
>

"~~Alan~~" <alan.shepro-NOSPAM@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:%237PL8iZYHHA.1296@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> 1) What is involved if I purchase the upgrade and I want to rebuild (fresh
> install) my machine down the road. Do I need to install XP MCE first then
> Vista or can I install Vista directly by inserting the XP DVD to prove I
> actually qualify for an upgrade.

There is a well published workaround to do a clean install using an upgrade
version. Paul Thurrott has a good article on it:
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase...rade_clean.asp

> 2) If I want to do a fresh install, what is the actual difference between
> the full retail vs the OEM besides the $30.00 difference?

As previously stated, the main difference is support. OEM and you're on
your own. The other difference is that OEM discs WILL NOT permit an
upgrade, you can ONLY do a clean install. So be aware of that difference as
well.

---
"Hurricane" Andrew
Milford, DE

uh huh: http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5932

"~~Alan~~" <alan.shepro-NOSPAM@gmail.com> wrote in message news:eqPnwoaYHHA.3656@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I have no plans to upgrade my hardware short of adding more memory or adding
> a disk drive maybe.
>
> Can I do a fresh install with a Vista Upgrade as long as I have my original
> XP DVD?
>
> ~alan
>
> "Steve Thackery" <thack@nowhere.net> wrote in message
> news:uauXMcaYHHA.4008@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> Don't forget the licensing restrictions: you aren't supposed to move the
>> OEM version between machines (e.g. when you upgrade your hardware).
>>
>> Thack
>>
>
>

Today, ~~Alan~~ made these interesting comments ...

> So I'm ready to purchase Vista Home Premium from my
> neighborhood computer store (Microcenter in Cambridge, MA) and
> I'm confused with the options. I can buy Vista upgrade for
> $129.00 or Vista Full for $159.00 or Vista OEM for $129.00.
> Looking at the different options 1) What is involved if I
> purchase the upgrade and I want to rebuild (fresh install) my
> machine down the road. Do I need to install XP MCE first then
> Vista or can I install Vista directly by inserting the XP DVD
> to prove I actually qualify for an upgrade.
> 2) If I want to do a fresh install, what is the actual
> difference between the full retail vs the OEM besides the
> $30.00 difference?
>
Spend the $30 for the full retail license, do NOT buy an OEM.
First, you get no MS support and second you cannot legally transfer
the license. It is a small price to pay for a clean install and a
full unincumbered CD, a fraction of your total system price.

--
HP, aka Jerry

OEM is supposed to be for installation on new pc's only by Original
Equipment Manufacturers (I.e. people who sell PC's)

Your choices are relay upgrade and full.

Joe

"~~Alan~~" <alan.shepro-NOSPAM@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:#7PL8iZYHHA.1296@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> So I'm ready to purchase Vista Home Premium from my neighborhood computer
> store (Microcenter in Cambridge, MA) and I'm confused with the options. I
> can buy Vista upgrade for $129.00 or Vista Full for $159.00 or Vista OEM
> for $129.00. Looking at the different options
> 1) What is involved if I purchase the upgrade and I want to rebuild (fresh
> install) my machine down the road. Do I need to install XP MCE first then
> Vista or can I install Vista directly by inserting the XP DVD to prove I
> actually qualify for an upgrade.
> 2) If I want to do a fresh install, what is the actual difference between
> the full retail vs the OEM besides the $30.00 difference?
>
> Thanks,
> ~alan
>
>

and if you decide to go for 64-bit processing you can get the disk for about
$10. OEM you have to buy the whole system over.

"HEMI-Powered" <none@none.sn> wrote in message
news:Xns98EDBA408131CReplyScoreID@216.168.3.30...
> Today, ~~Alan~~ made these interesting comments ...
>
>> So I'm ready to purchase Vista Home Premium from my
>> neighborhood computer store (Microcenter in Cambridge, MA) and
>> I'm confused with the options. I can buy Vista upgrade for
>> $129.00 or Vista Full for $159.00 or Vista OEM for $129.00.
>> Looking at the different options 1) What is involved if I
>> purchase the upgrade and I want to rebuild (fresh install) my
>> machine down the road. Do I need to install XP MCE first then
>> Vista or can I install Vista directly by inserting the XP DVD
>> to prove I actually qualify for an upgrade.
>> 2) If I want to do a fresh install, what is the actual
>> difference between the full retail vs the OEM besides the
>> $30.00 difference?
>>
> Spend the $30 for the full retail license, do NOT buy an OEM.
> First, you get no MS support and second you cannot legally transfer
> the license. It is a small price to pay for a clean install and a
> full unincumbered CD, a fraction of your total system price.
>
> --
> HP, aka Jerry

Joe Guidera wrote:
> OEM is supposed to be for installation on new pc's only by Original
> Equipment Manufacturers (I.e. people who sell PC's)
>
> Your choices are relay upgrade and full.

Vista oem versions are for sale to home users. Check this site (one of
many selling oem): http://www.newegg.com/msvista/Vista_Products.html
Whether or not they are suitable in terms of support for an average home
user can be questioned, but the option to purchase is available.
>
> Joe
>
> "~~Alan~~" <alan.shepro-NOSPAM@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:#7PL8iZYHHA.1296@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> So I'm ready to purchase Vista Home Premium from my neighborhood
>> computer store (Microcenter in Cambridge, MA) and I'm confused with
>> the options. I can buy Vista upgrade for $129.00 or Vista Full for
>> $159.00 or Vista OEM for $129.00. Looking at the different options
>> 1) What is involved if I purchase the upgrade and I want to rebuild
>> (fresh install) my machine down the road. Do I need to install XP MCE
>> first then Vista or can I install Vista directly by inserting the XP
>> DVD to prove I actually qualify for an upgrade.
>> 2) If I want to do a fresh install, what is the actual difference
>> between the full retail vs the OEM besides the $30.00 difference?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> ~alan
>>
>>


--
norm