News - Remember, the Windows 7 Release Candidate won't last forever

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Still running the RC release of Windows 7? You have seven days to go until Microsoft begins to encourage you to upgrade.

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Read more.

Only just changed over myself, I had one of the £45 PC world copies on release but just couldn't be bothered. Was a pain backing everything up but got there in the end.

Dammit, completely forgot.

As the RC is on my laptop(main desktop has a licensed version), I will prob go back to XP. Mainly due to cost than anything else as I would love a 3 license win7 pack but cannot afford it.

They can forget it, there is no way i'm paying twice for an OS just because I have two pc's. I dont have to buy two copies of my games so why should i need two copies of windows?

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Originally Posted by Jimbo75

They can forget it, there is no way i'm paying twice for an OS just because I have two pc's. I dont have to buy two copies of my games so why should i need two copies of windows?

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Do you have two graphics cards, or one card you swap between machines?

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Originally Posted by directhex

Do you have two graphics cards, or one card you swap between machines?

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Obviously I have two graphics cards.

Do I get a windows disc that I can take to my second pc to use? No, I don't.

Do I have some method of signing off on one pc so that I can sign on at another? No, I don't.

So even if I did only have only one graphic card, at least I could use that on both computers. I will never be able to use one copy of windows on two different computers.

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Originally Posted by directhex

Do you have two graphics cards, or one card you swap between machines?

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Is windows hardware?

Wow, some people here just don't get the idea of commercial software.

As someone who develops software on a mixture of 10% sales of pre-existing solutions 90% consultancy, I can see my dreams of changing the % are un-likely to happen if the world is full of people like ExHail and Jimbo75

The windows License is for ONE instance (assuming retail), you can un-install it it, and install it again on the other PC, like hexy's example of a graphics card. Just like the one instance of a graphics card you can't have two using it at once without buying two. Hardly complex is it.

The OEM one however is LOCKED to that ONE specific machine, hence the discounted price.

Don't like it? Then go use Linux, you way well siftly see how much of a bargin those <£50 pre-orders where ;)

Yes and why exactly should it be locked to ONE machine when other software isn't?

I buy games off Steam, I can install and use on two different machines, just not at the same time. So why can't I do that with windows?

I don't have to use linux no, I'll just be another one of those people keeping Vista on my main and XP on my second machine. I won't even be buying ONE copy of Windows 7 because of this, do you see the flaw in Microsoft's great plan yet?

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Originally Posted by Jimbo75

Yes and why exactly should it be locked to ONE machine when other software isn't?

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Most software is, or at least is in terms of licence - and that's what you pay for (or not in your case).
I'd suggest that steam is an exception rather than the rule for commercial software.. Curious argument tbh.

I don't know any game that is limited to one machine. Even those with the harshest DRM generally allow two or three installations.

Give me one good reason why I shouldn't be able to use the same copy of windows on two different machines. It's not like I'm using them at the same time, it's not like somebody else would be using it while I was using it on my second pc.

Give me one GOOD reason why I should have to pay twice for the same software, just because I have two pc's. Licenced to a single machine my arse - I bought the software I should be able to use it on as many of my pc's as I want to.

I don't have a laptop, but lets say I did. How many copies of Windows would I need? Only one of course.

So I could do what I wanted at home, friends, work, whatever - Using one copy of windows.

Give me one good reason why I have to buy a second copy of windows just so I can use my pc at my friends place. Just because I have a desktop instead of a laptop, I have to buy a second copy of windows?

That's how much sense this one machine limit makes.

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Originally Posted by Jimbo75

Yes and why exactly should it be locked to ONE machine when other software isn't?

I buy games off Steam, I can install and use on two different machines, just not at the same time. So why can't I do that with windows?

I don't have to use linux no, I'll just be another one of those people keeping Vista on my main and XP on my second machine. I won't even be buying ONE copy of Windows 7 because of this, do you see the flaw in Microsoft's great plan yet?

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I've got about dozen machines running here (and yes, I mean at home). Do I buy one copy and expect to use it on 12? What if it was 50? Or 1000?

Do you see the flaw in your logic yet?

MS will lose some sales from people that think like you and won't upgrade. Fair enough, that's part of the whole picture. But they gain from others that will upgrade when they see a benefit. I didn't take any of my machines to Vista, because I didn't see the point. I will be putting Win7 on several. On the other hand, some run XP, some run Linux, and some are still running Windows 2000 and one 2000 Server.

As Animus said, it's pretty simple. You buy a retail version of Win7 and you can use it on multiple machines, but like the graphics card example, only one at a time. But if you have an OEM, you got it at a discounted price and one of the reasons is because it can't be moved between machines. I won't accept that limitation, which is why I won't use OEM versions, and by and large, that's why I build machines rather than buying them, or at least, it's part of the reason.

If you don't see enough benefit to be prepared to pay what is, after all, a fairly small cost especially compared to what most of us pay for processors or video cards, then fair enough - go back to XP. Or Linux. But why should MS give you a second copy just because you buy one?

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Originally Posted by Jimbo75

.... Licenced to a single machine my arse - I bought the software I should be able to use it on as many of my pc's as I want to.

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No, you bought a licence to use the software, and that comes with terms. Don't like them? Don't buy it.

And by the way, games come with a licence to use on several PCs because they figure they'll sell more copies allowing that, especially in the multiplayer world we now have. But for about 20 years of me buying PC games, that was not the case. Once copy equalled one PC install, or at least, one at a time.

Your steam example is perfect.

Steam activates itself everytime you try to start a game, no net, no luck.

There is NOTHING stopping you doing the same with windows, only thing is the activation involves un-installing and re-installing the OS.

Its simple and makes perfect sense to charge for one runtime per machine.

Why have a laptop and a desktop that have a seperate HDD, or RAM or TFT when you could just swap em, if your never using them at the same time, whats the problem.